Aboriginal community health programs which address lifestyle factors that

impact on the health of Aboriginal people include the many initiatives of the
Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council.
Through the AH&MRC, Aboriginal communities have developed resources
to combat the health issues associated with lifestyle factors including unhealthy
eating. For instance, a Healthy Lifestyle DVD was produced to improve the
health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people, and subsequently lower the
prevalence of lifestyle related diseases like diabetes. The Community Kitchen
program at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation contributed to the DVD in order to
raise awareness of the importance of healthy eating and to share healthy eating
information.
Likewise, many initiatives put forward by Aboriginal communities address
lifestyle factors like risk behaviours in regards to sexual health and drug and
alcohol consumption. For instance, the Use Condoms & Enjoy your Freedom
campaign encompassed the handing out of sexual health and referral
information, condoms and materials containing positive and youth orientated
messages. This community developed campaign which aimed to strengthen
Aboriginal community engagement with NSW Aboriginal Sexual Health Workers,
promoted harm minimisation against blood borne infections and Sexually
Transmitted Infections such as HIV and Hepatitis B, which have been sighted as
consequences of ill-informed lifestyle choices, specifically through the
distribution of understandable health information in pharmacies and local social
settings such as pubs and PCYC centres.
Moreover, the ITS YOUR CHOICE, HAVE A VOICE campaign utilised
dance and hip hop music mediums to empower young Aboriginal people in 14
communities to make decisions about their own lives, engaging with health
workers and increasingly utilising sexual health and drug and alcohol services,
providing them with age appropriate health knowledge of behavioural and
lifestyle choices and implications.
Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services also developed a
Tobacco Resistance Tool kit as part of its Tobacco and Resistance Control
Program, increasing peoples self-belief in their capability to quit smoking.
Aboriginal films were also created as part of the Kick the Habbit community
social marketing campaign, aiming to lower the prevalence of smoking and
smoking related illnesses in Aboriginal families.