Gallatin School of Individualized Study, New York University, New York, USA.
Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; and Corresponding author.
Aust J Prim Health. 2022 Apr;28(2):125-130. doi: 10.1071/PY21119.
Many rural communities in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, have poor-quality water supplies. The lack of a palatable alternative increases the risk of the high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, a significant contributor to adverse health outcomes. This disproportionately effects Aboriginal people living in these towns, who are also profoundly affected by the social determinants of health. Therefore, examining health inequalities linked to water access is important. This study investigated the availability of drinking water fountains in rural and remote communities in NSW. Telephone interviewer-assisted surveys were conducted with 32 representatives from local government councils or Local Aboriginal Land Councils in NSW from communities with a population of <5000 and an Aboriginal population of at least 3%. The results were analysed descriptively. Towns and communities with a higher population of Aboriginal people and lower median weekly income were less likely to have access to free refrigerated and filtered water within the community or at local schools compared with towns and communities with a lower Aboriginal population and higher median weekly income. The availability of free, clean and refrigerated water in rural and remote communities is critical to reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and the promotion of water as the preferred drink.
澳大利亚新南威尔士州（新州）的许多农村社区供水质量较差。由于缺乏可口的替代水源，这些地区的人们增加了对含糖饮料的高消耗，而含糖饮料是导致不良健康后果的一个重要因素。这对居住在这些城镇的原住民造成了不成比例的影响，他们也深受健康决定因素的影响。因此，检查与获得水相关的健康不平等问题非常重要。本研究调查了新州农村和偏远社区饮用水喷泉的供应情况。通过电话访谈员协助的调查，对新州人口少于 5000 人且原住民人口至少为 3%的社区的 32 名地方政府委员会或当地原住民土地委员会的代表进行了调查。对结果进行了描述性分析。与原住民人口较少、每周平均收入较高的城镇和社区相比，原住民人口较多、每周平均收入较低的城镇和社区，其社区内或当地学校内获得免费冷藏和过滤水的机会较少。在农村和偏远社区提供免费、清洁和冷藏的水对于减少含糖饮料的消费以及促进水作为首选饮料至关重要。
