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The effect of retail store managers on Aboriginal diet in remote communities

The effect of retail store managers on Aboriginal diet in remote communities Abstract Ks, nutrient densities of the diet o two remote f northern coastal Aboriginal communities were measured using the storeturnover method during the periods that three store managers were responsiblefor each stme respectively. Individual stme managers were a greater determinant o nutrient density than the community itself: f Furthermore, nutrient densities tended to be highest in both communities when their stares were administered @ one particular store managm The results support the notion that stme managers wield considerable power over the food suppb o remote Aboriginal communities, and raise quesf tions concerning the ability of Aboriginal community mabos to influence their own food supplies in retail stmes. Howeveq the study also conjnns that store managers can be important allies in efforts to impove Aboriginal dietary i n t h . (Aust N ZJPublic Health 1996; 20: 212-14) nutritional problems of Aboriginal people contribute to low birthweight, failure to thrive and communicable disease susceptibility in childhood, and to obesity, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular disease later in adult life.'s2 Contemporary Aboriginal diets in remote communities are characterised by low intakes of traditional foods, and by high intakes of saturated fat and sugar, and low intakes of dietary fibre and micronutrients, including folate, &carotene and ascorbic acid, from purchased foods.3 In these communities, a single retail store commonly provides over 95 per cent of the total dietary intake of the c o m m ~ n i t yDepending on perspec.~~~ tive, Aboriginal community stores are considered to operate either as an essential service or as a mainly commercial enterprise. In addition to the retailing of foods and variety goods, many stores provide banking and financial services, employment opportunities independent of the government sector, a venue for social interaction, a potential power base for local family groups and education of the community in the monetary ~ y s t e mStores have a major .~ role in promoting the physical wellbeing of the community. However, a negative attitude towards store services has been portrayed freq~ently.~ Ownership, employment and management systems vary markedly for different stores. Although Aboriginal involvement has increased in the first two aspects, management generally still remains under the control of n~n-Aboriginals.~ Early stores were established in small, unsuitable premises with inadequate facilities for the storage of bulk food supplies, particularly perishable i terns. The extremely limited range of foods stocked in the first stores and the fact that the established style of HE counter service limited direct access to products, may have contributed to conservative choices made by Aboriginal customers and hence affected dietary intake~.~Jj With cash flow proportional to the increasing populations of communities and increasing Aboriginal incomes, and the introduction of selfservice arrangements, store facilities have generally improved.* However, lack of sufficient space in cool storage may limit both the quantities and varieties of perishable foods, particularly fruit and vegetables; perishable items carry the risk of high overheads which some store managers may not be willing to bear. It is likely that stock management strategies, and the personal beliefs and attitudes of individual store managers may play a role in determination of the types of foods still provided by community stores. Methods Nutrient density of the diet of two remote northern coastal Aboriginal communities was measured during the periods that three individual store managers were responsible for each store respectively. Communities and subjects The two comparable communities are located on small islands off the coast of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. They are coded as C1 and C2 to maintain confidentiality. The store at C1 was owned by the centralised Aboriginal store cooperative which was responsible for the management of both community stores. The store at C2 was owned by the community council. About 150 people reside at C1 and 300 people at C2. Individual store managers are coded as A, B and C. Store manager A was employed at C1 from April 1986 to June 1987 and at C2 from June 1987 to March 1989; store manager B was employed at C1 from September 1987 to September 1988, and at C2 from February 1989 to June 1989; store manager C was employed at C1 from October 1988 to January 1990, and at C2 from April 1992 to April 1993. All three store managers were very experienced, having worked in remote Aboriginal stores for 16, 13, and 10 years respectively at the time the study was completed. Store managers, as with many other nonAboriginals