Skin infection, housing and social circumstances in children living in remote Indigenous communities: testing conceptual and methodological approaches

BACKGROUND: Poor housing conditions in remote Indigenous communities in Australia are a major underlying factor in poor child health, including high rates of skin infections. The aim of this study is to test approaches to data collection, analysis and feedback for a follow-up study of the impact of housing conditions on child health. METHODS: Participation was negotiated in three communities with community councils and individual participants. Data were collected by survey of dwelling condition, interviews, and audit health centre records of children aged under seven years. Community feedback comprised immediate report of items requiring urgent repair followed by a summary descriptive report. Multivariate models were developed to calculate adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRR) for skin infections and their association with aspects of household infrastructure. RESULTS: There was a high level of participation in all communities. Health centre records were inadequate for audit in one community. The records of 138 children were available for development of multivariate analytic models. Rates of skin infection in dwellings that lacked functioning facilities for removing faeces or which had concrete floors may be up to twice as high as for other dwellings, and the latter association appears to be exacerbated by crowding. Younger children living in older dwellings may also be at approximately two-fold higher risk. A number of socioeconomic and socio-demographic variables also appear to be directly associated with high rates of skin infections. CONCLUSION: The methods used in the pilot study were generally feasible, and the analytic approach provides meaningful results. The study provides some evidence that new and modern housing is contributing to a reduction in skin infections in Aboriginal children in remote communities, particularly when this housing leads to a reduction in crowding and the effective removal of human waste

A case study of physical and social barriers to hygiene and child growth in remote Australian Aboriginal communities

Background\ud Despite Australia's wealth, poor growth is common among Aboriginal children living in remote communities. An important underlying factor for poor growth is the unhygienic state of the living environment in these communities. This study explores the physical and social barriers to achieving safe levels of hygiene for these children.\ud \ud Methods\ud A mixed qualitative and quantitative approach included a community level cross-sectional housing infrastructure survey, focus groups, case studies and key informant interviews in one community.\ud \ud Results\ud We found that a combination of crowding, non-functioning essential housing infrastructure and poor standards of personal and domestic hygiene underlie the high burden of infection experienced by children in this remote community.\ud \ud Conclusion\ud There is a need to address policy and the management of infrastructure, as well as key parenting and childcare practices that allow the high burden of infection among children to persist. The common characteristics of many remote Aboriginal communities in Australia suggest that these findings may be more widely applicable

Rum jungle rehabilitation project - vol 2 & 3

Made available by the Northern Territory Library via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).Date:1980-0

Water resources centre - statement of evidence and supporting drawings submitted to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on public works

Made available by the Northern Territory Library via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT)

Northern Territory aboriginal communities

tag=1 data=Northern Territory aboriginal communities tag=2 data=NT. Dept of Lands and Housing tag=6 data=^d ^m ^y1993 tag=8 data=ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES tag=10 data=INCLUDES MAPS tag=15 data=JOUINCLUDES MAP

Middle Arm Peninsula industrial subdivision : preliminary environmental report/ for Department of Lands & Housing [by] Dames & Moore

Made available by the Northern Territory Library via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).Date:1990"Job No. 12087-010-073". "January 1990

Darwin regional water supply and land management strategy , 1988, Summary report-August 1988

Made available by the Northern Territory Library via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).The main objective of the study is to provide the Minister for Mines and Energy and the Minister for Lands Planning and Housing, with strategy for future water supply development in the Darwin Region to the year 2040. A secondary objective is to provide a view to the long term future when the population capacity of the region might be reached.Objectives --Background -- Approach -- Conclusion -- RecommendationsPrepared by a Working Party comprising representatives of the Power and Water Authority and the Department of Lands and Housing

Plants of the Northern Australian Rangelands

Made available by the Northern Territory Library via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).Date:1994-0

Yirrkala profile : business and economic opportunities.

Made available by the Northern Territory Library via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).Date:2011-04Cover title

Strategic Projects and Initiatives Unit.

Made available by the Northern Territory Library via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).Date:2011Cover title