Maningrida Healthy Womens’ Project II

Enhancing Ngarnduma Women’s Story Sharing: further development of culturally resonant health promotion messages and health education activities in the Maningrida Healthy Women’s Project (Maningrida Healthy Women’s Project – Phase II)

Project Aims

This study aims to develop, disseminate, and evaluate co-designed health messages that improve understanding of diabetes, associated complications, and prevention strategies among Aboriginal women of childbearing age in Maningrida.

Why are we doing this study?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory are experiencing very high rates of diabetes. In some remote communities, up to 40% of people are living with diabetes — one of the highest rates in the world. Even though diabetes is common, there is still a need to improve how information about diabetes is shared, especially in ways that respect culture, language and local context.

This study aims to develop health messages that are culturally meaningful, relevant to everyday life, and based on strong evidence. We will work with Aboriginal women in Maningrida to improve understanding of diabetes, its complications, and ways to prevent it.

This project builds on the Maningrida Healthy Women’s Project, which began in 2023 and is currently being evaluated.

Project Objectives

Specifically, in this research, we propose to:

  1. Collaborate with women, community leaders and health service staff to co-design culturally resonant, contextually relevant, evidence-based health education messages.
  2. Provide health education using co-designed messages to improve community understanding of diabetes, diabetes related complications, and prevention of chronic conditions through enhanced cross-cultural health communication.
  3. Explore additional avenues to disseminate co-designed health messages (potentially radio, social media, community health champions).
  4. Evaluate the development, dissemination and effectiveness of the co-designed messages.

This work is funded by Diabetes Australia, and we work in collaboration with Mala’la Health Service Aboriginal Corporation.

For more information contact:

Norlisha Bartlett (Project Coordinator)
Email: norlisha.bartlett@menzies.edu.au
Phone: (08) 8946 8698

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