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Graduates BITE into major health award
Two University of the Sunshine Coast graduates have been praised for their contribution to a community nutrition project that proved key to a $750,000 win in the Healthy Queensland Awards.
Roma-bred Natalija Pearn and Pia Troiani of Bundaberg graduated from USC in April with Nutrition and Dietetics degrees.
The 21-year-olds are sharing the celebrations after the top, statewide award was given to a collaborative project they worked on during a placement at Innisfail Community Health as part of their USC degree last year.
The award, in the Healthy Communities category, was presented at Parliament House in Brisbane on 19 May, with the prize money to be used to further promote the BITE (Better Informed Takeaways and Eateries) campaign on the Cassowary Coast.
The BITE program, created by the Cassowary Coast Regional Council and Queensland Health, is an awards scheme that encourages food outlets to use healthier cooking techniques and promote healthier food options on menus.
Queensland Health Senior Community Nutritionist Jodi Phillips said the University students made an important contribution to ensure the successful launch of the BITE program in October 2010.
“They worked really hard on reviewing the research and plans, providing updated recommendations after feedback from retailers, and helping implement the pilot program,” she said.
“The students achieved a great deal in six weeks. They looked at the demographics and health data for areas from Mission Beach to Tully and updated the research.
“They assisted with developing supporting education material for BITE in nine businesses. The information needed to be evidence-based but flexible enough to fit a range of retailers’ needs, from a fish and chip takeaway to an RSL.
“The students also helped with the implementation of a social marketing plan, a Facebook campaign, website and radio advertising.”
Both students have since found ideal jobs in their field.
Natalija, now a clinical dietitian at Townsville Hospital, said it was exciting to see such a significant award helping continue the project in the Cassowary Coast Region.
“We could all see the merit in this idea in a region that has an unusually large number of takeaways relative to the population – despite all the locally-grown tropical produce. It was a busy and challenging work placement,” she said.
“Pia and I enjoyed getting out in the community to gauge interest and evaluate the audit tool that allows shop owners to become BITE-registered.”
Pia now works two jobs in Bundaberg, as a dietititan with private clinic BTransformed and a community dietitian with Ozcare.
USC Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics Jude Maher said work placements in community or clinical health were integral elements of the degree for all USC students wanting to become dietitians.
“Natalija and Pia are hard-working students who got really involved in their placement and it’s wonderful to hear of this award.”
The Healthy Queensland Awards are organised by the State Government and Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland.
– Julie Gatehouse