Aims:
Evaluate a pilot health promotion activity to reduce gambling-related harms in three Aboriginal communities in the NT.
Objectives:
Using a mixed methods approach (qualitative and quantitative data collection), determine if gambling frequency, problem gambling risk and gambling-related harms have decreased over the life of the health promotion activity (HPA). Determine enablers and barriers to the implementation of the HPA by Amity Community Services Inc.
Summary:
Currently, there are no gambling help services in remote aboriginal communities in the NT, yet gambling-related problems in Aboriginal community populations have been found to be significantly higher than in other population groups. This project will pilot a HPA to reduce harms associated with gambling in three Aboriginal communities in the NT. The HPA is based on the 1986 World Health Organisation Ottawa Charter on health promotion and takes a community development, empowerment and participatory approach that will build healthy public policy, create supportive environments, strengthen community action, develop personal skills and reorient health services. The evaluation team (ANU and Menzies) will work in partnership with Amity Community Services Inc. and the participating communities (residents and existing services), with the evaluation providing employment for local community residents. Communities have self-selected to be part of the project, due to leadership in these communities identifying gambling as a significant community problem.
Implications for policy and practice:
Given the complete lack of gambling help services currently available in remote Aboriginal communities, this project is a first in providing evidence around the implementation and effectiveness of a HPA to reduce gambling-related harms.
Our research has found:
Baseline data collection has been completed, with preliminary results showing that problem gambling risk and associated harms are considerably higher in the three participating communities compared with findings from the 2015 NT Gambling Prevalence and Wellbeing Survey.
Chief investigator:
- Dr Marisa Fogarty, ANU
- Dr Matthew Stevens
Project manager:
- Charlotte Boyer, ANU
Contact information:
Project dates:
August 2017 - August 2019.
Funders:
- NT Government Attorney General Department
Collaborators:
- Australian National University
- Amity Community Services Inc
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