Aj. Lee et al., SUSTAINABILITY OF A SUCCESSFUL HEALTH AND NUTRITION PROGRAM IN A REMOTE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY, Medical journal of Australia, 162(12), 1995, pp. 632-635
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.