Background
Small Aboriginal babies and babies
who do not grow well are a serious health issue in the Northern
Territory. In 1998 the Territory Health Services (now the
Department of Health and Community Services (DHCS)) began
implementing a new child growth initiative, the Growth Assessment
and Action (GAA) program. The program sought to achieve growth
monitoring and promotion (GMP), standardise primary healthcare
practices and improve the growth of Northern Territory children
aged between zero and five years.
In mid-1998 a group of Yolgnu women from Gapuwiyak, expressing
concern about poor child growth in their community to the visiting
DHCS paediatrician, said they wanted to take some action to deal
with the issue. The Department and Gapuwiyak community members
subsequently agreed to conduct a project that would investigate
both the problem of poor child growth in Gapuwiyak and the
identified deficiencies in the GAA program.
The employment of Yolgnu to work on the
project
Employing a Yolgnu project adviser and Yolgnu
workers on the research team was central to the project’s
success. Their knowledge of local languages and social and cultural
values and processes, together with their established relationships
and capacity as Gapuwiyak residents to take a long-term approach,
were critical elements in making the community development approach
work. The successive project advisers guided the research and both
mentored and supported the project officer so that she was able to
work effectively in the community. They also played an important
leadership role by encouraging Yolgnu involvement in the project
and supporting the development and implementation of the family
centre strategy. All Yolgnu team members were involved in data
collection, analysis and feedback, and they developed research
skills through their involvement in the project. The project
feedback to the community was done through a video produced in the
community. The video opened with a local leader talking in language
about a number of recent deaths and emphasising the importance of
looking after our children so they grow up as strong and healthy
adults. The video was produced in association with the CRC for
Aboriginal Health and the Menzies School of Health Research,
and one of the local researchers played a key role in the planning
and editing of the video.
Community benefits
The project fostered an
increase in the quality and extent to which the Yolgnu community
was involved in child growth promotion. Community members
participated in assessing the ‘problem’ of poor child
growth and potential action, and then in developing and
implementing action strategies, mobilising resources, forming
partnerships and critically reflecting on their actions.
The partnership between local community researchers and the
non-Indigenous researcher eventually led to the development of a
coalition of community members taking a direct role about what they
identified as priorities around growing children up strong. This
led to the establishment of a family centre, and to several local
men and women training in early childhood care.
For more information
Smith, D., 2004, Community
action to promote child growth in Gapuwiyak: Final report on a
participatory action research project, Cooperative Research
Centre for Aboriginal Health, Darwin.
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