residing in remote communities, tend to move frequently; the reasons for this were not inves tigated here. Dietary methods The store-turnover method was used to measure apparent dietary intake at both communities during the time of employment of each store manager. Store invoices, examined with the approval of community councils and store management, were used to list all food items delivered to each store over the VOL. Correspondence to Dr Amanda Lee, Senior Research Officer, Menzies School of Health Research, PO Box 41096, Casuanna, NT 081 1. Fax (089) 27 5187. AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEAlAND JOURNAL O PUBLIC HEALTH 1996 F 20 NO. 2 STORE MANAGERS AND DIET Table 1 : Nutrient density at two remote Aboriginal communities during periods with three different retail store managers Store manager A Community 1 mean+ SD Community 2 mean+ SD FI2l F2.21 F2.21 Nutrient Folate (pgll000kJ) Communitv Store monoaer Interaction Ascorbic acid (mgll000kJ) A C B-carotene (mg/l OOOkJ)b A 6 C Thiamine (mg/lOOOkJ)b A Dietary fibre (gll000kJ) A 8.2640.23 9.8840.59 12.56k2.94 2.504 1.06 3.43k0.97 3.56k 1.46 81.6+ 10.4 106.8 +_ 34.2 91.4k8.0 0.06440.008 0.079 k0.005 0.090+0.018 0.92k0.12 1.1640.03 1.22t0.05 8.00 2 0.4 1 10.1O+ 0.42 12.18k1.18 2.16t0.83 3.1 0 ~ 0 . 5 7 3.90k 1.36 80.929.6 90.0k2.8 88.3k10.3 0.064k0.003 0.078+0.011 0.090k 0.0 16 0.80k0.07 1.0640.04 1.20k0.04 4.26' 3.41 16.56t 7.39' 20.28' Notes: (a) Analysis of wriance not done as assumption o equiwlent wriance could not be met. (b) Reciprocol of nutrient density was used to determine analysis f of wriance. (c) High mean and standard deviation because of one unusually large order of carrots in June 1987. ' P s 0 . 0 5 , tPs0.0001 relevant period, as described The storeturnover method has been validated as a measure of the diet of remote Aboriginal communities as a whole.8 As accurate population data for both communities were available only for the period of June 1989 to June 1990, results are reported in terms of nutrient densities (nutrient content per 1000 kJ) which are essentially independent of the size of the population and enable comparison between communities and within communities over time.3 Nutrients of major interest were those found previously to be of suboptimal intake in remote Aboriginal communities: folate, ascorbic acid, B-carotene, thiamine and dietary fibre.*s3In remote Aboriginal communities, the major dietary sources of folate, ascorbic acid and B-carotene are fruit and vegetables, and the major dietary sources of thiamine and fibre are cereals, particularly wholegrain varieties where a~ailable.~ Statistical analysis Levels of statistical significance for the effects of store manager and community on nutrient density were determined by analysis of variance using GLIM.g The number of measurements available resulted in unbalanced designs, which meant that it was not possible to unravel totally the effects of community and store manager on nutrient density. Store manager was fitted to the model after adjusting for the effect of community. Where the variation of the nutrient density was unequal in the different store manager groups, the reciprocal was used to transform the data prior to analysis. Results Nutrient densities at each community for the period that the three individual store managers were employed are shown in Table 1. The densities of folate, B-carotene, ascorbic acid and thiamine were similar in both stores when the same store manager was responsible for each respective store. Density of dietary fibre intake was significantly higher at community C1; however, if store manager was fitted first, a the community effect w s no longer significant (Flsl = 2.71, P = 0.115). For all nutrients analysed, the store manager had a much greater effect on the density of dietary intake than the community itself. Furthermore, nutrient densities tended to be highest in both communities when their stores were managed by store manager C, intermediate when managed by store manager B, and lowest when managed by store manager A. Discussion The results support the notion that individual store managers can influence dietary intake of Aboriginal communities in remote areas. The retail food supply in these communities is known to be affected by stock management practices, carrying capacity of the store, deliveries and consumer demand.1° It is unlikely, however, that the demand for specific foods would have varied among consumers at both communities in accord with the period of employment of different store managers. Also, neither the food distribution system nor carrying capacity altered in either C1 or C2 over the period of the study. Therefore, differences in the stock management practices of individual store managers are likely to account for the variations measured in dietary intake in the same store under different management. In particular, it is plausible that individual store managers have a characteristic