The Child & Family Well-being Service is leading an exciting new research project investigating food security on the NPY lands. Dietary factors account for almost 10% of the burden of disease in Indigenous Australians and 15% of the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. The research project will look at decision making and local factors that affect food choices in remote communities.
There has been concerted effort and small gains over many years to improve affordability and availability of healthy food and drinks in the NPY lands.
Although availability of good quality fruit and vegetables has increased by 50% in the APY Lands since 1986, seemingly many people still maintain a poor diet quality with high energy intake from discretionary food such as sugary drinks and takeaway meals increasing during this time. (2016 Lee et al).
Despite understanding people’s food purchasing habits, little is known about what informs people’s day to day decision making around food purchasing and eating behaviour. This new research project will investigate what influences food choices and priorities locally.
The second stage of this research will pilot interventions designed to address factors influencing food choice and consumption with the goal of informing and improving nutrition related service delivery to the NPY lands.
This project is led by the NPY Women’s Council’s Child Nutrition Program and is funded through the MRFF fund. The research will place Anangu voices and protocol at the centre of the research process.
