Indigenous Health Receives $1.4 million in funding

Friday 20 May 2005

The University of Newcastle has been awarded $1.4 million in Federal Government funding, over 5 years, for a type 2 diabetes and obesity prevention program for rural Indigenous primary school aged children in NSW.

"Indigenous people are nine times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than other Australians," said University of Newcastle researcher, Josephine Gwynn.

"Factors such as the types of food people eat and the amount of physical activity they participate in can cause type 2 diabetes," said Josephine.

The project aims to develop and evaluate the impact of a community and school based type 2 diabetes and obesity prevention program, for Indigenous and Non-Indigenous rural children in the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions of NSW.

The Many Rivers Diabetes Prevention Program, will measure the physical activity and food habits of Indigenous rural children and look at the lifestyle risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Josephine said, "There is some research that suggests that Indigenous people have a predisposition to type 2 diabetes. The project will focus on creating an education program for primary school children, particularly Indigenous children, as a preventative measure."

The project is being conducted in collaboration with the Durri Aboriginal Medical Service in Kempsey, the Biripi Aboriginal Medical Service in Taree and the Awabakal Aboriginal Medical Service in Newcastle and in conjunction with the University of Newcastle and the NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity.

For interviews with Josephine Gwynn contact the University of Newcastle Media Unit, (02) 4921 6856.