Improve Nutrition DHB Toolkit

You are here: Home > Publications > 2001
Improve Nutrition
DHB Toolkit

Date of publication: October 2001

Summary
Publication availability
Related information

Summary

Nutrition plays a major role in the leading three causes of death in New Zealand – ischaemic heart disease, cancer and stroke. Poor nutrition is also a key factor in the prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dental disease. Thus an improvement in nutrition would decrease the diet-related burden of illness and disease on individuals, particularly those living in more deprived areas. It would also save major costs in health care.

This toolkit provides District Health Boards (DHBs) and other health providers with some guidance on addressing the population health objective to improve nutrition. The focus of the toolkit is on promotion of the Ministry of Health’s series of Food and Nutrition Guidelines and on promotion of breastfeeding, including the introduction of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. One reason for choosing this focus is that the relevant documents are provided by the Ministry of Health. In addition, existing initiatives have commenced and progress in these areas will contribute to improving the nutritional status of New Zealanders. The toolkit recognises the need for a supportive environment for the promotion of healthy choices as the easy choices. Also needed are an appropriately skilled workforce and interventions that enable people to adopt a healthy diet and minimise the barriers.

The linkages with at least seven of the other 12 toolkits are identified. Data are presented on new work such as the strategy for nutrition, healthy weight and physical activity (Healthy Food: Healthy Action). Also covered are the policy context, current status of nutrition and breastfeeding in New Zealand, and of food, nutrient and breastfeeding targets. Barriers to change and strategies to bring about change, including evaluation, information and indicators, are discussed.

A checklist for DHBs focuses on the maintenance of existing programmes and services that are effective and meet the community’s needs, and on the importance of employing dietitians and registered nutritionists to assist with programme planning and implementation. Programmes and services should be suitable for the promotion of the Food and Nutrition Guidelines and breastfeeding, particularly to those experiencing health inequalities such as Māori and Pacific peoples. This links to one of the key themes in the New Zealand Health Strategy – that of reducing inequalities in health. This theme is reflected throughout this toolkit and additional information on reducing inequalities is also available.

Publication availability

The publication is available in Word and PDF format below:

Improve Nutrition Toolkit (Word, 197 KB)
Improve Nutrition Toolkit (PDF, 393 KB)

Read our copyright information

Go to information about ordering and downloading publications

Related information

Food and Nutrition publications
Healthy Eating Health Action
Physical Activity