Open AccessSupporting healthy drink choices in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: a community‐led supportive environment approach
Author(s) -
Fehring Emma,
Ferguson Megan,
Brown Clare,
Murtha Kirby,
Laws Cara,
Cuthbert Kiarah,
Thompson Kani,
Williams Tiffany,
Hammond Melinda,
Brimblecombe Julie
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/1753-6405.12950
Subject(s) - social marketing , consumption (sociology) , government (linguistics) , public health , business , community health , environmental health , health promotion , promotion (chess) , marketing , medicine , political science , nursing , sociology , social science , linguistics , philosophy , politics , law
Objective : To create supportive environments to reduce sugary drink consumption and increase water consumption by partnering with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Cape York. Methods : This paper applied qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate a co‐designed multi‐strategy health promotion initiative, implemented over 12 months from 2017 to 2018. Outcome measures included changes in community readiness, awareness of the social marketing campaign and changes in drink availability. Changes in store drink sales were measured in one community and compared to sales in a control store. Results : Community readiness to address sugary drink consumption increased in two of the three communities. Awareness of social marketing campaign messaging was high (56–94%). Availability of drinking water increased in all communities. Water sales as a proportion of total drink volume sales increased by 3.1% (p<0.001) while sugary drink volume sales decreased by 3.4% (p<0.001). Conclusions : A multi‐component strategy with strong engagement from local government, community leaders and the wider community was associated with positive changes in community readiness, drink availability and sales. Implications for public health : Partnering with community leaders in the co‐design of strategies to create environments that support healthy drink consumption can stimulate local action and may positively affect drink consumption.