PCD Strategy Evaluation 2007.pdf - NT Health Digital Library ...

The current action plan identifies different nutritional and physical activity needs at various agesand stages of the lifespan. This is important because chronic disease arises from maternal,childhood, and adult factors working together, so the plan does not specifically target adults as apriority area. Other priority areas targeted include consumption of fruit and vegetables,prevention of obesity, provision of a physically active lifestyle and prevention and management ofpreventable chronic diseases. All areas identified in the action plan have seen extensiveimplementation of programs designed to improve education and bring about change at thecommunity level.AnaemiaRates of anaemia for children in the NT are extremely high throughout remote communities. In2004, children under five years the rates of anaemia range from 23.1 per cent in the Darwin ruraldistrict to 43.8 per cent in the Barkley district (see Figure 5.6).Figure 5.6 Anaemia in children from remote Indigenous communities by NT health district (3) .Physical ActivityThere is no baseline data for physical activity for the NT available before the introduction of theNTPCDS. In July 2003, telephone interviews were conducted with 328 non-IndigenousTerritorians (99) . The key findings of this survey were that 55 per cent of non-IndigenousTerritorians aged 18-54 years reported engaging in sufficient physical activity for health benefits;35 per cent reported insufficient levels of activity and 10 per cent reported no activity and wereclassified as sedentary. Men were significantly more likely to be sedentary than women (14 perChapter 5: Key Result Areas – Evaluation of the NT Preventable Chronic Disease Strategy 2007 87