The health and nutrition of young indigenous women in north Queensland : intergenerational implications of poor food quality, obesity, diabetes, tobacco smoking and alcohol use
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2009
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McDermott, R.A.
Campbell, S.K.
Li, M.
McCulloch, B.
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Public Health Nutrition, 2009; 12(11):2143-2149
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Abstract
Conclusions: High prevalence and incidence of central obesity and diabetes, poor nutrition, high rates of alcohol use and tobacco smoking together with young maternal age, provide a poor intra-uterine environment for many indigenous Australian babies, and contribute to high perinatal morbidity and future disability. Community level interventions to improve pre-pregnancy nutrition and health behaviours in young women are urgent.
Design: Cross-sectional survey of 424 Aboriginal and 232 Torres Strait Islander (TSI) women aged 15-34 years, conducted in twenty-three rural and remote communities of far north Queensland in 1999-2000, with follow-up of a smaller cohort (n 132) in 2006-2007.
Main outcome measures: Weight, waist circumference, intake of fruit and vegetables, smoking, alcohol intake, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, g-glutamyltransferase, red cell folate (RCF), interval weight and waist gain and incidence of diabetes.
Objective: To document nutritional status and health behaviours of young indigenous women of childbearing age in rural communities in north Queensland.
Results: Forty-one per cent of Aboriginal and 69% of TSI had central obesity, 62% were smokers, 71% drank alcohol regularly and of those, 60% did so at harmful levels. One third of Aboriginal and 16% of TSI women had very low RCF levels. In the group followed up, there was a mean annual waist gain of 1?6cm in Aboriginal women and 1?2cm in TSI, 0?5kg/m2 in BMI and 1?5 kg in weight. Incidence of new type 2 diabetes mellitus in this cohort was 29?1 per 1000 person-years (py) (95% CI 14?0, 52?8) in Aboriginal women and 13?9 per 1000 py (95% CI 5?6, 28?5) among TSI.
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Copyright 2009 The Authors