title: Culturally appropriate methodology in obtaining a representative sample of South Australian Aboriginal adults for a cross-sectional population health study: challenges and resolutions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The considerably lower average life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, compared with non-Aboriginal and non-Torres Strait Islander Australians, has been widely reported. Prevalence data for chronic disease and health risk factors are needed to provide evidence based estimates for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders population health planning. Representative surveys for these populations are difficult due to complex methodology. The focus of this paper is to describe in detail the methodological challenges and resolutions of a representative South Australian Aboriginal population-based health survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a stratified multi-stage sampling methodology based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census with culturally appropriate and epidemiological rigorous methods, 11,428 randomly selected dwellings were approached from a total of 209 census collection districts. All persons eligible for the survey identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and were selected from dwellings identified as having one or more Aboriginal person(s) living there at the time of the survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the 399 interviews from an eligible sample of 691 SA Aboriginal adults yielded a response rate of 57.7%. These face-to-face interviews were conducted by ten interviewers retained from a total of 27 trained Aboriginal interviewers. Challenges were found in three main areas: identification and recruitment of participants; interviewer recruitment and retainment; and using appropriate engagement with communities. These challenges were resolved, or at least mainly overcome, by following local protocols with communities and their representatives, and reaching agreement on the process of research for Aboriginal people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obtaining a representative sample of Aboriginal participants in a culturally appropriate way was methodologically challenging and required high levels of commitment and resources. Adhering to these principles has resulted in a rich and unique data set that provides an overview of the self-reported health status for Aboriginal people living in South Australia. This process provides some important principles to be followed when engaging with Aboriginal people and their communities for the purpose of health research.
authors.affiliation: The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. tania.marin@sahmri.com.|South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. tania.marin@sahmri.com.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.affiliation: The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. anne.taylor@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anne Winifred
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. eleonora.dalgrande@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Eleonora Dal
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Grande
authors.affiliation: The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. jodie.avery@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jodie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Avery
authors.affiliation: The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. graeme.tucker@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.affiliation: South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. kim.morey@sahmri.com.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples