Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Conference 2026

Healthcare professionals’ perspectives of factors influencing acceptability, implementation and replicability of an Indigenist specialist metabolic program (144773)

Dickson Gitonga 1 , Kate McBride 1 , Sophia Malie 2 , Taylah Hansen 2 , Kathy Grudzinskas 2 , Aunty Kerrie Doyle 3 , Lachlan Wright 2 , Jemma Gibbs 4 , Nick Kormas 5 , Milan Piya 1
  1. Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
  2. Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation Aboriginal Medical Service, Airds, NSW, Australia
  3. Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia
  4. SWSLHD Aboriginal Health, Director Aboriginal Health, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
  5. NSW Health, Senior Staff Specialist Endocrinologist, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia

Background

Aboriginal Australians experience higher rates of obesity and associated comorbidities compared to non-Aboriginal Australians, with 7.2-11% of the health gap attributable to overweight and obesity. There is a need to develop culturally sensitive health care services to address obesity and its associated complications. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of healthcare professionals on the acceptability, implementation and replicability of a recently established Indigenist specialist multidisciplinary metabolic program nested within an urban Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) in Sydney.

 

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted to explore healthcare professionals’ perspectives among staff working at a multidisciplinary metabolic program within an AMS through focus groups and individual in-depth interviews, conducted either face-to-face or via Microsoft Teams from February to March, 2026. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

 

Results

Eight healthcare professionals participated in focus groups and three in interviews. These professionals included doctors, nurses, dietitian, psychologist, exercise physiologist, Aboriginal health worker, and healthcare managers with 54.5% female. Four major themes emerged: 1) Flexible relationship-centred service design; 2) culturally safe and trusted place-based care; 3) barriers to the current program; 4) program sustainability and replication. Sustainability depends on a culturally capable workforce, adequate funding and a key coordinating person. Specialist metabolic programs within AMS may more adequately help reduce barriers to accessing care and address obesity-related health needs of the Aboriginal community if design, implementation and replication is supported by the community and the local health service.

 

Conclusion

The specialist Indigenist metabolic program can improve access to care for Aboriginal people with severe obesity and offers an ideal teaching site for workforce development, but concerns remain about the rapid turnover of staff. Replication in other AMS’s would require strong organisational relationships with the local health service and local adaptation to suit the needs of the target community.