Eleanor Parker

Research Interests

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Dentistry Public Health Indigenous and Disadvantaged Health Oral Health

APrf Eleanor Parker

Associate Professor

School of Dentistry

College of Health

Associate Professor Eleanor Parker has worked at the University of Adelaide Dental School for over 20 years. She is current Deputy Head of the School, the Chair of the Learning and Teaching Committee and a Deputy Director (Education) of the Indigenous Oral Health Unit, a part of the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH). Eleanor established the first dental service at the Port Augusta Aboriginal community-controlled Pika Wiya health service in 2001, where she worked for five years. Eleanor is actively involved with the student body in encouraging appropriate participation in Indigenous oral health-related research and placements, has published widely in this field and been an invited presenter at international oral health conferences regarding her expertise in Indigenous Australian oral health and curriculum development. .Eleanor maintains a passion for and commitment to improving the oral health of oppressed and disadvantaged groups, in particular rural, First Nations and other groups who have been persecuted. Eleanor sees her involvement with undergraduate education as an opportunity to contribute to the future profession’s understanding of the needs of these communities, to ensure they are skilled and competent in working with patients and communities who are traditionally underserved. Eleanor is heavily involved with undergraduate teaching as First Year Bachelor of Dental Surgery Coordinator, and coordinator of the Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety Curriculum for the Adelaide Dental School.In 2024 Eleanor's contributions to the Adelaide Dental School, Faculty and University was recognised through being awarded the University of Adelaide Award for Outstanding Achievement for Leadership.

My research interests remain focused on improving the oral health of oppressed and disadvantaged people in our community, in particular First Nations communities.  I am fortunate to be part of the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH) Indigenous Oral Health Research Unit, which enables me to integrate my teaching and research interests.  My research career has developed with successful competitive grants, presentation at international conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals. 

Date Position Institution name
2024 - ongoing Associate Professor University of Adelaide
2012 - 2023 Senior Lecturer University of Adelaide
2003 - 2011 Lecturer University of Adelaide, Adelaide Dental School

Date Institution name Country Title
2022 University of Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy
2002 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry
2000 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Dental Surgery

