Effectiveness of a participative community singing program to improve health behaviors and increase physical activity in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Abstract
Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals continue to experience greater levels of chronic disease than the general Australian population. Evidence suggests that increased sedentary behaviors compared with the traditional healthy and active lifestyles of this population have contributed to this situation. This investigation aimed to examine the health benefits of a community-based singing activity intervention on chronic disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Methods: From 2010 to 2011, 291 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, from Queensland, Australia, were recruited through five communities to participate in a 1-year community singing program. Participants completed a survey, in the pre- and post-intervention phases of the study, that measured social connectedness, health behavior (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption), frequency of exercise and art activities, and medication use.
Results: Improvements in health behavior were observed for both male and female participants with chronic disease of all age groups in the community singing program. Improvements in the male and female participants included decreased social loneliness and reduced smoking behavior, increased social support, and increased participation in exercise and art activities.
Conclusions: The participative community singing program was successful in improving the health status and increasing physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.
The authors received financial support from Griffith Health Institute and the Provost Chancellor Office at Logan Campus at Griffith University, Queensland Centre for Social Innovation, and Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council. The authors also wish to acknowledge the support of the following Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services: Kambu Medical Service Centre Pty Ltd., Kalwun Health Service, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane Ltd., Goolburri Health Advancement Corporation, and Warwick Community. The authors also wish to thank all the participants from the five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Conflict of interest statement
Authors’ conflict of interest disclosure: The authors stated that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article. Financial support played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
References
1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. National health survey: summary of results Australia 2004–05. Canberra, Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006.Suche in Google Scholar
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. National survey of mental health and wellbeing: summary of results. Contract No. 4326.0. Canberra, Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007.Suche in Google Scholar
3. Brough M, Bond C, Hunt J, Jenkins D, Shannon C, Schubert L. Social capital meets identity: aboriginality in an urban setting. J Soc 2006;42:396–411.10.1177/1440783306069996Suche in Google Scholar
4. Butler T, Allnutt S, Kariminia A, Cain D. Mental health status of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal prisoners. Aust NZ J Psychiatry 2007;41:429–35.10.1080/00048670701261210Suche in Google Scholar
5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Measuring the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Report No.: In Cat. No. IHW24. Canberra, Australia: AIHW, 2009:115.Suche in Google Scholar
6. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australian Bureau of Statistics. The health and welfare of australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Report No.: ABS Cat. No. 4704.0. Canberra, Australia: AIHW, 2008.Suche in Google Scholar
7. Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. Social justice report. Report No. 3/2005. Sydney, NSW, Australia: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, 2005.Suche in Google Scholar
8. Bauman A, Sallis JF, Dzewaltowski DA, Owen N. Toward a better understanding of the influences on physical activity: the role of determinants, correlates, causal variables, mediators, moderators, and confounders. Am J Prev Med 2002;23:5–14.10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00469-5Suche in Google Scholar
9. World Health Organization. World health report 2002. Geneva: WHO, 2003.Suche in Google Scholar
10. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s health. Report No.: Cat. No. AUS 44. Canberra, Australia: AIHW, 2004.Suche in Google Scholar
11. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian social trends 2007: selected chronic conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Report No.: NO. 4102.0. Canberra, Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007.Suche in Google Scholar
12. Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social survey (2004). Contract No.: ABS Cat. No. 4714.0. Canberra, Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004.Suche in Google Scholar
13. Foulds HJ, Bredin SS, Warburton DE. The effectiveness of community based physical activity interventions with Aboriginal peoples. Prev Med 2011;53:411–6.10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.09.008Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
14. Wing RR, Tate DF, Gorin AA, Raynor HA, Favam JL. A self-regulation program for maintenance of weight loss. N Engl J Med Overseas Ed 2006;355:1563–71.10.1056/NEJMoa061883Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
15. Cohen GD, Perlstein S, Chapline J, Kelly J, Firth KM, Simmens S. The impact of professionally conducted cultural programs on the physical health, mental health, and social functioning of older adults. Gerontologist 2006;46:726–34.10.1093/geront/46.6.726Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
16. Cohen GD, Perlstein S, Chapline J, Kelly J, Firth KM, Simmens S. The impact of professionally conducted culturally programs on the physical health, mental health and social functioning of older people –2 year results. J Aging Hum Arts 2007;1:5–22.Suche in Google Scholar
17. First MB, Gibbon M, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV axis I disorders: nonpatient edition (SCID-I/NP). New York: Biometrics Research Department, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1996.Suche in Google Scholar
