Tackling Childhood Overweight and Obesity within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

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Initiative Type
Redesign
Status
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Summary

A collaboration project between Children’s Health Queensland (CHQ), Queensland Child & Youth Clinical Network (QCYCN) and Griffith University aimed to explore the perceptions, practice behaviours and attitudes of the current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare workforce in CHQ to assist in providing future direction to improving care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families who are dealing with overweight and obesity.

This work is embedded within, and supported by, QCYCN which supports the translation of outcomes to clinicians, empowering them to treat childhood overweight and obesity with confidence. The project is carried as part of an ongoing collaboration with Griffith University, CHQ and QCYCN to provide collaborative strength.

Key dates
Jan 2018
May 2018
Implementation sites
Children’s Health Queensland
Partnerships
Preventive Health Branch, Healthcare Improvement Unit, Queensland Child & Youth Clinical Network

Aim

Integrate care across the health system to improve the nutrition, health and wellbeing of ATSI children and families in the management of childhood overweight and obesity.

Benefits

  • Coordinated and consistent care from a multidisciplinary team that leads to quality care, enhanced nutrition, and health and outcomes.
  • Greater access to an integrated and coordinated model of care and support for our health practitioners.

Background

  • Rates of childhood overweight and obesity amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland are higher (30 per cent) compared to the state average at 26 per cent.
  • Currently there is no coordinated state-wide approach to tackle overweight and obesity amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
  • The existing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce well placed to provide tailored care.

Solutions Implemented

A cross sectional survey, was electronically distributed to CHQ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health works following consultations with the Making Tracks Committee and the Daru Mugaru working group.

Evaluation and Results

  • “Healthy foods cost more” seen as the biggest contributor to childhood overweight and obesity (n=6).
  • “Family might not want to change” seen as a barrier to addressing childhood overweight and obesity (n=4).
  • Half of the participants (n=3) perceived childhood overweight and obesity to be a “big issue”.
  • 66 per cent (n=4) “very difficult” to address it in practice with children and caretakers.
  • Participating clinical healthcare workers (n=3) don’t have access to a tool to assist in identifying childhood overweight and obesity (n=3).
  • Findings from this unique, collaborative study can contribute to the development of a tool/resource to assist healthcare workers address childhood overweight and obesity.
  • Future consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and parent/guardians is needed to ensure applicability and usability of resource.

Lessons Learnt

  • Extensive consultation is required to maximise engagement.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare workers are faced with many barriers when addressing childhood overweight and obesity in practice.

Further Reading

An integrated approach for tackling childhood overweight and obesity in Queensland

Growing Good Habits Website

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Key contact

Heidi Atkins
Principal Project Officer
Children’s Health Queensland
(07) 3069 7227
Heidi.Atkins@health.qld.gov.au

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