Using Community Based Research Frameworks to Develop and Implement a Church-Based Program to Prevent Diabetes and Its Complications for Samoan Communities in South Western Sydney

Ndwiga, Dorothy W.; McBride, Kate A.; Simmons, David; Thompson, Ronda; Reath, Jennifer; Abbott, Penelope; Alofivae-Doorbinia, Olataga; Patu, Paniani; Vaovasa, Annalise T.; MacMillan, Freya

doi:10.3390/ijerph18179385

Open AccessArticle

Using Community Based Research Frameworks to Develop and Implement a Church-Based Program to Prevent Diabetes and Its Complications for Samoan Communities in South Western Sydney

by

Dorothy W. Ndwiga

^1,2,*,

Kate A. McBride

^3,4,5,

David Simmons

^3,4,5

,

Ronda Thompson

³,

Jennifer Reath

^3,4,5,

Penelope Abbott

^3,4,5,

Olataga Alofivae-Doorbinia

⁶,

Paniani Patu

⁷,

Annalise T. Vaovasa

¹ and

Freya MacMillan

^1,4,5,*

¹

School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Penrith 2751, Australia

²

Institute of Health and Management, Parramatta 2150, Australia

³

School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith 2751, Australia

⁴

Diabetes Obesity Metabolism Translational Research Unit, Western Sydney University, Penrith 2751, Australia

⁵

Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith 2751, Australia

⁶

Powell Street Family Practice, Yagoona 2199, Australia

⁷

The Practice Blacktown NSW, Blacktown 2148, Australia

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 9385; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179385

Submission received: 20 July 2021 / Revised: 27 August 2021 / Accepted: 31 August 2021 / Published: 6 September 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Working with Communities to Promote Health)

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Abstract

Pasifika communities bear a disproportionate burden of diabetes compared to the general Australian population. Community-based participatory research (CBPR), which involves working in partnership with researchers and communities to address local health needs, has gained prominence as a model of working with underserved communities. This paper describes how Le Taeao Afua (LTA) Samoan diabetes prevention program was underpinned by two CBPR frameworks to develop a culturally tailored church-based lifestyle intervention to prevent diabetes and its complications in the Australian Samoan community. The name LTA, which means ‘a new dawn,’ was chosen by the community to signify a new dawn without diabetes in the Australian Samoan community. Strategies for engaging with the Australian Samoan community in South Western Sydney are discussed mapped to the key principles from the CBPR frameworks. In particular, this paper highlights the steps involved in building relationships with Samoan community leaders and the vital role of community activators and peer support facilitators in the success of delivering the program. Lessons learnt, such as the importance of church and maintaining a Samoan way of life in daily activities, and processes to build effective partnerships and maintain long-term relationships with the Australian Samoan community, are also discussed. Our paper, through providing a case example of how to apply CBPR frameworks, will help guide future community-based health promotion programs for underserved communities.

Keywords: Australian Samoan community; community-based participatory research; diabetes; obesity; health promotion; community activation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ndwiga, D.W.; McBride, K.A.; Simmons, D.; Thompson, R.; Reath, J.; Abbott, P.; Alofivae-Doorbinia, O.; Patu, P.; Vaovasa, A.T.; MacMillan, F. Using Community Based Research Frameworks to Develop and Implement a Church-Based Program to Prevent Diabetes and Its Complications for Samoan Communities in South Western Sydney. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 9385. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179385

AMA Style

Ndwiga DW, McBride KA, Simmons D, Thompson R, Reath J, Abbott P, Alofivae-Doorbinia O, Patu P, Vaovasa AT, MacMillan F. Using Community Based Research Frameworks to Develop and Implement a Church-Based Program to Prevent Diabetes and Its Complications for Samoan Communities in South Western Sydney. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(17):9385. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179385

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ndwiga, Dorothy W., Kate A. McBride, David Simmons, Ronda Thompson, Jennifer Reath, Penelope Abbott, Olataga Alofivae-Doorbinia, Paniani Patu, Annalise T. Vaovasa, and Freya MacMillan. 2021. "Using Community Based Research Frameworks to Develop and Implement a Church-Based Program to Prevent Diabetes and Its Complications for Samoan Communities in South Western Sydney" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 17: 9385. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179385

APA Style

Ndwiga, D. W., McBride, K. A., Simmons, D., Thompson, R., Reath, J., Abbott, P., Alofivae-Doorbinia, O., Patu, P., Vaovasa, A. T., & MacMillan, F. (2021). Using Community Based Research Frameworks to Develop and Implement a Church-Based Program to Prevent Diabetes and Its Complications for Samoan Communities in South Western Sydney. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(17), 9385. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179385

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Using Community Based Research Frameworks to Develop and Implement a Church-Based Program to Prevent Diabetes and Its Complications for Samoan Communities in South Western Sydney

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