Transmission of health knowledge and health practices from men to boys among Aboriginal communities and non-Indigenous Australians: Searching for evidence

Tom Laws
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide SA

Helen Bradley
University of South Australia, Adelaide SA

PP: 249 - 261

Abstract

Although men's health literature has developed rapidly over the last decade and covers a plethora of issues, almost no attention has been paid to understanding the transmission of health knowledge from men to boys in Australian society. This paper identifies a paucity of literature on the topic and offers explanations for this phenomenon.

To raise awareness among health professionals of the need to explore the topic, the authors outline literature pertaining to men's role within the family and gender specific cultural practices. This information is combined with the authors' personal experiences with Indigenous and non- Indigenous Australian men to provide a background to this emerging issue.

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Keywords

Aboriginal; immigrant; father; boys; health; knowledge


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