Obesity Prevention and Health Promotion in Indigenous Populations

Indigenous populations worldwide face disproportionately high rates of obesity and related chronic diseases driven by a convergence of historical dispossession, socioeconomic disadvantage and disruption of traditional food systems. Efforts to prevent obesity and promote health in these communities increasingly emphasise culturally safe and community‐led strategies that reconnect people with ancestral food practices, strengthen local food sovereignty and address broader social determinants of health. Core components include participatory design, integration of traditional knowledge, capacity building within communities and multi‐sectoral partnerships spanning schools, health services and policy makers. Interventions range from nutrition education materials that reflect local languages and dietary norms to environmental changes in retail and school settings that improve access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity. A growing body of work demonstrates that embedding health promotion within Indigenous governance structures and recognising diverse worldviews not only enhances uptake and sustainability but also contributes to broader goals of self‐determination and cultural revival.

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Obesity Prevention and Health Promotion in Indigenous Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in obesity prevention and health promotion in indigenous populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Community-based participatory research (CBPR): A collaborative approach in which community members and researchers share control of study design, implementation and interpretation to ensure cultural relevance and mutual benefit.

Culturally adapted intervention: A health programme modified to align with the cultural practices, values, languages and social contexts of a target population to enhance acceptability and effectiveness.

Multilevel, multicomponent (MLMC) intervention: An integrated strategy that simultaneously engages multiple layers of influence—individual, community, organisational and policy—to address complex health issues.

Social determinants of health: The range of economic, environmental and social conditions—such as income, education, housing and food environment—that shape health outcomes and equity.

References

1. Cultural adaptation of health interventions including a nutrition component in Indigenous peoples: a systematic scoping review. International Journal for Equity in Health (2021).
2. School-based nutrition interventions for Indigenous children in Canada: a scoping review. BMC Public Health (2020).
3. OPREVENT (Obesity Prevention and Evaluation of InterVention Effectiveness in NaTive North Americans): Design of a Multilevel, Multicomponent Obesity Intervention for Native American Adults and Households. Current Developments in Nutrition (2019).