pattern of ordering foods which tends to be independent of the community in which they are employed. Differences between store managers Most nutrient densities were highest in both communities when store manager C was responsible for the store. He was interested in Aboriginal health, and had been previously involved in a communitybased nutrition-intervention project in the Kimberley. The relatively high density of intake of folate, ascorbic acid and B-carotene during the period that he managed both stores could be explained by the increased turnover of fruit and vegetable supply. Store manager C ensured that fruit AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL O PUBLIC HEALTH 1996 vot. 20 NO. 2 F LEE ETA. and vegetables stocked at the community were kept in cold storage and that a large variety was displayed prominently to consumers at all times. Under his management, fruit and vegetables were air-freighted nearly every day to each community, rather than forwarded on the cheaper, but longer, sea-barge service. This resulted in less damage to perishables and in a more frequent supply of fresh produce. He also refused to accept perishable products of poor quality, or goods damaged during transit, and returned these to the wholesaler. Over time these strategies helped ensure a better quality supply of fruit and vegetables, which were more acce table to the consumer, hence increasing turnover.5. The relatively high dietary density of both thiamine and dietary fibre during the period that store manager C was responsible for both stores was related to a marked increase in turnover of wholemeal bread owing to the introduction of sandwiches as an alternative to high fat takeaway foods. The profits of both stores increased under the supervision of store manager C, confirming that the provision of nutritious food can also be a good business strategy.sJO Store manager B was particularly committed to training Aboriginal store workers, in addition to improving the nutritional quality of food available. Aboriginal employees tended to enjoy more responsibility for stock management under this manager's supervision. This could have affected food supply in that Aboriginal store workers may have maintained more conventional practices, and were not as confident in returning poor quality perishable items as store manager C. Nevertheless, the training of Aboriginal store workers is likely to bring many longterm benefits to the community, particularly where store workers are in a position to act on community requests for a greater variety of good quality food. Store manager A displayed the most conservative stock management practices; in particular, he ordered a very limited variety of fruit and vegetables and did not order wholemeal bread during the study period. He had the attitude that these foods were unpopular. However, his view was not supported by the experience of the other store managers. Individual store managers were not necessarily exposed to identical efforts to improve nutritionrelated practices, despite similar nutrition services being provided routinely in both communities over the study period by dietitians from the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services. Therefore, differences in exposure to interventions may have contributed to differences in practices among store managers. supplied in their store, and prefer to wait for the high natural attrition rate of store managers to take effect.s In this regard, the power of store managers to influence food supply impinges on issues of community development. Efforts to improve Aboriginal nutritional health should address structural and environmental factors and decrease the dependency of Aboriginal communities on non-Aboriginal decision making and resource holders. Aboriginal communities need to be able to take control of factors affecting their health to bring about sustainable improvements." One way to avoid arbitrary variation in store managers' individual ordering patterns, and to ensure that the food supplied reflects both community preference and nutritional needs, is to implement a store food and nutrition p~licy.~~'* This could be achieved through effective partnerships between Aboriginal consumers, store managers and health professionals. Conclusion This study confirms that retail store managers in remote Aboriginal communities wield considerable power over the food supply. It also suggests that store managers can be important allies in efforts to improve Aboriginal dietary intake and nutritional status. Acknowledgments This study was funded as part of a broader project grant to A. Lee by the Public Health Research development Committee of the NHMRC. Thank you to Arnhem Land Progress Association, the store managers and the Aboriginal communities involved. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health Wiley

The effect of retail store managers on Aboriginal diet in remote communities

