TITLE:
Community-based obesity prevention initiatives in aboriginal communities: The experience of the eat well be active community programs in South Australia
AUTHORS:
Annabelle Wilson, Michelle Jones, Janet Kelly, Anthea Magarey
KEYWORDS:
Obesity Prevention; Aboriginal; Community-Based Intervention; Indigenous; Qualitative
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.4 No.12A,
December
31,
2012
ABSTRACT: Childhood obesity is a growing concern world-wide, and
obesity rates are higher in certain groups in the developed world, including Australian Aboriginal people. Community-based obesity prevention interventions (CBOPI) can help to address obesity, however
the approach of such programs to reach diverse groups, including Aboriginal
people, must be considered. This paper considers one mainstream1 CBOPI, the eat well be active (ewba) Community Programs in South
Australia, which was delivered in two communities and sought to reach Aboriginal
people as part of the overall program. This paper considers how well this
approach was received by the Aboriginal people living and working in those
communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine Aboriginal
workers who had some connection to the ewba program, and seven ewba project
staff. Qualitative data analysis was performed and factors found to affect
how well the program was received by Aboriginal people include relationships,
approach and project target group, including geographical area. A different
response was observed in the two communities, with a more positive response
being observed in the community where more relationships were developed between
ewba and Aboriginal staff. For any CBOPI seeking to work with Aboriginal (or
other Indigenous) communities, it is vital to consider and plan how the program
will meet the needs and preferences of Aboriginal people in all stages of the
project, in order to reach this group.