Adult health checks for Indigenous Australians: the first year's experience from the Inala Indigenous Health Service

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of the adult health check for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15-54 years, in an urban Indigenous primary health care setting. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional study of Indigenous patients recruited opportunistically from the Inala Indigenous Health Service between 1 June 2007 and 31 July 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Newly identified cardiovascular risk factors, investigations ordered and performed, interventions and new diagnoses made. RESULTS: 413 patients out of a possible 509 consented to participate (93% were Aboriginal). High prevalences of cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking (67%), being overweight and obese (61%), harmful levels of alcohol consumption (36%), and depression (23%) were found. The adult health checks resulted in new investigations (in 82% of participants), lifestyle advice (67%), vaccinations (42%), referrals (62%) and new medications (49%). New diagnoses resulting from the health checks included depression (6%), a harmful level of alcohol consumption (4%), chlamydia infection (4%), hypertension (3%) and diabetes (3%). Pap smears were performed in 47% of women as a result of the health check. CONCLUSIONS: The adult health check for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 15-54 years is a viable vehicle for evaluating health status, identifying chronic disease risk factors and for implementing preventive health care.