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 1996 The Public Health Association of Australia Inc
ISSN
1326-0200
eISSN
1753-6405
DOI
10.1111/j.1753-6405.1996.tb01821.x
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Abstract

Abstract Ks, nutrient densities of the diet o two remote f northern coastal Aboriginal communities were measured using the storeturnover method during the periods that three store managers were responsiblefor each stme respectively. Individual stme managers were a greater determinant o nutrient density than the community itself: f Furthermore, nutrient densities tended to be highest in both communities when their stares were administered @ one particular store managm The results support the notion that stme managers wield considerable power over the food suppb o remote Aboriginal communities, and raise quesf tions concerning the ability of Aboriginal community mabos to influence their own food supplies in retail stmes. Howeveq the study also conjnns that store managers can be important allies in efforts to impove Aboriginal dietary i n t h . (Aust N ZJPublic Health 1996; 20: 212-14) nutritional problems of Aboriginal people contribute to low birthweight, failure to thrive and communicable disease susceptibility in childhood, and to obesity, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular disease later in adult life.'s2 Contemporary Aboriginal diets in remote communities are characterised by low intakes of traditional foods, and by high intakes of saturated fat and sugar, and low intakes of dietary fibre and micronutrients, including folate, &carotene and ascorbic acid, from purchased foods.3 In these communities, a single retail store commonly provides over 95 per cent of the total dietary intake of the c o m m ~ n i t yDepending on perspec.~~~ tive, Aboriginal community stores are considered to operate either as an essential service or as a mainly commercial enterprise. In addition to the retailing of foods and variety goods, many stores provide banking and financial services, employment opportunities independent of the government sector, a venue for social interaction, a potential power base for local family groups and education of the community in the monetary ~ y s t e mStores have a major .~ role in promoting the physical wellbeing of the community. However, a negative attitude towards store services has been portrayed freq~ently.~ Ownership, employment and management systems vary markedly for different stores. Although Aboriginal involvement has increased in the first two aspects, management generally still remains under the control of n~n-Aboriginals.~ Early stores were established in small, unsuitable premises with inadequate facilities for the storage of bulk food supplies, particularly perishable i terns. The extremely limited range of foods stocked in the first stores and the fact that the established style of HE counter service limited direct access to products, may have contributed to conservative choices made by Aboriginal customers and hence affected dietary intake~.~Jj With cash flow proportional to the increasing populations of communities and increasing Aboriginal incomes, and the introduction of selfservice arrangements, store facilities have generally improved.* However, lack of sufficient space in cool storage may limit both the quantities and varieties of perishable foods, particularly fruit and vegetables; perishable items carry the risk of high overheads which some store managers may not be willing to bear. It is likely that stock management strategies, and the personal beliefs and attitudes of individual store managers may play a role in determination of the types of foods still provided by community stores. Methods Nutrient density of the diet of two remote northern coastal Aboriginal communities was measured during the periods that three individual store managers were responsible for each store respectively. Communities and subjects The two comparable communities are located on small islands off the coast of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. They are coded as C1 and C2 to maintain confidentiality. The store at C1 was owned by the centralised Aboriginal store cooperative which was responsible for the management of both community stores. The store at C2 was owned by the community council. About 150 people reside at C1 and 300 people at C2. Individual store managers are coded as A, B and C. Store manager A was employed at C1 from April 1986 to June 1987 and at C2 from June 1987 to March 1989; store manager B was employed at C1 from September 1987 to September 1988, and at C2 from February 1989 to June 1989; store manager C was employed at C1 from October 1988 to January 1990, and at C2 from April 1992 to April 1993. All three store managers were very experienced, having worked in remote Aboriginal stores for 16, 13, and 10 years respectively at the time the study was completed. Store managers, as with many other