Engaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse CALD Communities in

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• Engaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
  (CALD) Communities in
• Physical Activity (PA)
• Christine Jowett
• Centre for Culture Ethnicity and Health
• 19 February 2008

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About the Centre for Culture Ethnicity and Health
(CEH)

• CEH is a state wide project of North Richmond
  Community Health Centre.
• Mission
• To reduce social and health inequalities for
  people from culturally and linguistically diverse
  (CALD) communities in Victoria.

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What CEH does

• Education Training
• Consultancy
• Information Service
• Workforce development
• Innovative projects

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• www.ceh.org.au

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CEH Engaging CALD Communities in PA Discussion
Paper

• Objectives
• Develop recommendations for good practice
• Strengthen workforce capacity
• Methodology
• Lit review, interview, case studies and focus
  groups
• Obstacles encountered
• Lack of adequate literature, evaluated programs
  and good research on the topic.

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Finding from the report to be discussed

• Why PA for CALD communities?
• Barriers/Enablers to PA for CALD communities.
• Strategies to engage CALD communities in PA.
• Strategies for promoting PA to CALD communities.

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1. Why PA?

• PA for everyone, not just CALD
• Prevent health problems
• Inactivity is risk factor for many
• health issues and diseases
• Inactivity rate in Australia
• increasing
• Government priority

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Why promote PA for CALD communities?

• To learn a new language
• To make friends
• Cultural maintenance
• Reduce social isolation
• Physical and mental health benefits
• Be part of the community

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Trends for PA for CALD communities

• The 2001 Australian National Health Survey
  reported that persons born in Southern Europe,
  North Africa and the Middle East and Asia report
  lower levels of exercise.
• CALD communities in Australia are
  over-represented in some areas of chronic
  disease.

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Barriers to PA for CALD communities? (1)

• Cost
• Timing
• Transport
• Languages
• Sports attire
• Family responsibilities

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Barriers to PA for CALD communities? (2)

• Gender e.g. traditional views of womens roles
• Attitudes and beliefs towards PA
• Education and employment responsibilities
• Hierarchy of needs

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Enablers to PA for CALD communities?

• Location
• Transport available
• Accessible
• Cost
• Attitude to PA
• Family involvement
• Bi lingual worker

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Social Ecological Model of Physical Activity
c relevant to children
Salmon J, King A. (2005). Population approaches
to increasing physical activity among children
and adults. In D Crawford and R Jeffrey (Eds).
Obesity prevention in the 21st century Public
health approaches to tackle the obesity pandemic.
Oxford University Press.
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Strategies for Engaging CALD communities in PA (1)

• 1.Community Engagement
• Good relationships with particular key ethnic
  organisations or individuals.
• Engage communities in the development of the
  program
• Critical to sustainability of program.
• Possibly involve families.
• 2. Avoid the one size fits all approach
• Diversity within diversity.
• Avoid stereotypes and assumptions.

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Strategies for Engaging CALD communities in PA (2)

• 3. Get timing and costing right
• Before and after Ramadan there was a drop off
  in attendance (focus group participant)
• 4. Organisational Planning for Cultural
  Difference.
• The roles that have been offered to cultural
  workers are so minimal that they'll look for
  another job that is more hours.. Then you have
  lost that worker and you have to start again.
  (focus group participant)

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Strategies for Promoting PA to CALD communities

• Develop marketing strategies that are
  specifically designed for CALD communities.
• Ask the community members what is the best
  methods of promotion for that target group?
• Know your audience and tailor messages
• Key bilingual workers
• Translate promotional material and test the
  translations
• Have health professionals recommend PA
• Relationship building
• Media Ethno specific media such as newspapers
  and radio

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Strategies for Promoting PA to CALD communities

• We had a bilingual worker who rang people on
  the day to tell them to come to the program.she
  said you have to do this to get them to come
• (focus group participant)

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Strategies for Promoting PA to CALD communities

• While we thought at first language could be a
  barrier we soon realised that there were many
  ways of communicating without language.
• (PAN member)

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RESOURCES

• Find out what is out there
• Conduct literature review
• Speak to others in the sector
• Search for case studies
• Resource List Provided

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Thank you

Christine Jowett Health Promotion
Officer christinej_at_ceh.org.au 9342 9706 Sabina
Tresise Resource Officer sabinat_at_ceh.org.au 9342
9707
CEH www.ceh.org.au 81 - 85 Barry Street Carlton
VIC 9342 9700