Nutrition and older Indigenous Australians: Service delivery implications in remote communities. A narrative review

Abstract

Objective To describe the nutritional status of older Indigenous people, barriers to achieving optimal nutrition, and the effectiveness of programs aimed at improving nutrition in older Indigenous people in remote communities. Methods A comprehensive literature review was undertaken utilising electronic databases Scopus, CINAHL, Informit, Ovid MEDLINE, ProQuest, Web of Knowledge, PsycINFO, ATSI HealthInfoNet and Google Scholar. Grey literature was also accessed. Results Findings indicated there is a scarcity of representative data on nutritional status and risk in older Indigenous people, and nutrition support programs have not been evaluated. Conclusions Older Indigenous people suffer from poorer overall health and higher levels of overweight and obesity, and are at increased risk of poor nutritional status and malnutrition than the general population. This risk may be higher in remote areas. More representative data are needed to determine the nutritional status of older Indigenous people, including levels of malnutrition. Support programs also need to be evaluated.

Mapping Point-of-Purchase Influencers of Food Choice in Australian Remote Indigenous Communities

“…In more recent work, the complexity of food provisioning in remote communities has been acknowledged and whereas once the community store tended to be the only retail source of food in communities, independent takeout shops also exist (Brimblecombe, Mackerras, Clifford, & O'Dea, 2006). Sources of food supply in RIC vary and now include community care programs, school canteens, school breakfast and lunch programs, independently managed stores and takeouts, and food sources from hunting and gathering (Brimblecombe et al, 2006;Schouten, Lindeman, & Reid, 2013). Although we acknowledge that the community store is not necessarily the main source of food supply in a remote community, it is likely to be a major source.…”

An Alternative Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF-ai) Incorporating Prevalence of Inadequate and Excessive Nutrient Intake

“…While there is a variety of age-group- and gender-defined nutrient profiling models presented in this article ( Table 1 ), the same approach could be used to develop a unique model for any subgroup of interest. This could include people living in indigenous communities [ 48 , 49 ].…”

A decade of rural ageing research in the Australasian Journal on Ageing

“…Issues relating to food sufficiency in rural ageing populations have also begun to receive attention, particularly relating to issues faced by vulnerable rural populations such as remote Indigenous 10 or frail community‐dwelling older adults 11 . A narrative review by Schouten et al 10 has concluded that while it is likely that remote‐dwelling Indigenous older people are at increased risk of malnutrition, we know little about the effectiveness of programs targeting nutritional risk in these contexts.…”