Using participative community singing program to improve health behaviours in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Abstract

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals continue to experience greater levels of chronic disease than the general Australian population. Evidence suggests that increased sedentary behaviours compared to the traditional healthy and active lifestyles of this population have contributed to this situation. This investigation aimed to examine the health benefits of a community-based singing activity intervention on chronic disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Methods: From 2010-2011, 291 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, from the State of Queensland, Australia, were recruited through five communities to participate in a oneyear community singing program. Participants completed a survey, in the pre-and post-intervention phases of the study, which measured social connectedness, health behaviour (eg., smoking, alcohol consumption), frequency of exercise and art activities, and medication use. Results. Improvements in health behaviour were observed for both male and female participants with chronic disease of all age groups in the community singing program. Male and female participants' improvements included decreased social loneliness and reduced smoking behaviour, increased social support, and increased participation in exercise and arts activities. Conclusions. The participative community singing program was successful in improving health status and increasing physical activity for Aboriginal adults of all ages and genders. Keywords: Health, community, singing, health behavior, health promotion