Background – Ready access to a safe and affordable food was identified as an important element for food security at the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome (1). In 1994, 30% of Indigenous adults worried at least occasionally about going without food (2). The health status of Indigenous people remains the worst of any subgroup within the population, with little evidence of significant improvement over the past two decades (3). The causes of health
3 disadvantage are complex, however, improved diet, access to food and health care play a role in improving health .
Objectives – Examine the literature for evidence of food security in the Indigenous population and examine the amount and type of materials published over the last 20 years.
Design - Biomedical databases were interrogated to determine the amount and type of materials published over the last two decades. Other resources, including departmental reports, were also examined.
Outcomes – Of the materials collected, 84% were published in the second decade. Most of those published in the first decade were descriptive and focused on Indigenous health, nutrition, diet and factors affecting food access. During the second decade, the focus was more on the development of policy and intervention programs. Most related to the Northern Territory.
Conclusion – Lack of food security in many communities is a major concern contributing to poor health status in Indigenous communities. Over the last decade this issue has received more attention in the literature. Policies have been developed to address food insecurity in some jurisdictions; however few report implementation of these policies. Little work, if any, was reported levels of food insecurity in the urban environment nor interventions undertaken to address it.
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