• Hasthi Uw Dissanayake, George Guruwiwi, J Dhurrkay, Josh C Tynan, Sabine Braat, Benjamin Harrap, Tim Trudgen, Sarah Hanieh, Bronwyn Clark, Michaela Spencer, Michael Christie, Emma Tonkin, Emily Armstrong, Leonard C Harrison, John M Wentworth, Julie K Brimblecombe, and Beverley-Ann Biggs.
• Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
• Med. J. Aust. 2025 Jan 30.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of a 4-month dietary and lifestyle program co-designed and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on weight and metabolic markers, diet, and physical activity in overweight and obese adults in a remote Indigenous community.Study DesignSingle arm, pre-post intervention study.Setting, ParticipantsAdult residents (18-65 years) of a remote Northern Territory community with body mass index (BMI) values of at least 25 kg/m2 or waist circumferences exceeding 94 cm (men) or 80 cm (women).InterventionHope for Health, a culturally sensitive 4-month program supporting self-managed health improvement based on dietary and lifestyle change, 1 August to 30 November 2022.Main Outcome MeasuresWeight loss of at least 5%; changes in BMI, waist circumference, other metabolic markers (blood pressure, biomarkers of metabolic health and inflammation), diet, and physical activity; participant perceptions of the program.ResultsWe assessed outcomes for 55 participants who completed weight assessments at both baseline and program end (mean age, 42.5 years [standard deviation, 10.1 years]; 36 women [65%]). Forty participants lost and 15 gained weight; overall mean weight loss was 1.5 kg (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5-2.4 kg), and ten participants (18%; 95% CI, 9-31%) achieved at least 5% weight reduction. The mean change in BMI (53 participants) was -0.60 kg/m2 (95% CI, -0.93 to -0.27 kg/m2), in waist circumference (53 participants) -3.2 cm (95% CI, -4.7 to -1.7 cm), and in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (37 participants) -0.28 mmol/L (95% CI, -0.47 to -0.08 mmol/L); the relative decline in the HbA1c level geometric mean (50 participants) was 11% (95% CI, 6-15%). The intake of breads and cereals (median change, -1.5 [95% CI, -2.0 to -1.0] serves/day) and sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.6 [95% CI, -1.4 to -0.1] serves/day) declined; the amount of moderate and vigorous physical activity increased by a median of 103 min/day (95% CI, 74-136 min/day; 19 participants). The program focus on integrating healthy bodies and networks of kin, healthy governance, vibrant language and ceremony, and a healthy environment were seen as central to its value and benefit.ConclusionsCommunity appreciation of the program and the improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors are encouraging, providing an example of a culturally sensitive, co-designed initiative led by Indigenous people for reducing the prevalence of chronic disease in remote areas.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622000174785; prospective: 2 February 2022).© 2025 The Author(s). Medical Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of AMPCo Pty Ltd.

2 keywords...

hide…