Burgess and Johnson, 2007:

"The health of humans and the environment are connected. This socio-ecological model of health, articulated by the World Health Organisation in 1986, [1] has grown in significance with an increasing awareness of the impacts of climate change. This model has profound significance for Indigenous Australians living on their own Country in remote areas of northern Australia. [2] The practices involved in Natural and Cultural Resource Management (NCRM) or ‘Caring for Country’ are asserted to have a positive impact on the health of the landscapes and the populations that inhabit them. [3] Non-Indigenous Australians have generally failed to appreciate the depth and dynamism of this continued association with land and sea. [4]

The human health module of the Healthy Country: Healthy People project had the principal objective of comparing the health of participants in NCRM with non-participants in a cross-sectional study. This required firstly, the development of a measurement scale regarding NCRM participation and secondly, examination of the associations between NCRM participation and a range health outcomes responsible for premature illness and death. Preliminary findings are outlined in this briefing document. "

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Citation and/or URL

Burgess, C.P. & Johnston, F.H. 2007, Indigenous natural and cultural resource management and health: healthy country healthy people: stakeholder debriefing paper, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin.

Spatial Coverage

Remote areas of Northern Australia

Temporal Coverage

2007

Update Frequency

Not applicable 

Other Information

None