Year Citation
2022 Parker, E. J., Haag, D. G., Spencer, A. J., Roberts-Thomson, K., & Jamieson, L. M. (2022). Self-efficacy and oral health outcomes in a regional Australian Aboriginal population. BMC Oral Health, 22(1), 447-1-447-9.
DOI Scopus10 WoS10 Europe PMC13
2022 Parker, E. J., Mejia, G., Spencer, A. J., Roberts-Thomson, K. F., Haag, D., & Jamieson, L. M. (2022). Self-rated oral and general health among Aboriginal adults in regional South Australia. Australian Dental Journal, 67(2), 132-137.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2021 Parker, E. J., Spencer, A. J., Roberts-Thomson, K., Mills, H., & Jamieson, L. M. (2021). Oral health-related self-efficacy and fatalism in a regional South Australian Aboriginal population. Community Dental Health, 38(2), 1-7.
DOI Scopus1 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2018 Ju, X., Brennan, D. S., Parker, E., Chrisopoulos, S., & Jamieson, L. (2018). Confirmatory factor analysis of the health literacy in dentistry scale (HeLD) in the Australian population. Community Dental Health, 35(3), 140-147.
DOI Scopus31 WoS30 Europe PMC20
2018 Jamieson, L., Smithers, L., Hedges, J., Parker, E., Mills, H., Kapellas, K., . . . Ju, X. (2018). Dental disease outcomes following a 2-year oral health promotion program for Australian Aboriginal children and their families: a 2-arm parallel, single-blind, randomised controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine, 1, 43-50.
DOI Scopus50 WoS44 Europe PMC40
2017 Chand, R., Parker, E., & Jamieson, L. (2017). Differences in, and Frames of Reference of, Indigenous Australians’ Self- rated General and Oral Health. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 28(3), 1087-1103.
DOI Scopus8 WoS7 Europe PMC4
2017 Ju, X., Brennan, D., Parker, E., Mills, H., Kapellas, K., & Jamieson, L. (2017). Efficacy of an oral health literacy intervention among Indigenous Australian adults. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 45(5), 413-426.
DOI Scopus31 WoS22 Europe PMC21
2016 Jones, K., Parker, E. J., Steffens, M. A., Logan, R. M., Brennan, D., & Jamieson, L. M. (2016). Development and psychometric validation of social cognitive theory scales in an oral health context. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 40(2), 193-195.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC4
2016 Parker, E., Mills, H., Spencer, A., Mejia, G., Roberts-Thomson, K., & Jamieson, L. (2016). Oral health impact among rural-dwelling indigenous adults in South Australia. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 27(Suppl. 1), 207-219.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2016 Jones, K., Brennan, D., Parker, E., Steffens, M., & Jamieson, L. (2016). Are oral health-related self-efficacy, knowledge and fatalism indicators for non-toothbrush ownership in a homeless population?. Community Dental Health, 33(1), 48-53.
DOI Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC6
2016 Jones, K., Brennan, D., Parker, E., Mills, H., & Jamieson, L. (2016). Does self-efficacy mediate the effect of oral health literacy on self-rated oral health in an Indigenous population?. Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 76(4), 350-355.
DOI Scopus17 WoS17 Europe PMC14
2015 Jones, K., Brennan, D., Parker, E., & Jamieson, L. (2015). Development of a short-form Health Literacy Dental Scale (HeLD-14). Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 43(2), 143-151.
DOI Scopus62 WoS56 Europe PMC49
2014 Jamieson, L., Parker, E., Broughton, J., Lawrence, H., & Armfield, J. (2014). Are Stage of Change constructs relevant for subjective oral health in a vulnerable population?. Community Dental Health, 32(2), 111-116.
DOI Scopus2 Europe PMC1
2014 Jamieson, L., Armfield, J., Parker, E., Roberts-Thomson, K., Broughton, J., & Lawrence, H. (2014). Development and evaluation of the Stages of Change in Oral Health instrument. International Dental Journal, 64(5), 269-277.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC4
2014 Jamieson, L., Parker, E., Roberts-Thomson, K., Lawrence, H., & Broughton, J. (2014). Self-efficacy and self-rated oral health among pregnant aboriginal Australian women. BMC Oral Health, 14(1), 29-1-29-7.
DOI Scopus34 WoS29 Europe PMC24
2014 Ben, J., Paradies, Y., Priest, N., Parker, E., Roberts-Thomson, K., Lawrence, H., . . . Jamieson, L. (2014). Self-reported racism and experience of toothache among pregnant Aboriginal Australians: the role of perceived stress, sense of control, and social support. Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 74(4), 301-309.
DOI Scopus31 WoS32 Europe PMC26
2014 Jones, K., Parker, E., & Jamieson, L. (2014). Access, literacy and behavioural correlates of poor self-rated oral health amongst an Indigenous South Australian population. Community Dental Health, 31(3), 167-171.
DOI Scopus23 WoS20 Europe PMC15
2014 Ben, J., Jamieson, L., Priest, N., Parker, E., Roberts-Thomson, K., Lawrence, H., . . . Paradies, Y. (2014). Experience of racism and tooth brushing among pregnant aboriginal Australians: exploring psychosocial mediators. Community Dental Health, 31(3), 145-152.
DOI Scopus19 WoS18 Europe PMC16
2014 Jones, K., Parker, E., Mills, H., Brennan, D., & Jamieson, L. (2014). Development and psychometric validation of a Health Literacy in Dentistry scale (HeLD). Community Dental Health, 31(1), 37-43.
DOI Scopus62 WoS55 Europe PMC46
2013 Jamieson, L., Divaris, K., Parker, E., & Lee, J. (2013). Oral health literacy comparisons between Indigenous Australians and American Indians. Community Dental Health, 30(1), 52-57.
DOI Scopus25 WoS21 Europe PMC17
2012 Parker, E., Misan, G., Shearer, M., Richards, L., Russell, A., Mills, H., & Jamieson, L. (2012). Planning, implementing, and evaluating a program to address the oral health needs of aboriginal children in Port Augusta, Australia. International Journal of Pediatrics, 2012(496236), 1-10.
DOI WoS9 Europe PMC11
2012 Merrick, J., Chong, A., Parker, E., Roberts-Thomson, K., Misan, G., Spencer, A., . . . Jamieson, L. (2012). Reducing disease burden and health inequalities arising from chronic disease among Indigenous children: an early childhood caries intervention. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 1-6.
DOI Scopus50 WoS47 Europe PMC38
2012 Parker, E., Misan, G., Chong, A., Mills, H., Roberts-Thomson, K., Horowitz, A., & Jamieson, L. (2012). An oral health literacy intervention for Indigenous adults in a rural setting in Australia. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 1-7.
DOI Scopus42 WoS39 Europe PMC25
2011 Parker, E., Jamieson, L., Steffens, M., Cathro, P., & Logan, R. (2011). Self-reported oral health of a metropolitan homeless population in Australia: comparisons with population-level data. Australian Dental Journal, 56(3), 272-277.
DOI Scopus20 WoS22 Europe PMC14
2010 Parker, E., Jamieson, L., Broughton, J., Albino, J., Lawrence, H., & Roberts-Thomson, K. (2010). The oral health of Indigenous children: A review of four nations. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 46(9), 483-486.
DOI Scopus41 WoS36 Europe PMC26
2010 Mejia, G., Parker, E., & Jamieson, L. (2010). An introduction to oral health inequalities among Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. International Dental Journal, 60(3 Suppl 2), 212-215.
DOI Scopus41 WoS40 Europe PMC31
2010 Williams, S., Parker, E., & Jamieson, L. (2010). Oral health-related quality of life among rural-dwelling Indigenous Australians. Australian Dental Journal, 55(2), 170-176.
DOI Scopus22 WoS23 Europe PMC16
2010 Parker, E., & Jamieson, L. (2010). Associations between Indigenous Australian oral health literacy and self-reported oral health outcomes. BMC Oral Health, 10(1), 1-8.
DOI Scopus118 WoS106 Europe PMC90
2008 Jamieson, L., Parker, E., & Richards, L. (2008). Using qualitative methodology to inform an Indigenous-owned oral health promotion initiative in Australia. Health Promotion International, 23(1), 52-59.
DOI Scopus41 WoS41 Europe PMC29
2007 Parker, E., & Jamieson, L. (2007). Oral health comparisons between children attending an Aboriginal health service and a Government school dental service in a regional location. Rural and Remote Health, 7(2), 625-632.
DOI Scopus20 Europe PMC11
2007 Jamieson, L., Parker, E., & Armfield, J. (2007). Indigenous child oral health at a regional and state level. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 43(3), 117-121.
DOI Scopus26 WoS26 Europe PMC19
2005 Parker, E., Misan, G., Richards, L., & Russell, A. (2005). Planning and implementing the first stage of an oral health program for the Pika Wiya Health Service Incorporated Aboriginal community in Port Augusta, South Australia. Rural and Remote Health, 5(2), 254.
DOI Scopus8 Europe PMC6

