TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brief intervention training program on health staff participants' own health behaviours
T2 - Smoking, nutrition and physical activity
AU - Cunningham, Frances C.
AU - Murphy, Majella
AU - Ward, Grace
AU - Fagan, Royden
AU - Arley, Brian
AU - Hornby-Turner, Yvonne C.
AU - d'Abbs, Peter H.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and community services, and the trainees who participated in the B.strong program, and thank the training participants for their participation in the feedback surveys. The authors acknowledge the support and assistance of colleagues at Menzies School of Health Research and Department of Health, Queensland who contributed to the evaluation of the B.strong program.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Australian Health Promotion Association.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Issues addressed: Little research has been conducted on the impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brief intervention training programs on health staff participants' own health behaviours. Through the Queensland B.strong program (2017-2020), brief intervention training in smoking cessation, nutrition and physical activity was provided to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce and other health and community professionals. This study examined the program's impact on participants' own health behaviours.Methods: Data were collected through four surveys (pre- and post-training workshop, and 3-month and 6-month follow-up) of the 1131 participants in B.strong training workshops from June 2017 to August 2019. Surveys included items on participants' own health behaviours. Pre- and post-workshop surveys were paper-based, and follow-up surveys were completed online. For the analysis of data reported in this paper, paired-samples t tests were used to assess changes between pre-workshop and 3-month follow-up. Results: Statistically significant improvements were found between pre-workshop and 3-month follow-up in the number of serves of vegetables or legumes/beans eaten per day, the number of serves of fruit eaten per day, and in time spent in physical activity. However, there was: no statistically significant change in smoking status, with baseline rates being relatively low; a statistically significant increase in consumption of sugary drinks, and of takeaway foods; a nonsignificant increase in consumption of snack foods; and no significant change in sedentary behaviour of participants. Conclusion: While some positive changes in participants' own health behaviours in nutrition and physical activity were associated with the B.strong program, there was no change in their smoking behaviour. So what?: This study found that some improvements in participants' own health behaviours were associated with the B.strong program. This research may inform future Indigenous brief intervention training programs and health services on how to promote healthy behaviours for health staff themselves.
AB - Issues addressed: Little research has been conducted on the impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brief intervention training programs on health staff participants' own health behaviours. Through the Queensland B.strong program (2017-2020), brief intervention training in smoking cessation, nutrition and physical activity was provided to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce and other health and community professionals. This study examined the program's impact on participants' own health behaviours.Methods: Data were collected through four surveys (pre- and post-training workshop, and 3-month and 6-month follow-up) of the 1131 participants in B.strong training workshops from June 2017 to August 2019. Surveys included items on participants' own health behaviours. Pre- and post-workshop surveys were paper-based, and follow-up surveys were completed online. For the analysis of data reported in this paper, paired-samples t tests were used to assess changes between pre-workshop and 3-month follow-up. Results: Statistically significant improvements were found between pre-workshop and 3-month follow-up in the number of serves of vegetables or legumes/beans eaten per day, the number of serves of fruit eaten per day, and in time spent in physical activity. However, there was: no statistically significant change in smoking status, with baseline rates being relatively low; a statistically significant increase in consumption of sugary drinks, and of takeaway foods; a nonsignificant increase in consumption of snack foods; and no significant change in sedentary behaviour of participants. Conclusion: While some positive changes in participants' own health behaviours in nutrition and physical activity were associated with the B.strong program, there was no change in their smoking behaviour. So what?: This study found that some improvements in participants' own health behaviours were associated with the B.strong program. This research may inform future Indigenous brief intervention training programs and health services on how to promote healthy behaviours for health staff themselves.
KW - multiple health behaviours
KW - nutrition
KW - physical activity
KW - primary health care
KW - program evaluation; brief intervention; workforce development; indigenous
KW - smoking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132105596&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/hpja.628
DO - 10.1002/hpja.628
M3 - Article
C2 - 35661321
AN - SCOPUS:85132105596
VL - 33
SP - 235
EP - 245
JO - Health Promotion Journal of Australia
JF - Health Promotion Journal of Australia
SN - 1036-1073
IS - S1
ER -