RECURRING INFECTIONS

Recurring infections are the dominant illnesses faced by Aboriginal children.

Recurring chest infections

Recurring chest infections affected an estimated 3,660 or 12% of Aboriginal children aged 0 to 17 years. For children aged 0 to 3 years, the prevalence was estimated at 19%, more than the twice the rate for children aged 12 to 17 years (8%).

Recurring skin infections

Carers were asked if their children had ‘Recurring skin infections such as school sores or scabies’. An estimated 2,530 or 8% of Aboriginal children aged 0 to 17 years had recurring skin infections.

Recurring gastrointestinal infections

From carer’s reports, it was estimated that 1,670 or 6% of Aboriginal children suffered from a recurring gastrointestinal infections.

Recurring ear infections

From carer’s reports, it was estimated that 5,400 or 18% of Aboriginal children aged 0 to 17 years had recurring ear infections at the time of the interview. Children aged 12 to 17 years were significantly less likely to have recurring ear infections (14%) than children aged 0 to 11 years (20%).

CHILDREN RECURRING INFECTIONS, BY AGE

The prevalence of recurring ear, skin and gastrointestinal infections showed little variation across the levels of relative isolation, with the exception of extremely isolated areas where prevalence was notably higher.

Ear infections with discharge

Of children with recurring ear infections, nearly seven in ten (3,740 or 69%) had at least one instance where the infection was sufficiently severe to rupture the eardrum causing a discharge (‘runny ears’). In terms of the total Aboriginal child population, one in eight Aboriginal children (3,740 or 13%) were reported by their carers to have had recurring ear infections with at least one instance of runny ears.

The likelihood of runny ears in children with recurring infections increases significantly in the most isolated areas, from 65% in areas of no, low or moderate isolation to 83% in areas of high and extreme isolation.

The risk of ear infections with runny ears is highest in 0 to 3 year-olds in the more isolated areas, but is highest in 4 to 11 year-olds in less isolated areas. Thus, children in more isolated areas are not only at greater risk of impaired hearing, but that risk occurs at an earlier age.

CHILDREN – RECURRENT AND DISCHARGING EAR INFECTIONS, BY LEVEL OF RELATIVE ISOLATION AND AGE

Functional impact of ear infections

Carers reported that 1,560 or 7% of Aboriginal children aged 4 to 17 years had abnormal hearing. Of children with runny ears, 30% had abnormal hearing. By comparison only 2% of children who did not have ear infections had abnormal hearing, and 10% of children with recurrent ear infections but no discharge had abnormal hearing. Hearing problems have adverse repercussions for language development and learning, and recurrent and discharging ear infections, which affected one in eight Aboriginal children, had a very significant impact on rates of hearing loss and speech, language and learning problems.

CHILDREN WITH RECURRING EAR INFECTIONS WITH EAR DISCHARGE – FUNCTIONAL IMPACT OF THE EAR INFECTION

Co-existence of recurring infections

Children were much more likely to experience any of the types of recurring infection if they also had any other type of recurring infection.

The co-existence of multiple types of infection was found to be associated with financial strain – the greater the financial strain, the higher the rate of multiple infections.