A Randomised Trial Of Fish And Fruit To Improve Survival Of Aboriginal People With End Stage Renal Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$184,500.00
Summary
End stage renal disease (ESRD) is a devastating disease which affects Aboriginal Australians disproportionately: The average survival time for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory is 3.6 years from the onset of kidney failure, compared to 12.3 years for non-Aboriginal people. There has been a dramatic rise in incidence of kidney failure over the past 20 years, with the prevalence doubling every 4-5 years in many NT communities and other remote parts of Australia. Mortality for patients wi ....End stage renal disease (ESRD) is a devastating disease which affects Aboriginal Australians disproportionately: The average survival time for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory is 3.6 years from the onset of kidney failure, compared to 12.3 years for non-Aboriginal people. There has been a dramatic rise in incidence of kidney failure over the past 20 years, with the prevalence doubling every 4-5 years in many NT communities and other remote parts of Australia. Mortality for patients with ESRD is approximately 5 to 10 fold that of the general population, with heart disease accounting for approximately half of deaths. The aims of this study are to determine whether a dietary intervention of fish and fruit three times a week will decrease cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in patients on haemodialysis in Darwin and Alice Springs. There is a strong scientific rationale for this simple dietary intervention. Fish are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, believed to reduce the risk of heart attack . Fruit is a good source of anti oxidants and other chemicals that may amplify the beneficial effects of fish. This simple combination is also practical to include in usual clinical care. Dialysis is done three days each week, with people allocated to intervention or control groups according to the day of dialysis. Nutritional and cardiovascular status will be measured at commencement of the study and then at intervals of 3, 6 and 12 months. Strategies have been incorporated into the project design to ensure understanding, informed consent and participation of Aboriginal people in a number of domains: the participant, their family, urban and remote communities, and service providers. If successful this intervention will result in changes to the clinical management of renal patients worldwide.Read moreRead less
Stress During Pregnancy And The Developmental Origins Of Renal Disease In Aboriginal Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$866,044.00
Summary
There is an epidemic of renal failure in Aboriginal people who also have high rates of premature birth of small babies. This project aims to understand the causes of kidney failure in Aboriginal people through testing if stress during pregnancy leads to the birth of preterm, small babies with small poorly formed kidneys that lead to kidney failure in later life. The effect of stressors impacting on pregnant women including infections, exposure to smoking and social stressors will be examined.
Evaluation Of Family Well Being Empowerment Program: A Participatory Action Research Initiative
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$487,920.00
Summary
We have shown that family well being empowerment training in Indigenous communities can significantly enhance program participants' sense of control and responsibility for the conditions affecting their health and well being (Tsey and Every, 2000a;Tsey and Every, 2000b). Following this, there has been a great deal of interest and demand for the family well being program not only in Indigenous Australia, but also among Maori people in New Zealand. Presently, we are involved in four collaborative ....We have shown that family well being empowerment training in Indigenous communities can significantly enhance program participants' sense of control and responsibility for the conditions affecting their health and well being (Tsey and Every, 2000a;Tsey and Every, 2000b). Following this, there has been a great deal of interest and demand for the family well being program not only in Indigenous Australia, but also among Maori people in New Zealand. Presently, we are involved in four collaborative initiatives with indigenous communities in response to growing interest and demand for the program. The current proposal is a joint initiative between University of Queensland, Apunipima Cape York Health Council and Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services which aims to: a. Consolidate and extend the existing family well being initiatives in Hopevale and Yarrabah to two other north Queensland communities (yet to be selected from several that have expressed an interest), using a participatory action research process b. Undertake a meta evaluation of outcomes across all four sites This proposal aims to increase our understanding about ways in which individuals and groups of people can be better supported in their efforts to bring about changes in personal and social life.Read moreRead less
Evaluation Of Family WellBeing Empowerment Program: A Follow-up Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$82,940.00
Summary
Although relative powerlessnes resulting from colonisation has long been recognised as a major factor shaping Indigenous health, it is difficult to find tested and validated empowerment programs in the Indigenous health literature. The current project will follow-up a previous evaluation of a Family WellBeing empowerment training course which was implemented in Alice Springs in 1998-9. The aim is to find out the extent to which course participants have been able to sustain the high levels of per ....Although relative powerlessnes resulting from colonisation has long been recognised as a major factor shaping Indigenous health, it is difficult to find tested and validated empowerment programs in the Indigenous health literature. The current project will follow-up a previous evaluation of a Family WellBeing empowerment training course which was implemented in Alice Springs in 1998-9. The aim is to find out the extent to which course participants have been able to sustain the high levels of personal empowerment demonstrated at the time of the original evaluation on the medium-long term basis. Among other things, this study will provide valuable insights and understandings about the pathways and conditions under which individuals and groups of people might use personal empowerment skills, especially better analytical and problem-solving skills to achieve greater control in life.Read moreRead less