Body Mass Index and Mortality in Aboriginal Australians in Northern Territory: A Cohort Study

Funded Activity Summary

The ultimate goal of this study is to define a healthy weight range for Aboriginal people. To fulfil this goal, we will investigate the health implications of body weight and weight change in Aboriginal communities. We will assess the association between body weight (as measured by body mass index) and the risk of death by examining how the death rate changes with body weight. The findings will have important implications for health professionals to provide adequate advice to Aboriginal Australians, and for Aboriginal people to adopt a healthy life style in relation to body weight. Due to the differences in body shape and physiological and environmental factors between Aborigines and other populations, the optimal body weight obtained from other populations may not be applicable to Aboriginal communities. Do males and females have different optimal body weights? Do old and young people have different optimal body weights? This study will provide evidence for answering various questions like these. Individuals with different characteristics may have different optimal body weight values. Such information is useful for the development and modification of dietary guidelines for Aboriginal Australians. The results on the health impact of weight change are important for guiding weight control programs in Aboriginal communities.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2002

End Date: 01-01-2003

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $136,220.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Optical technology

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Aboriginal | Aboriginal health | Mortality | body weight changes | cardiovascular risk | epidemiology | health status | nutrition | obesity | weight disorders

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