Year Citation
2022 Lekkas, D., Parker, E., Anastassiadis, P., Stow, L., & Murray, A. (2022). Rethinking summative assessment using the PDSA Cycle. Poster session presented at the meeting of International Association of Dental Research (IADR) Australia and New Zealand Conference. Melbournce.
2020 Parker, E., Gray, J., & Lekkas, D. (2020). Creativity in online teaching in health professional programs. Poster session presented at the meeting of Festival of Learning and Teaching, University of Adelaide. Adelaide.
2017 Ju, X., Brennan, D. S., Parker, E., Chrisopoulos, S., & Jamieson, L. M. (2017). Validation of an oral health literacy instrument among Australian adults. Poster session presented at the meeting of 95th General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research. San Francisco, Northern California, USA.
2014 Parker, E., & Coleman, D. (2014). Developing and implementing an integrated curriculum to support dental students to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to facilitate culturally safe dental care. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian & New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators Conference 2024.

ADAF Community Service Grants-Principles in Action: Community Outreach Dental Program - next
steps; 2019; Eleanor Parker, Margie Steffens  $8,582;

 

ADAF Community Service Grants-Principles in Action: Community Dental Outreach Program;
Years: 2018; $8,013 Eleanor Parker, Margie Steffen

 

International Collaboration for Indigenous Health Research Partnerships (ICIHRP) 2010: $1,390,040

 Lisa Jamieson, Rus Nasir, Alwin Chong, Eleanor Parker, Kaye Roberts-Thomson, Gary Misan, John Spencer (Australian team)

‘Reducing disease burden and health inequalities arising from chronic dental disease among Indigenous children: an early childhood caries intervention’

 

Teaching Development Grant 2019 $5000.

Lekkas D, Skinner V, Parker E, Stow L, Zaccardo B (2019) Learning and Innovation Grant. The University of Adelaide. The value of lectures. 

 

NHMRC 2009: $548,250 

Lisa Jamieson, Rus Nasir, Alwin Chong, Eleanor Parker

‘An oral health literacy intervention among rural Indigenous adults’

 

Australian dental Research Foundation 2008: $8000

Margie Steffens, Eleanor Parker, Lisa Jamieson, Peter Cathro, Richard Logan

‘A Home for Oral Health: Quantifying, Addressing and Evaluating the Oral Health Needs of Homeless People in Adelaide, South Australia’

 

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies 2007: $18,000

Lisa Jamieson, Eleanor Parker, Cephas Stanley;

‘An Oral Health Promotion Initiative; Phase II’.

Since my appointment with the Spencer Gulf Rural Health School in 2022 and the Adelaide Dental School in 2006, I have held a number of roles primarily associated with clinical learning activities in the early years of the BDS Program. I have, for a significant portion of my time, had responsibility for coordinating the first year of the BDS clinical curriculum, and took a leadership role in the development and implementation of the revised BDS curriculum. I have also taught across topics within the BDS, across BDS year levels and some components of BOH 1-3, involving a significant amount of face-to-face contact with undergraduate students. In partnership with colleagues in Yaitya Purruna, Indigenous Health Unit, I have played a lead role in developing the undergraduate curriculum related to Indigenous Oral Health and Cultural Safety for BDS and BOH students. I am currently Chair of the Adelaide Dental School Programs Board and the BDS 1 Year Coordinator. 

Connect With Me

External Profiles

Other Links