D3-Referral to community arts and cultural programs on ageing First Nations peoples' health and wellbeing: a scoping review of policy, practice and research
Podium 4
2:10 PM - 2:30 PMTue
Podium 4
Culture, Faith & Heritage
Speakers
Prof Genevieve Dingle
Professor
The University of Queensland
Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to map the breadth and types of evidence regarding referral pathways to community arts and cultural programs for ageing First Nations Peoples and their impact on health and wellbeing in Australia. Introduction: For First Nations Peoples in Australia, health is a holistic concept encompassing Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) grounded deeply in connections to culture, family, and community (Brown et al., 2024). Community-led cultural programs are recognised as vital, strengths-based initiatives for improving wellbeing. Yet, the evidence regarding the specific pathways through which individuals are connected to these programs remains scarce. (McCausland et al., 2021). Inclusion criteria: The focus of the review was to consider peer-reviewed, grey literature, and relevant government policy that focused on ageing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (Participants); focused on the nature of referral pathways to, and the health and wellbeing impacts of community arts and cultural programs (Concept); and was situated within an Australian context (Context). Methods: A systematic search was conducted using five academic databases in September 2025. Additionally, searches were carried out for grey literature and relevant policies related to the topic. Reviews were limited to those written in English. Study selection involved a single-stage screening process conducted by one reviewer, with any uncertainties resolved by a second independent reviewer screening the articles. Data were then extracted using a bespoke charting tool, and results were synthesised thematically. Results: From the database search, 98 articles were identified for title and abstract screening, from which seven articles met the selection criteria for the review. These articles included one quasi-experimental pre-post design, one mixed-method study, one cross-sectional survey, and four qualitative studies. Data extraction is in progress. Conclusions: The discussion and findings are in progress and will be finalised upon completion of the final data synthesis and analysis.