18. Springer AE, Kelder SH, Hoelscher DM. Social support, physical activity and sedentary behavior among 6th-grade girls: a cross-sectional study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2006;3:1–10.10.1186/1479-5868-3-8Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
19. Kim X, McEwen LN, Kieffer EC, Herman WH, Piette JD. Self-efficacy, social support, and associations with physical activity and body mass index among women with histories of gestational diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Educ 2008;34: 719–28.10.1177/0145721708321005Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
20. Clift S, Hancox G, Morrison I, Hess B, Kreutz G, Stewart D. Choral singing and psychological wellbeing: quantitative and qualitative findings from English choirs in a cross-national survey. J Appl Arts Health 2010;1:19–34.10.1386/jaah.1.1.19/1Suche in Google Scholar
21. Clift S, Morrison I. Group singing fosters mental health and wellbeing: findings from the East Kent “singing for health” network project. Mental Health Soc Inclusion 2011;15: 88–97.10.1108/20428301111140930Suche in Google Scholar
22. National Heart Foundation of Australia. Quick guide to management of hypertension. National Heart Foundation of Australia: Canberra, 2010.Suche in Google Scholar
23. Hampshire KR, Matthijsse M. Can arts projects improve young people’s wellbeing? A social capital approach. Soc Sci Med 2010;71:708–16.10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.05.015Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
©2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Masthead
- Masthead
- Editorial
- Substance use, addiction, and history
- Reviews
- International accessibility: a proposal for a system of symbols for people with disabilities
- Perceived parenting as related to emotional competence of visually and hearing impaired adolescents
- Wheelchair-related falls – a review
- Original Articles
- Health-risk behaviors and a healthy lifestyle among students from different environmental and cultural backgrounds
- Severity of symptomatology and subtypes in ADHD children with comorbid oppositional defiant and conduct disorders
- Comparison between neurological examination and computerized test of attention for suspected ADHD: implications for assessment of a common childhood disability
- Effectiveness of a participative community singing program to improve health behaviors and increase physical activity in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians’ well-being using participatory community singing approach
- Participatory community singing program to enhance quality of life and social and emotional well-being in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with chronic diseases
- The disability gap in happiness across welfare regimes
- Evaluation of disable friendliness of a railway transport facility in Ludhiana city of Punjab, India
- The relationship between phonological awareness time and reading abilities: an assessment using self-organizing maps
- Patterns of adaptive performance by individuals with autism spectrum disorders on the Behavior Assessment System for Children II (BASC-2)
- Comparative study on the efficacy of electromyography and galvanic skin resistance biofeedback in tension type headache: a single blinded randomized controlled trial
- Changes in Barthel Index outcomes as result of poststroke rehabilitation using NDT-Bobath method
- Morbidity pattern among the disabled in Ibadan, Nigeria: a retrospective analysis
- Short Communication
- Eclectic approach as the natural way of development in neurorehabilitation of adults
- Case Reports
- Angelman syndrome patient management: 5 years of clinical experience
- Complex visual hallucinations in a patient with chronic schizophrenia and alcohol dependence: a case report and literature review
- Book Review
- A practitioner’s guide to prescribing antiepileptics and mood stabilizers for adults with intellectual disabilities
- Erratum
- A longitudinal study of institutional downsizing and challenging behaviors among adults with intellectual disability
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Masthead
- Masthead
- Editorial
- Substance use, addiction, and history
- Reviews
- International accessibility: a proposal for a system of symbols for people with disabilities
- Perceived parenting as related to emotional competence of visually and hearing impaired adolescents
- Wheelchair-related falls – a review
- Original Articles
- Health-risk behaviors and a healthy lifestyle among students from different environmental and cultural backgrounds
- Severity of symptomatology and subtypes in ADHD children with comorbid oppositional defiant and conduct disorders
- Comparison between neurological examination and computerized test of attention for suspected ADHD: implications for assessment of a common childhood disability
- Effectiveness of a participative community singing program to improve health behaviors and increase physical activity in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians’ well-being using participatory community singing approach
- Participatory community singing program to enhance quality of life and social and emotional well-being in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with chronic diseases
- The disability gap in happiness across welfare regimes
- Evaluation of disable friendliness of a railway transport facility in Ludhiana city of Punjab, India
- The relationship between phonological awareness time and reading abilities: an assessment using self-organizing maps
- Patterns of adaptive performance by individuals with autism spectrum disorders on the Behavior Assessment System for Children II (BASC-2)
- Comparative study on the efficacy of electromyography and galvanic skin resistance biofeedback in tension type headache: a single blinded randomized controlled trial
- Changes in Barthel Index outcomes as result of poststroke rehabilitation using NDT-Bobath method
- Morbidity pattern among the disabled in Ibadan, Nigeria: a retrospective analysis
- Short Communication
- Eclectic approach as the natural way of development in neurorehabilitation of adults
- Case Reports
- Angelman syndrome patient management: 5 years of clinical experience
- Complex visual hallucinations in a patient with chronic schizophrenia and alcohol dependence: a case report and literature review
- Book Review
- A practitioner’s guide to prescribing antiepileptics and mood stabilizers for adults with intellectual disabilities
- Erratum
- A longitudinal study of institutional downsizing and challenging behaviors among adults with intellectual disability