nonAboriginals residing in remote communities, tend to move frequently; the reasons for this were not inves tigated here. Dietary methods The store-turnover method was used to measure apparent dietary intake at both communities during the time of employment of each store manager. Store invoices, examined with the approval of community councils and store management, were used to list all food items delivered to each store over the VOL. Correspondence to Dr Amanda Lee, Senior Research Officer, Menzies School of Health Research, PO Box 41096, Casuanna, NT 081 1. Fax (089) 27 5187. AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEAlAND JOURNAL O PUBLIC HEALTH 1996 F 20 NO. 2 STORE MANAGERS AND DIET Table 1 : Nutrient density at two remote Aboriginal communities during periods with three different retail store managers Store manager A Community 1 mean+ SD Community 2 mean+ SD FI2l F2.21 F2.21 Nutrient Folate (pgll000kJ) Communitv Store monoaer Interaction Ascorbic acid (mgll000kJ) A C B-carotene (mg/l OOOkJ)b A 6 C Thiamine (mg/lOOOkJ)b A Dietary fibre (gll000kJ) A 8.2640.23 9.8840.59 12.56k2.94 2.504 1.06 3.43k0.97 3.56k 1.46 81.6+ 10.4 106.8 +_ 34.2 91.4k8.0 0.06440.008 0.079 k0.005 0.090+0.018 0.92k0.12 1.1640.03 1.22t0.05 8.00 2 0.4 1 10.1O+ 0.42 12.18k1.18 2.16t0.83 3.1 0 ~ 0 . 5 7 3.90k 1.36 80.929.6 90.0k2.8 88.3k10.3 0.064k0.003 0.078+0.011 0.090k 0.0 16 0.80k0.07 1.0640.04 1.20k0.04 4.26' 3.41 16.56t 7.39' 20.28' Notes: (a) Analysis of wriance not done as assumption o equiwlent wriance could not be met. (b) Reciprocol of nutrient density was used to determine analysis f of wriance. (c) High mean and standard deviation because of one unusually large order of carrots in June 1987. ' P s 0 . 0 5 , tPs0.0001 relevant period, as described The storeturnover method has been validated as a measure of the diet of remote Aboriginal communities as a whole.8 As accurate population data for both communities were available only for the period of June 1989 to June 1990, results are reported in terms of nutrient densities (nutrient content per 1000 kJ) which are essentially independent of the size of the population and enable comparison between communities and within communities over time.3 Nutrients of major interest were those found previously to be of suboptimal intake in remote Aboriginal communities: folate, ascorbic acid, B-carotene, thiamine and dietary fibre.*s3In remote Aboriginal communities, the major dietary sources of folate, ascorbic acid and B-carotene are fruit and vegetables, and the major dietary sources of thiamine and fibre are cereals, particularly wholegrain varieties where a~ailable.~ Statistical analysis Levels of statistical significance for the effects of store manager and community on nutrient density were determined by analysis of variance using GLIM.g The number of measurements available resulted in unbalanced designs, which meant that it was not possible to unravel totally the effects of community and store manager on nutrient density. Store manager was fitted to the model after adjusting for the effect of community. Where the variation of the nutrient density was unequal in the different store manager groups, the reciprocal was used to transform the data prior to analysis. Results Nutrient densities at each community for the period that the three individual store managers were employed are shown in Table 1. The densities of folate, B-carotene, ascorbic acid and thiamine were similar in both stores when the same store manager was responsible for each respective store. Density of dietary fibre intake was significantly higher at community C1; however, if store manager was fitted first, a the community effect w s no longer significant (Flsl = 2.71, P = 0.115). For all nutrients analysed, the store manager had a much greater effect on the density of dietary intake than the community itself. Furthermore, nutrient densities tended to be highest in both communities when their stores were managed by store manager C, intermediate when managed by store manager B, and lowest when managed by store manager A. Discussion The results support the notion that individual store managers can influence dietary intake of Aboriginal communities in remote areas. The retail food supply in these communities is known to be affected by stock management practices, carrying capacity of the store, deliveries and consumer demand.1° It is unlikely, however, that the demand for specific foods would have varied among consumers at both communities in accord with the period of employment of different store managers. Also, neither the food distribution system nor carrying capacity altered in either C1 or C2 over the period of the study. Therefore, differences in the stock management practices of individual store managers are likely to account for the variations measured in dietary intake in the same store under different management. In particular, it is plausible that individual store managers have a