Assessment of reach of physical activity and exercise media messages to regional Western Australia

Abstract

The ‘Kimberley Active; Getting Our Mob Moving’ campaign, is aimed at Indigenous communities in the Northwest. It seeks to promote physical activity to a broad cross-section of community members to improve their health status by incorporating exercise into their daily lives. AIM: The aim of this formative component of the project was to gain an understanding of the reach of physical activity and exercise advertisements to the residents in Broome, Western Australia.SAMPLE AND METHODS: A purposive sample of spectators who attended the local Australian Rules Football grand final held in a Broome on 27 August 2007 were asked to complete a brief survey around media messages they recalled hearing, reading or watching in the past six months associated with physical activity and exercise. Deliberate measures were taken to ensure a good response rate from both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adults.CONCLUSION: The results indicate that a significant number of respondents engaged in regular and long period of sedentary behaviours on a regular weekly basis. Furthermore, few respondents are active enough to gain any health benefits. Physical activity preferences suggested should be considered and several options tested in the larger campaign, budget permitting Most respondents did not consume the national nutrition target of two serves of fruit and five of vegetables daily. Listening to the radio was a common past-time. This media avenue should be further investigated as a cost effective means of delivering educational messages to a wide cross-section of the target group.