ATSI

Question 1

Life expectancy of ATSI males compared to non ATSI

Answer 1

ATSI - 59
Non ATSI - 86

Question 2

Leading cause of death

Answer 2

Coronary heart disease (CHD)

Question 3

Other nutritional diseases

Answer 3

1. Type 2 diabetes (10 times more prevalent)
2. Obesity
3. Alcoholism
4. Cancer
5. Anaemia
6. Low life expectancy

Question 4

Reasons for the nutritional diseases

Answer 4

• Limited education - poor nutrition choices
• Cultural differences - various beliefs, behaviours, languages, practices and expressions are unique to members of a specific ethnicity, race or national origin. e.g. ATSI kill to eat, non ATSI shop to eat
• Remote areas - lack of fresh and nutritious food
• Increased levels of poverty and unemployment - inadequate cooking facilities and money to buy healthy food
• Inequitable access to health services - less likely to be monitored
• Behavioural (alcoholism)
• Genetic (obesity)

Question 5

What’s the impact of fences

Answer 5

Fences forced ATSI off their land + the laws regarding fishing - need permits to fish for food - forced them to live in urban areas with unnatural food that they cannot digest, alcohol, fat, sugar, flour + not maintaining “hunting” way of life –> all leads to obesity to depression to boredom to alcohol

Question 6

Strategies to promote optimum health

Answer 6

1. EARLY medical intervention
2. Nutrition education programs with CULTURAL foods and strategies
3. Input by ATSI health care workers
4. Nutrition EDUCATION - their own informed choices can be made
5. Improved supply of fresh nutritious foods to REMOTE areas
6. Education to GROW own crops and be self sufficient
7. ATSI health officers maintain good COMMUNICATION in non ATSI settings
8. Maintenance of health and hygiene

Question 7

Necessary changes to the ATSI diet

Answer 7

1. Less alcohol
2. Better fresh food supply in remote areas
3. Less fat
4. More complex carbohydrate (less sugar)
5. Improved cooking techniques using fresh food

Question 8

What’s closing the gap

Answer 8

Government strategy that aims to REDUCE DISADVANTAGE among ATSI people with respect to life expectancy, child mortality, access to early childhood education, educational achievement, and employment outcomes