Be Deadly Get Healthy An Opportunity for Exercise in the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Be Deadly Get Healthy – An Opportunity for Exercise in the Aboriginal Community

KRISTY DOUGHENEY PHYSIOTHERAPIST WEST GIPPSLAND HEALTHCARE GROUP

What is Be Deadly Get Healthy?

• Be Deadly Get Healthy is a

community driven exercise program for the Aboriginal community based in the Baw Baw Shire.

• Developed to help prevent and

manage chronic disease in the Aboriginal community

• Run by a physiotherapist and an

Aboriginal Allied Health assistant

Background

• The Aboriginal population of the Baw Baw shire represents 0.9% of the

population (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012).

• Aboriginal people are 13.9 times more likely to be admitted to hospital for

complications relating to diabetes (Victorian Department of Health, 2012)

• Aboriginal people are 4.4 times more likely to be admitted due to

cardiovascular disease (Victorian Department of Health, 2012)

• In rural Victoria 26.5% of Aboriginal people do not meet the national

physical activity guidelines (Department of Health, 2011)

Background

• Physical inactivity is a modifiable

risk factor for 5 out of 8 National health priority areas (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012)

• Physical inactivity accounts for one

fifth of the burden of disease in Australia(Begg et al., 2007).

Picture used with permission of participant

Aims of the program

• To deliver a family focused, community lead program.
• To provide training to develop local Aboriginal health care workers
• To change exercise behaviours in context of chronic disease management

and prevention.

• To break down barriers between the Aboriginal community and local

medical services.

• To address barriers to exercise participation.
• To maintain and increase participation in the program to ensure

sustainability.

Method

• Discussion was held with the local elders to determine the need/ desire for

a physical activity program

• Funding was obtained
• Community consultation sessions completed
• Barriers to exercise were identified and overcome
• Venue was selected by the local elders

Method

• Referrals were received from the local Aboriginal health service, GP’s

community consultation sessions and word of mouth.

• Initial assessments were completed and included
• General medical information
• Limitations including barriers and physical issues
• General screen for other allied health services
• Australian Diabetes Risk Assessment (AUSDRISK)
• Social Support for exercise survey
• Weekly program was commenced to suit needs of community

Results - Participants

• 32 participants (24 adults, 8

children)

• Participants range in age from 2

years old – 67 years old

• 18 adult females, 6 adult males

Results – Physical Activity

• All participants increased their

intensity, frequency and duration of exercise

• 4 participants met the Department
• f Health national physical activity

guideline requirements

Photo used with permission of participants

Results - AUSDRISK

• 3 participants were known to have

diabetes

• 50 % decreased their AUSDRISK

Diabetes risk score

• Those that decreased their WC did

not lose enough weight to decrease them to the required level.

Results – Social Support for Exercise

• All participants increased their social

support for exercise scores

Successes

• Community days
• Obtaining further funding
• Aboriginal Allied health assistant

learning new skills

• Building relationships with the local

Aboriginal Health service and

• rganisations within the community.

Photo used with permission of participants

Challenges

• Make group culturally sensitive and safe
• Moving away from the medical model
• Overcoming the barriers to exercise
• Group had to become more flexible in it’s approach
• Males believing it is a ‘women’s group’
• Varied abilities of participants
• Inconsistent attendance
• Original facility being demolished and having to relocate the program

Case Presentation

• 50 year old female
• 153 kg, BMI 56.7, WC 147cm
• 10 minutes of low intensity exercise 7 days a week
• AUSDRISK score 28
• Social support score: family 13, social support score: friends 18

Case Presentation

• Referred to podiatrist and dietitian
• Weekly transport organised
• Started exercising daily - Walking laps of street, arm and leg

strengthening exercises 30-40 min a day

• Met the National Physical Activity Guidelines
• Lost a total of 28kg
• Social support score for family increased to 30 and for friends

to 25

Moving Forwards

• Continue to liase with community

and elders about needs of the community

• Hope to obtain further funding
• Incorporate more cultural based

activities

• Continue to develop Aboriginal

health workers skills and knowledge

• Provide more support to

participants to encourage them to quit smoking

Wayapa Wuurrk leaders Jamie Thomas and Sara Jones running Wayapa session – Photo used with permission of participants

References

• Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012). 2011 Census community profiles, from

http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/censusservices/getproduct/census/2011/communityprofile/LGA2 0830?opendocument&navpos=230

• Australian Government Department of Health (2014). Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary

Behaviour Guidelines

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2012). Health priority areas, from

http://www.aihw.gov.au/risk- factors-health-priority-areas/

• Department of Health (2011). The health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Victorians: Victorian

Population Health Survey 2008 Supplementary report. Melbourne: State Government of Victoria. From http:// health.vic.gov.au/healthstatus/.

• Victorian Department of Health (2012). Gippsland health online indigenous health documents, from

http://docs.health.vic.gov.au/docs/health-documents-by- category?OpenView&RestrictToCategory=Gippsland-health-online-Indigenous-Health