Abstract
BackgroundIndigenous Australians and New Zealanders have a significantly shorter life expectancy than non-Indigenous people, mainly due to differences in prevalence of chronic diseases. Physical activity helps in the prevention and management of chronic diseases, however, activity levels are lower in Indigenous than in non-Indigenous people.ObjectiveTo synthesise the literature on the effects of physical activity interventions for Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand on activity levels and health outcomes.MethodsThe Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, SPORTSDiscus and PsycINFO were searched for peer-reviewed articles and grey literature was searched. Interventions targeted Indigenous people in Australia or New Zealand aged 18+ years and their primary or secondary aim was to increase activity levels. Data were extracted by one author and verified by another. Risk of bias was assessed independently by two authors. Data were synthesised narratively.Results407 records were screened and 13 studies included. Interventions included individual and group based exercise programs and community lifestyle interventions of four weeks to two years. Six studies assessed physical activity via subjective (n = 4) or objective (n = 2) measures, with significant improvements in one study. Weight and BMI were assessed in all but one study, with significant reductions reported in seven of 12 studies. All five studies that used fitness tests reported improvements, as did four out of eight measuring blood pressure and seven out of nine in clinical markers.ConclusionsThere was no clear evidence for an effect of physical activity interventions on activity levels, however, there were positive effects on activity related fitness and health outcomes.Trial RegistrationThe review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42015016915).
Highlights
Indigenous Australians and New Zealanders have a significantly shorter life expectancy than non-Indigenous people, mainly due to differences in prevalence of chronic diseases
There was no clear evidence for an effect of physical activity interventions on activity levels, there were positive effects on activity related fitness and health outcomes
Reasons for the exclusion of articles included studies that were based on animal research, were not conducted in Australia or New Zealand or did not have any physical activity components, e.g. a nutrition only intervention
Summary
Indigenous Australians and New Zealanders have a significantly shorter life expectancy than non-Indigenous people, mainly due to differences in prevalence of chronic diseases. In New Zealand, the Māori people are the Indigenous custodians, accounting for 15.6% of the population [6], and their life expectancy is 7.1 years lower than among the non-Indigenous population [7]. Obesity related lifestyle diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, are some of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Indigenous populations in Australia and New Zealand [5, 10]. The age-standardised mortality rate for type 2 diabetes in Indigenous Australians is nearly five times higher than in other Australians [11], and four times higher in Māori people compared to other New Zealanders [12]. The age-adjusted death rate for Indigenous adults from cardiovascular disease is almost twice that of other people in Australia [13] and New Zealand [6]
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