How Can We Find Out What Indigenous Children and Their Families Need to Manage Weight? Lessons from Formative Nutrition Intervention Research with First Australians

In Australia, Indigenous children have rates of overweight and obesity 1.5 times those of non-Indigenous children. Culturally safe and effective nutrition interventions are needed for this group. This paper aims to describe a Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) approach to designing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients
Main Authors: Lauren T. Williams, Mari Somerville, Fiona Wright, Heidi Atkins, Ayala Rogany, Kristie L. Bell, Lisa Vincze
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023
Subjects:
culturally tailored
participant
action research
qualitative
First Nations peoples
Indigenous
Nutrition. Foods and food supply
TX341-641
First Nations
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15234982
https://doaj.org/article/f5331bf9f381472ca5712a65582616db
Description
Summary:In Australia, Indigenous children have rates of overweight and obesity 1.5 times those of non-Indigenous children. Culturally safe and effective nutrition interventions are needed for this group. This paper aims to describe a Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) approach to designing formative nutrition intervention research with First Australian children and their families and to reflect on the challenges arising from this process. After obtaining ethical approvals, a Steering Committee (SC), including nine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experienced in delivering or receiving health care, was established as a project governance body to develop culturally safe project materials and methods. The Indigenous research method of yarning circles was chosen by the SC for the community consultation, and the First Australian SC members were trained to collect the data. They liaised with community organizations to recruit yarning circle participants. Individual interviews conducted by an Aboriginal research assistant replaced yarning circles due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. While the CPAR approach to formative research was successful, the pandemic and other factors tripled the study duration. To authentically, ethically and safely engage First Australians in research, researchers need to decolonize their methodological approach, and funding bodies need to allow adequate time and resources for the process.

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