Sport and Recreation for Indigenous Youth in the Northern Territory: Scoping Research Priorities for Health and Social Outcomes

Sport and Recreation for Indigenous Youth in the Northern Territory: Scoping Research Priorities for Health and Social Outcomes Report

  • Author(s): Sallie Cairnduff
  • Published: 2001
  • Publisher: Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, and Australian Sports Commission,

Abstract: This report identifies health and social outcomes research priorities in the Indigenous sport and recreation sector. An initiative of the Indigenous Sport Unit, Australian Sports Commission (ASC), and the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health (CRCATH), the report uses the Northern Territory (NT) as a study site. Research priorities were identified by: • conducting a literature review of national information regarding Indigenous sport and recreation programs; • developing a map of the key agencies and sport and recreation programs in the NT; and, • consulting with stakeholders in the NT. The literature review revealed that most information regarding the health (physical, emotional and social) outcomes of sport and recreation in Indigenous communities centres around five areas: 1. Clinical literature - linking physical activity and the prevention of chronic diseases (including coronary heart disease, diabetes and hypertension). Chronic disease is increasingly the most significant health issue facing many Indigenous communities. 2. History of Indigenous elite athletes in Australia - this relatively large body of literature is important in outlining the social and political context of Indigenous participation in sport, although it does not demonstrate the impact of sport and recreation programs at a community level. 3. Diversionary strategies for antisocial behaviour and self harm - this emerging body of literature gained strength from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendations, and has maintained momentum through the Indigenous Sport Program (ISP) administered by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). 4. Community development literature - sport and recreation is increasingly being identified as a community development facilitation tool, and is the basis of programs such as the ISP. 5. Evaluations of sport and recreation programs - evaluations of programs in Indigenous communities tend to be anecdotal, ad hoc, and primarily financial acquittals. There is clearly a need for more documentation of sport and recreation programs implemented in remote Indigenous communities Australia-wide, and an indepth analysis of the impact of programs on health and social outcomes. After conducting the literature review, a descriptive map of key agencies in the NT was compiled.

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Suggested Citation
Sallie Cairnduff, 2001, Sport and Recreation for Indigenous Youth in the Northern Territory: Scoping Research Priorities for Health and Social Outcomes, Report, viewed 06 February 2025, https://www.nintione.com.au/?p=3048.

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