Too many of us have gone early : priorities in heart health education for Aboriginal people

Aboriginal people have a higher burden of cardiovascular risk factors and heart disease and poorer outcomes after heart attacks when compared with other Australians. Indigenous status is also a risk factor for delayed response to heart attack symptoms. A community DVD about preventing and managing heart disease was made at the Aboriginal Medical Service Western Sydney in 2005. The aim of this article is to reflect on the process of making the DVD as a community driven health promotion activity and to explore questions raised and insights gained about heart health education for Aboriginal people in the context of the existing literature. The importance of education about heart attack symptom recognition and prompt hospital presentation, as well as risk factor management, by general practitioners and other health practitioners working with Aboriginal people, is highlighted.