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This report assesses the evidence regarding the effectiveness of physical activity and nutrition intervention programs in reducing the incidence of chronic diseases in Indigenous communities. The report also describes the burden of lifestyle-related chronic diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease) affecting Indigenous Australians and assesses strategies that have the potential to be affective.
The authors conclude from the evidence that healthy lifestyle programs can help to combat lifestyle-related chronic diseases. In particular, the programs that were found to be most effective were community-based projects that were initiated and managed by the communities in which they were run. Individual, family and group-based Indigenous healthy lifestyle projects were found to have positive effects in the short term (up to two years). It is not known whether these effects are sustained in the long term as few programs have both the resources and impetus to continue long term.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This is the third report developed under the auspice of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council to measure progress against the National strategic framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health as well as the more recent measures introduced under Closing the gap national partnerships.
The performance framework reports on the three tiers of health:
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
The global strategy on diet, physical activity and health has a primary objective to promote and protect health by guiding the development of an enabling environment for sustainable actions at individual, community, national and global levels. This in turn will lead to reduced disease and death rates related to unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. These actions support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
The four main objectives of the Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health are:
The strategies actions will be based on the best available scientific evidence and the cultural context and will be implemented and monitored with WHO's support and leadership. However, a multisectoral approach that utilises the combined resources and expertise of all global stakeholders will be essential for sustained progress. Changes in patterns of diet and physical activity will be gradual, and national strategies will need a clear plan for long-term and sustained disease-preventive measures. On the other hand, changes in risk factors and in incidence of non communicable diseases may occur quite quickly when effective interventions are made. National plans should therefore also have achievable short-term and intermediate goals.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
