Food and nutrition programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: an overview of systematic reviews

Browne, Jennifer; Adams, Karen; Atkinson, Petah; Gleeson, Deborah; Hayes, Rick

doi:10.1071/ah17082

Cited by 30 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Programmes and policies to promote nutrition should draw on the strengths of Indigenous families and communities, and must be conducted in partnership with Indigenous communities and individuals ( 24 , 88 ) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding barriers to fruit and vegetable intake in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children: a mixed-methods approach

Thurber

Banwell

Neeman

et al. 2016

Public Health Nutr.

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ObjectiveTo identify barriers to fruit and vegetable intake for Indigenous Australian children and quantify factors related to these barriers, to help understand why children do not meet recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake.DesignWe examined factors related to carer-reported barriers using multilevel Poisson models (robust variance); a key informant focus group guided our interpretation of findings.SettingEleven diverse sites across Australia.SubjectsAustralian Indigenous children and their carers (N 1230) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children.ResultsAlmost half (45 %; n 555/1230) of carers reported barriers to their children’s fruit and vegetable intake. Dislike of fruit and vegetables was the most common barrier, reported by 32·9 % of carers; however, we identified few factors associated with dislike. Carers were more than ten times less likely to report barriers to accessing fruit and vegetables if they lived large cities v. very remote areas. Within urban and inner regional areas, child and carer well-being, financial security, suitable housing and community cohesion promoted access to fruit and vegetables.ConclusionsIn this national Indigenous Australian sample, almost half of carers faced barriers to providing their children with a healthy diet. Both remote/outer regional carers and disadvantaged urban/inner regional carers faced problems accessing fruit and vegetables for their children. Where vegetables were accessible, children’s dislike was a substantial barrier. Nutrition promotion must address the broader family, community, environmental and cultural contexts that impact nutrition, and should draw on the strengths of Indigenous families and communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding barriers to fruit and vegetable intake in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children: a mixed-methods approach

Thurber

Banwell

Neeman

et al. 2016

Public Health Nutr.

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show abstract

“…All of these diseases necessitate the importance of effective nutrition interventions early in childhood, with schools an obvious setting. While the evidence for effective Aboriginal nutrition interventions is not strong, a review has found that community-based programs that engage and are led by members of the Aboriginal community and incorporate multiple components are most effective [50]. How best to involve Aboriginal parents and volunteers in SBPs needs further exploration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking through the Keyhole: Exploring Realities and Possibilities for School Breakfast Programs in Rural Western Australia

et al. 2018

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Objective: To assess the school breakfast program (SBP) in two schools with high Aboriginal student populations in rural Western Australia, their contribution to holistic support, nutritional health education and possibilities for improvement. Methods: The operations and functioning of one regional and one remote SBP were assessed by stakeholder inquiry related to process and challenges, observations and documentary review. An intervention to increase health education, social interaction and learning about nutrition and food origins implemented in one school was assessed. Results: Strengths, system and structural factors that impeded realisation of optimal outcomes of the SBPs were identified. The SBPs focussed on serving food rather than building nutritional understanding or on social interactions and support. Systems for delivery and management of the programs largely relied on staff with limited time. When offered a more interactive and social environment, children enjoyed learning about food. Conclusions: Opportunities for SBPs to offer holistic support and educational enhancement for disadvantaged children are limited by the realities of pressures on staff to support them and a view constraining their primary role as food delivery. The lack of volunteer support in disadvantaged schools limits the potential benefits of SBPs in providing psychosocial support. Health education resources which exist for use in SBPs are not necessarily used.

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“…In a systematic review of Aboriginal food and nutrition programs, Browne and colleagues (2018) conclude that “the most important factor determining success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander food and nutrition programs is community involvement in (and ideally, control of) program development and implementation” [50]. As further argued by Bramwell et al (2017), “given the sensitivity and shame often associated with food insecurity, more needs to be known about how health professionals can broach the issue to ensure dignity and cultural safety” ([48] p. 7).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Insecurity among Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

Temple

Russell

2018

IJERPH

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It is well established that Indigenous populations are at a heightened risk of food insecurity. Yet, although populations (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) are ageing, little is understood about the levels of food insecurity experienced by older Indigenous peoples. Using Australian data, this study examined the prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Using nationally representative data, we employed ordinal logistic regression models to investigate the association between socio-demographic characteristics and food insecurity. We found that 21% of the older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population were food insecure, with 40% of this group exposed to food insecurity with food depletion and inadequate intake. This places this population at a 5 to 7-fold risk of experiencing food insecurity relative to their older non-Indigenous peers. Measures of geography, language and low socio-economic status were highly associated with exposure to food insecurity. Addressing food insecurity offers one pathway to reduce the disparity in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous Australians. Policies that consider both remote and non-remote Australia, as well as those that involve Aboriginal people in their design and implementation are needed to reduce food insecurity.

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Food and nutrition programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: an overview of systematic reviews

Cited by 30 publications

References 13 publications

Understanding barriers to fruit and vegetable intake in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children: a mixed-methods approach

Understanding barriers to fruit and vegetable intake in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children: a mixed-methods approach

Looking through the Keyhole: Exploring Realities and Possibilities for School Breakfast Programs in Rural Western Australia

Food Insecurity among Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

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