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Constantinides F, Orr N, Nash K, Evans JR, McMahon CM, Gunasekera H, Harkus S, Clague L, Cross C, Halvorsen L, Lumby N, Coates H, Macniven R. Examining relationships between parent-reported factors and recurring ear symptoms among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Health Promot J Austr 2024; 35:225-234. [PMID: 36961054 DOI: 10.1002/hpja.719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
ISSUE ADDRESSED Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child ear health is complex and multiple. We examined relationships between parent-reported sociodemographic, child health, health service access factors and ear symptoms among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 3 to 7 years. METHODS The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children is a large child cohort study with annual parent-reported data collection. Generalised linear mixed model analyses examined Wave 1 (1309 children 0-5 years; 2008) predictors of being free of parent-reported ear symptoms in both Waves 2 and 3. RESULTS A total of 1030 (78.7%) had no reported ear symptoms in either Wave 2 or 3. In the fully adjusted model, children who had been hospitalised in the past year (aOR = 2.16; 95% CI 1.19-3.93) and those with no ear symptoms (aOR = 2.94; 95% CI, 1.59-5.46) at Wave 1 had higher odds of no ear symptoms in both the subsequent waves. There were also relationships between parent main source of income-government pension or allowance as well as parents who reported no history of their own ear symptoms and higher odds of no ear symptoms in Waves 2 and 3 after partial adjustment for sociodemographic factors. CONCLUSION These findings suggest relationships between different sociodemographic and health factors and parent-reported ear symptoms among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children that warrant further investigation. So what? Children with parent-reported ear symptoms during the early years need holistic support to prevent future ear symptoms that impact health, social and educational life trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fina Constantinides
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University Hearing, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Neil Orr
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University Hearing, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kai Nash
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University Hearing, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John Robert Evans
- Moondani Toombadool Centre, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Catherine M McMahon
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University Hearing, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hasantha Gunasekera
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Samantha Harkus
- National Acoustic Laboratories, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Liesa Clague
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Notre Dame, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Cara Cross
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University Hearing, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Luke Halvorsen
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University Hearing, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Noeleen Lumby
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University Hearing, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Harvey Coates
- School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rona Macniven
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University Hearing, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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