Researchers partner with Ngarrindjeri elders on diabetes treatment trial
A pilot by Flinders University and the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network, co-designed with Aboriginal community members, aims to make life better for locals.
A new health initiative on Ngarrindjeri ruwe – the Lower Murray, Lakes and Coorong – has used a culturally grounded approach to improve treatment of type two diabetes and metabolic syndrome in Aboriginal communities.
The program, Nra:gi Ya:yun– meaning “very good foods/eating” – is a 28-week, low-carbohydrate remission pilot co-designed by Ngarrindjeri elders, community members, clinicians and researchers.
The pilot brought together cultural knowledge with clinical science to address what community and researchers described as an urgent and growing health challenge.
Type two diabetes affects 10.7 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, driven by the ongoing impacts of colonisation, disrupted food systems and social determinants of health.
Principal investigator Courtney Ryder, from the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, said the project had emerged from community-driven conversations.
“Nra:gi Ya:yun responds to that call by honouring lived experience and cultural foundations that guide wellbeing,” Associate Professor Ryder said.
Ten co-design workshops shaped the model, with community leaders strongly favouring a low-carbohydrate approach backed by emerging evidence.
“Low-carb nutrition can support metabolic improvements, but community-led delivery is the essential ingredient,” Associate Professor Ryder said.
Participants progressed through a control period, a 12-week remission phase and a maintenance phase.
Supports included fresh meal boxes, continuous glucose monitoring, yarning sessions and tailored resources.
Group yarning provided a culturally safe way to share experiences, build trust and strengthen motivation.
The teams at Flinders University and the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network now intend to build on the positive outcomes from the pilot to create sustainable metabolic changes in the community, potentially with a larger clinical trial.
