THE Katherine region’s obsession with Australian rules is being used as a innovative tool to kick home the message that indigenous men need to think more about their health.
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AFLNT has teamed up with the Katherine West Health Board, Sunrise Health Service and Wurli-Wurlinjang Health Service to offer eye-catching Australian rules singlets in the colours of Big Rivers Football League teams as an incentive for indigenous males between 15 and 35 to get a health check.
AFLNT program engagement manager Richard Tambling told the Katherine Times that the singlets – which feature a range of targeted health messages – had been identified as a way to overcome cultural issues to make the young indigenous men view annual health checks as a “normal thing to do”.
“Through football being a launching pad, we are able to promote this as something positive, where health checks need to become the normal thing to do,” he explained.
“Most men haven’t had there health checks for one to five years, if not ever.
“My last health check was two years ago, so it is very easily forgotten as being important.”
As part of the initiative, men will don a singlet in their team’s colours when they receive a health check.
Mr Tambling said the initial feedback had been extremely positive.
“Hopefully, this initiative will enable males to see a benefit of being safe and having a health check,” he said.
The initiative is being rolled out in communities including Barunga, Beswick, Ngukkur, Jilkminggan, Timber Creek, Kalkaringi and Lajamanu.
In Katherine, the singlets are available at the Wurli-Wurlinjang Health Service clinic and through the organisation’s StrongBala program.
Wurli-Wurlinjang Health Service alcohol and other drugs co-ordinator Andy Blaney echoed Mr Tambling’s sentiments about the effectiveness of using Australian rules as as a health promotion tool and said he had already fielded inquiries from footy-mad Katherinites.
Nelson Berko, a health promotion co-ordinator with Sunrise Health Service, said regular health checks for indigenous men in the target age range were crucial in the early detection and effective management of chronic disease risk factors before they progressed into life-threatening diseases in later life.
“Young males are very strong role models and … young local role models getting regular health checks and sporting AFL singlets with health promotion slogans sounds like a win-win situation for the whole community,” he said.
