Journal Article

Chronic disease prevention programs offered by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in New South Wales, Australia

Tong, Allison, Craig, Jonathan C., Lopez‐Vargas, Pamela, Sinka, Victoria, Sheerin, Noella, Teixeira‐Pinto, Armando, Stephens, Jacqueline H., Dickson, Michelle, Kerr, Marianne, Blazek, Katrina

2021

Overview

To identify and describe chronic disease prevention programs offered by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. ACCHSs were identified through the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW website. Chronic disease programs were identified from the Facebook page and website of each ACCHS. Characteristics, including regions, target population, condition, health behaviour, modality and program frequency were extracted and summarised. We identified 128 chronic disease programs across 32 ACCHSs. Of these, 87 (68%) programs were broad in their scope, 20 (16%) targeted youth, three (2%) targeted Elders, 16 (12%) were for females only and five (4%) were for males only. Interventions included physical activity (77, 60%), diet and nutrition (74, 58%), smoking (70, 55%), and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Check (44, 34%), with 93 programs (73%) of ongoing duration. Chronic disease prevention programs address chronic conditions by promoting physical activity, diet and nutrition, smoking cessation and health screening. Most target the general Aboriginal community, a few target specific groups based on gender and age, and more than one‐quarter are time‐limited. Chronic disease programs that are co‐produced with specific groups, based on age and gender, may be needed.

• Publisher: Elsevier B.V,John Wiley & Sons, Inc,Elsevier Limited,Elsevier
• Subject: Aboriginal Australians / Adolescent / Age groups / Aged / Australia - epidemiology / Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples / Australian aborigines / Chronic conditions / chronic disease / Chronic Disease - prevention & control / Chronic diseases / Chronic illnesses / Cigarette smoking / Community / Community health services / Demographic aspects / Diet / Disease / Disease prevention / Drug addiction / Exercise / Female / Gender / Health aspects / Health behavior / Health Behavior - ethnology / Health promotion / Health Promotion - methods / Health services / health services research / Health Services, Indigenous - statistics & numerical data / Healthy Lifestyle / Humans / Indigenous health promotion / Indigenous peoples / Kidney diseases / Male / Medical research / Medical screening / Methods / New South Wales / Nutrition / Obesity / Older people / Physical activity / Physical fitness / Prevention / Prevention programs / Program Development / Program Evaluation / Public health / Smoking / Smoking - epidemiology / Smoking cessation / Smoking Cessation - ethnology / Smoking Cessation - statistics & numerical data / Websites / Womens health