Strong women, strong babies, strong culture

• Reach:

  NT

• Focus area:

  Indigenous

• Status:

  Not specified

• Evaluated:

  Yes

Overview

The Strong women, strong babies, strong culture program promotes improvement in the health of Aboriginal women and their babies.
The program aims to:

• improve the health and well being of all mothers and their newborn babies
• strengthen the family unit and help bring back cultural practices
• prevent and promote early intervention of lifestyle illness and disease before, during and following pregnancy
• provide a healthier community for future generations.

The program recognises the traditional cultural approaches to parenting and lifestyle, supporting pregnant Aboriginal women and their babies through better diet, education and ante natal care, with the aim of increasing the birth weight of babies and improving early childhood development. The program relies on and supports senior women in participating communities to provide direct support to pregnant women and their families. The senior women encourage attendance at antenatal care clinics and provide advice on nutrition. Connections and support for involvement in cultural events are an important part of the program. This particular program is one that has a strong community development focus and potentially major health benefits to Aboriginal people. This has a long term outlook with lasting benefits rather than only treating immediate health problems.

Contacts

Marlene Liddle
Ph: (08) 8922 7766

Evaluated publications

Mackerras D (1998)

Evaluation of the strong women, strong babies, strong culture program : results for the period 1990-1996 in the three pilot communities.

Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research

• Links
• No links available.

Newsletter: Menzies School of Health Research (1998)

Evaluation of the pilot phase of the strong women, strong babies, strong culture program.

Newsletter: Menzies School of Health Research; (22): 1

• Links
• No links available.

d'Espaignet E, Measey M, Carnegie MA, Mackerras D (2003)

Monitoring the 'Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture Program': the first eight years.

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health; 39(9): 668-672

• Links
• View abstract: Monitoring the 'Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture Program': the first eight years
• View article: Monitoring the 'Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture Program': the first eight years (PDF - 148.8 KB)
• View website: Wiley Interscience

Links

• No links available.