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Readiness of communities to engage with childhood obesity prevention initiatives in disadvantaged areas of Victoria, Australia
journal contribution
posted on 2017-01-01, 00:00 authored by S Cyril, Michael PolonskyMichael Polonsky, J Green, K Agho, A RenzahoObjective.
Disadvantaged communities bear a disproportionate burden of childhood obesity and show low participation in childhood obesity prevention initiatives. This study aims to examine the level of readiness of disadvantaged communities to engage with childhood obesity prevention initiatives.
Methods.
Using the community readiness model, 95 semi-structured interviews were conducted among communities in four disadvantaged areas of Victoria, Australia. Community readiness analysis and paired t-tests were
performed to assess the readiness levels of disadvantaged communities to engage with childhood obesity prevention initiatives.
Results.
The results showed that disadvantaged communities demonstrated low levels of readiness (readiness score = 4/9, 44%) to engage with the existing childhood obesity prevention initiatives, lacked knowledge of childhood obesity and its prevention, and reported facing challenges in initiating and sustaining participation in obesity prevention initiatives.
Conclusion.
This study highlights the need to improve community readiness by addressing low obesity-related literacy levels among disadvantaged communities and by facilitating the capacity-building of bicultural workers to deliver obesity prevention messages to these communities. Integrating these needs into existing Australian health policy and practice is of paramount importance for reducing obesity-related disparities currently prevailing in Australia.
Disadvantaged communities bear a disproportionate burden of childhood obesity and show low participation in childhood obesity prevention initiatives. This study aims to examine the level of readiness of disadvantaged communities to engage with childhood obesity prevention initiatives.
Methods.
Using the community readiness model, 95 semi-structured interviews were conducted among communities in four disadvantaged areas of Victoria, Australia. Community readiness analysis and paired t-tests were
performed to assess the readiness levels of disadvantaged communities to engage with childhood obesity prevention initiatives.
Results.
The results showed that disadvantaged communities demonstrated low levels of readiness (readiness score = 4/9, 44%) to engage with the existing childhood obesity prevention initiatives, lacked knowledge of childhood obesity and its prevention, and reported facing challenges in initiating and sustaining participation in obesity prevention initiatives.
Conclusion.
This study highlights the need to improve community readiness by addressing low obesity-related literacy levels among disadvantaged communities and by facilitating the capacity-building of bicultural workers to deliver obesity prevention messages to these communities. Integrating these needs into existing Australian health policy and practice is of paramount importance for reducing obesity-related disparities currently prevailing in Australia.
History
Journal
Australian Health ReviewVolume
41Issue
3Pagination
297 - 307Publisher
CSIRO PublishingLocation
AustraliaPublisher DOI
ISSN
0156-5788eISSN
0159-5709Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal; C Journal articleCopyright notice
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