Merne Merte Artweye Areye-ke Program

Merne (Food), Merte (Good), Artweye (family), Areye-ke (all the family)

Implementation & evaluation of a childhood diabetes prevention program in remote Australia (Adapted Tribal Turning Point)

The Merne Merte Artweye Areye-ke program is a family-based childhood diabetes prevention program developed and implemented in partnership with Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Aboriginal Corporation (Congress) and The Partnership at Menzies School of Health Research. The program is being delivered to children aged 6-11 years old and their caregivers in eight communities in and around Mparntwe/ Alice Springs.

The program was developed in response to requests from NT communities and clinicians to address the issue of increasing rates of youth-onset obesity and diabetes in northern Australia. The Partnership’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group and the Clinical Reference Group, identified responding to obesity and type 2 diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth as a key priority.

In partnership with Congress, The Partnership completed formative work in Central Australia in 2019-2020 with services providers, family groups and cultural advisors. This work focused on exploring the appropriateness of adapting an international youth diabetes prevention program successfully trialed in First Nations communities of North America known as Tribal Turning Point (TTP). This work identified that there was a strong need for this program and that adaptations to the local context were required. The adaptation of this program was renamed “Merne Merte Artweye Areye-ke”.

The broad aims of this program are:

• To improve BMI (body mass index) and reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, both of which are associated with an increased risk of diabetes.
• To build on and harness the strengths of the community and their leaders to help prevent obesity and diabetes and improve health outcomes among Aboriginal children and families.

The program has a cluster randomized wait-list control trial study design. Eight communities in Central Australia will participate in the program between 2023-2027. Intervention groups participate in weekly workshops for 10 weeks to improve health and wellbeing and attend individual motivational interviewing sessions. Program content is guided by participants needs and goals.

Program delivery commenced in January 2024 led by Congress with support from The Partnership. The process and outcomes evaluation is being led by The Partnership to support implementation and adaption of the trial.

For more information or to get involved contact:

Jo Kelaart (Project Manager)
Email: jo.kelaart@menzies.edu.au
Phone: 0409 845 707