SUSTAINABILITY OF A SUCCESSFUL HEALTH AND NUTRITION PROGRAM IN A REMOTE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY

Objective: To assess the long term effect of a nutrition program in re mote Aboriginal community (Minjilang). Design: Evaluation of nutrition al outcomes over the three years before and the three years after a he alth and nutrition program that ran from June 1989 to June 1990. Turno ver of food items at the community store was used as a measure of diet ary intake at Minjilang and a comparison/community. Setting: A communi ty of about 150 Aboriginal people live at Minjilang on Croker Island, 240 km north-east of Darwin. A similar community of about 300 people o n another island was used as the comparison. Results: The program prod uced lasting improvements in dietary intake of most target foods (incl uding fruit, vegetables and wholegrain bread) and nutrients (including folate, ascorbic acid and thiamine). Sugar intake fell in both commun ities before the program, but the additional decrease in sugar consump tion during the program at Minjilang ''rebounded'' in the next year. D ietary improvements in the comparison community were delayed and small er than at Minjilang. Conclusions: The success of the program at Minji lang was linked to an ongoing process of social change, which in turn provided a stimulus for dietary improvement in the comparison communit y. When Aboriginal people themselves control and maintain ownership of community-based intervention programs, nutritional improvements can b e initiated and sustained.