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Low birth weights

Health experts have indicated that reducing low birth weights not only improves health outcomes for the infant throughout early childhood, but also reduces risks associated with developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and strokes in adult life.

A central aim of the Strong Family, Strong Culture service is to engage pregnant women with medical services in order to ensure appropriate antenatal care is accessed.

How we help improve birth weights

Aboriginal health in the community

Aboriginal people experience significant health disadvantages, illustrated by a ten-year gap in average life expectancy compared to non-Indigenous Australians – 11.5 years for males and 9.7 years for females (AIHW 2011).

Aboriginal childrenIndigenous people generally experience more risk factors for ill-health than non-Indigenous Australians. Contributing factors to the poor health status of many Indigenous people are: social factors (such as dispossession, dislocation and discrimination); educational factors (such as poor levels of schooling); economic factors (such as income and employment); and physical environmental factors (such as housing).

Often referred to as ‘social determinants of health’, these factors often underlie health risks including alcohol and other drug use, smoking, nutrition, obesity and physical inactivity. A lack of access to good quality health care is often an additional problem for Aboriginal communities.

Among Aboriginal communities the level of perinatal mortality (miscarriage and infant death before the child’s first birthday) is twice the national average, with a higher rate of low birth weights than the non-Indigenous population.

Further information on Australian Indigenous health is available from Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet.