Diabetes Projects Trust always takes the opportunity to work with other organisations, that extends to programme design, and taking the results to deliver a shared presentation at a conference. This poster accepted and presented to the NZSSD conference for 2007. It describes the collaborative efforts and joint activity between our two community based organisations.
The abstract text is as follows:
2 ORGANISATIONS COLLABORATING TO PREVENT DIABETES & OBESITY IN YOUTH
K Smallman1, D Frost2
1 Diabetes Projects Trust, Otara, NZ
2 Diabetes Auckland, Mt Eden, NZ
Donna Frost of Diabetes Auckland (Auckland) and Kate Smallman from the Diabetes Projects Trust (Counties Manukau) saw a real opportunity to work together on getting the healthy lifestyle message across to youth in wider Auckland.
Type 2 diabetes and cardio vascular disease are more likely to develop in the overweight and obese. Recent audits of year nine students in Counties Manukau AIMHI schools report that over 30% of these students are overweight or obese. Some very large students struggle to get school uniforms. A similar picture emerges in Auckland.
Diabetes Projects Trust has for the past four years been delivering into Decile 1 schools a 10 session interactive education programme called GetWize2Health. The programme encompasses among other things, healthy lifestyles, making change, goal setting and what to do with the money in your pocket. The programme is seen as successful but because of the high cost due to the labour intensiveness of delivery, a DIY project schools could implement themselves has been developed.
Diabetes Projects Trust had the resource, and Diabetes Auckland had identified a need in schools in their area so the logical next step was to work seriously together. Diabetes Auckland had a relationship with a large college (2000 students) wanting help to prevent obesity and therefore Type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Projects Trust and Diabetes Auckland have worked together with the school to implement GetWize2Health DIY in all of year 10 health programmes with the aim of providing youth with tools and confidence to make healthier choices.
This presentation provides an insight into this exciting and innovative project, explores data gathered relating to the programme, service delivery and participants with formative observations, impact feedback, and lessons learned in its application in a partnership aligning two very different organisations.
