Didgeridoo playing and singing to support asthma management in Aboriginal Australians

• Reach:

  QLD

• Focus area:

  Indigenous

• Status:

  Completed

• Evaluated:

  No

Overview

The Didgeridoo playing and singing to support asthma management in Aboriginal Australians project looked at the asthma management practices of Aboriginal children, adolescents and adults. The project aimed to increase compliance in asthma management plans through the use of music lessons. Over a six month period weekly lessons were conducted with male participants playing the didgeridoo and female participants engaging in singing lessons.

The results of the project indicated that engaging in music activities had a significant positive outcome for male participants in terms of their asthma and overall health and wellbeing. For the female participants the improvement was not as significant as that of the male participants. The additional advantage of the project was the increased cultural and social awareness displayed by the participants.

Contacts

Dr Robert Eley
The Centre for Rural and Remote Area Health
The University of Southern Queensland
West Street
Toowoomba Qld 4350
Email: elry@usq.edu.au

Related publications

Eley R (2013)

The potential effects of the didgeridoo as an Indigenous intervention for Australian Aborigines: a post analysis.

Music and Medicine; Online First(http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1943862113476306):

• Links
• View abstract: The potential effects of the didgeridoo as an Indigenous intervention for Australian Aborigines: a post analysis
• View article: The potential effects of the didgeridoo as an Indigenous intervention for Australian Aborigines: a post analysis (PDF - 416.3 KB)
• View website: Music and Medicine

Eley R, Gorman D (2010)

Didgeridoo playing and singing to support asthma management in Aboriginal Australians.

The Journal of Rural Health; 26(1): 100-104

• Links
• View abstract: Didgeridoo playing and singing to support asthma management in Aboriginal Australians
• View article: Didgeridoo playing and singing to support asthma management in Aboriginal Australians (PDF - 122.5 KB)
• View information: Didgeridoo playing and singing to support asthma management in Aboriginal Australians
• View website: The Journal of Rural Health

Eley R, Gorman D, Gately J (2010)

Didgeridoos, songs and boomerangs for asthma management.

Health Promotion Journal of Australia; 21(1): 39-44

• Links
• View abstract: Didgeridoos, songs and boomerangs for asthma management
• View article: Didgeridoos, songs and boomerangs for asthma management (PDF - 84.0 KB)
• View information: Didgeridoos, songs and boomerangs for asthma management
• View website: Health Promotion Journal of Australia

Eley R, Gorman M (2010)

Music therapy to manage asthma symptoms in young Indigenous people in an urban setting.

Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 34(3): 20-22

• Links
• View abstract: Music therapy to manage asthma symptoms in young Indigenous people in an urban setting
• View article: Music therapy to manage asthma symptoms in young Indigenous people in an urban setting (PDF - 237.4 KB)
• View website: Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal

Eley R, Gorman D (2008)

Music therapy to manage asthma.

Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 32(1): 9-10

• Links
• View abstract: Music therapy to manage asthma
• View article: Music therapy to manage asthma (PDF - 250.8 KB)
• View website: Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal

Links

• View information: Didgeridoo playing and singing to support asthma management in Aboriginal Australians
• View website: The Centre for Rural and Remote Area Health
• View website: University of Southern Queensland