WA Aboriginal Child Health Survey

• A survey of Aboriginal children from birth to 17 years that provides a comprehensive epidemiological “snapshot” of the health, development and wellbeing of Aboriginal children in their families, their schools and their communities.
• The survey also identifies the factors which promote resilience in Aboriginal children, exploring both individual and environmental aspects of childhood development.
• The survey was designed to build a store of knowledge from which preventive strategies can be developed to promote and maintain the healthy development and the social, emotional, academic, and vocational wellbeing of Aboriginal children.
• It is the most comprehensive survey of Aboriginal children ever undertaken.
• It took five years of planning, two years in the field.
• Information was collected on more than 5,200 Aboriginal children in Western Australia, from metropolitan Perth to the most remote communities in the State. This is about one in every six Aboriginal children and young people living in WA.
• Interviews were conducted with 2,000 families and details were also gathered from teachers and principals.
• We worked in close collaboration with Aboriginal communities and agencies.

Our research
All four volumes of results from the Survey have now been released.  Each volume tackled a different theme of research (physical health, social and emotional wellbeing, education, family and community) and makes recommendations to help improve the current circumstances in Aboriginal child health.  Copies are available at www.ichr.uwa.edu.au/waachs

 

During 2007, we disseminated the results for Volume 4 (Strengthening the Capacity of Aboriginal Children, Families and Communities) to communities and agencies in nine regions across WA.  We also presented results of the Survey to a range of audiences locally, nationally and internationally including at the OECD World Forum in Istanbul.