characteristic pattern of ordering foods which tends to be independent of the community in which they are employed. Differences between store managers Most nutrient densities were highest in both communities when store manager C was responsible for the store. He was interested in Aboriginal health, and had been previously involved in a communitybased nutrition-intervention project in the Kimberley. The relatively high density of intake of folate, ascorbic acid and B-carotene during the period that he managed both stores could be explained by the increased turnover of fruit and vegetable supply. Store manager C ensured that fruit AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL O PUBLIC HEALTH 1996 vot. 20 NO. 2 F LEE ETA. and vegetables stocked at the community were kept in cold storage and that a large variety was displayed prominently to consumers at all times. Under his management, fruit and vegetables were air-freighted nearly every day to each community, rather than forwarded on the cheaper, but longer, sea-barge service. This resulted in less damage to perishables and in a more frequent supply of fresh produce. He also refused to accept perishable products of poor quality, or goods damaged during transit, and returned these to the wholesaler. Over time these strategies helped ensure a better quality supply of fruit and vegetables, which were more acce table to the consumer, hence increasing turnover.5. The relatively high dietary density of both thiamine and dietary fibre during the period that store manager C was responsible for both stores was related to a marked increase in turnover of wholemeal bread owing to the introduction of sandwiches as an alternative to high fat takeaway foods. The profits of both stores increased under the supervision of store manager C, confirming that the provision of nutritious food can also be a good business strategy.sJO Store manager B was particularly committed to training Aboriginal store workers, in addition to improving the nutritional quality of food available. Aboriginal employees tended to enjoy more responsibility for stock management under this manager's supervision. This could have affected food supply in that Aboriginal store workers may have maintained more conventional practices, and were not as confident in returning poor quality perishable items as store manager C. Nevertheless, the training of Aboriginal store workers is likely to bring many longterm benefits to the community, particularly where store workers are in a position to act on community requests for a greater variety of good quality food. Store manager A displayed the most conservative stock management practices; in particular, he ordered a very limited variety of fruit and vegetables and did not order wholemeal bread during the study period. He had the attitude that these foods were unpopular. However, his view was not supported by the experience of the other store managers. Individual store managers were not necessarily exposed to identical efforts to improve nutritionrelated practices, despite similar nutrition services being provided routinely in both communities over the study period by dietitians from the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services. Therefore, differences in exposure to interventions may have contributed to differences in practices among store managers. supplied in their store, and prefer to wait for the high natural attrition rate of store managers to take effect.s In this regard, the power of store managers to influence food supply impinges on issues of community development. Efforts to improve Aboriginal nutritional health should address structural and environmental factors and decrease the dependency of Aboriginal communities on non-Aboriginal decision making and resource holders. Aboriginal communities need to be able to take control of factors affecting their health to bring about sustainable improvements." One way to avoid arbitrary variation in store managers' individual ordering patterns, and to ensure that the food supplied reflects both community preference and nutritional needs, is to implement a store food and nutrition p~licy.~~'* This could be achieved through effective partnerships between Aboriginal consumers, store managers and health professionals. Conclusion This study confirms that retail store managers in remote Aboriginal communities wield considerable power over the food supply. It also suggests that store managers can be important allies in efforts to improve Aboriginal dietary intake and nutritional status. Acknowledgments This study was funded as part of a broader project grant to A. Lee by the Public Health Research development Committee of the NHMRC. Thank you to Arnhem Land Progress Association, the store managers and the Aboriginal communities involved.

Journal

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health – Wiley

Published: Apr 1, 1996

There are no references for this article.