Birthweight changes in the pilot phase of the Strong Women Strong Babies Strong Culture Program in the Northern Territory

Abstract

Objective : The Strong Women Strong Babies Strong Culture Program had specific goals to increase infant birthweights by earlier attendance for antenatal care and improved maternal weight status. Starting in August 1993, Aboriginal women in three pilot communities worked with pregnant women in a program that emphasised both traditional practices and Western medicine. Method : Two sources of data were used to examine different aspects of program effects. Results : Data from the NT Midwives Collection shows that the mean birthweight of infants of Aboriginal women increased by 171 g between 1990/91 and 1994/95 in the pilot communities and by 92 g in the surrounding three rural regions. Data extracted from clinic records in the pilot communities found that changes in maternal weight were associated with change in birthweight over time. Conclusion : Changes in birthweight coincide with the commencement of the program and are larger than the secular trend in surrounding communities. Implications : Ongoing evaluation of the expanded program will help to determine the extent to which the change in birthweight can be attributed to the program and whether the effects can be replicated.

Health and wellbeing outcomes of programs for Indigenous Australians that include strategies to enable the expression of cultural identities: a systematic review

“…d 'Espaignet et al (2003) evaluated the effect of the Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture program (SWSBSC), which operates in remote Aboriginal communities in the NT. Findings of an earlier evaluation (Mackerras 2001) were also reported in this paper. SWSBSC activated traditional relationships where older Aboriginal women cared for pregnant women, encouraging them to visit medical clinics and providing advice about nutrition (including bush foods).…”

Mental health of Australian Aboriginal women during pregnancy: identifying the gaps

“…Preterm birth and low birth weight are leading causes of health problems that may persist through childhood and into adolescence (Lobel et al 2008;Mackerras 2000). Hayes et al (2010) conducted a study examining the impact that social stressors have on obstetric outcomes in a sample of 92 Aboriginal women from Queensland, Australia.…”

Risk factors for preterm, low birthweight and small for gestational age births among Aboriginal women from remote communities in Northern Australia

“…43 The association between pregnancy-induced hypertension and PTB was marginally significant in our study whereas a larger Queensland study in Indigenous women found it to be a more important predictor (AOR: 4. 44 A recent evaluation found that although the program was still recognised as a 'flagship program,' there were substantial challenges in its provision and sustainability impeding it from reaching its potential. 45 This program was not operating in one of our study settings and had been reduced from its former size in the other.…”