Background
Methods
Growing up in Australia, the longitudinal study of Australian children (LSAC)
Study population and statistical analyses
Socio-demographic attributes | Percent (n) | |
---|---|---|
B cohort 0/1 years | K cohort 4/5 years | |
N=4,242 | N=4,169 | |
Child characteristics | ||
Female | 48.9 (2,497) | 49.1 (2,446) |
Indigenous status | 4.5 (230) | 3.8 (187) |
English as main language at home | 89.2 (4,555) | 87.5 (4,359) |
Parent characteristics | ||
Biological parent | 99.7 (5,093) | 99.4 (4,953) |
Female | 98.6 (5,033) | 97.1 (4,839) |
Mean age (± sd) | 31.0 (±5.5) | 34.7 (±5.5) |
Parent 1 employment status | ||
Employed | 49.7 (2,531) | 57.4 (2,852) |
Unemployed | 3.2 (165) | 3.8 (188) |
Not in labour force | 47.1 (2,400) | 38.9 (1,932) |
Parent 1 school completion | ||
Year 12+ | 66.7 (3,404) | 58.1 (2,895) |
Year 10/11 | 28.3 (1,443) | 34.9 (1,739) |
Year 9 or less | 5.0 (256) | 6.9 (344) |
Remoteness area | ||
Highly accessible | 54.8 (2,800) | 53.8 (2,655) |
Accessible | 23.3 (1,188) | 23.5 (1,159) |
Moderately accessible | 16.5 (840) | 17.3 (855) |
Remote/very remote | 4.3 (221) | 4.4 (217) |
SEIFA economic resources | ||
Below median | 47.3 (2,413) | 45.8 (2,284) |
Results
Age (year) | Non indigenous children | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Ear infection % (n) | Hearing problems % (n) | |||
B cohort | K cohort | B cohort | K cohort | |
0/1 | 3.7 (178) | 0.7 (35) | ||
2/3 | 5.4 (237) | n/a*
| ||
4/5 | 5.5 (232) | 7.7 (368) | 2.0 (83) | 3.1 (150) |
6/7 | 5.0 (205) | 5.6 (235) | 2.8 (113) | n/a |
8/9 | n/a | 2.5 (105) | ||
10/11 | 3.2 (130) | 2.1 (86) | ||
Age (year)
|
Indigenous children
| |||
Ear infection % (n)
|
Hearing problems % (n)
| |||
B cohort
|
K cohort
|
B cohort
|
K cohort
| |
0/1 | 9.6 (22) | 0.9 (2) | ||
2/3 | 9.4 (17) | n/a*
| ||
4/5 | 8.1 (12) | 13.9 (26) | 4.0 (6) | 7.5 (14) |
6/7 | 4.8 (7) | 5.9 (9) | 4.8 (7) | n/a |
8/9 | n/a | 4.0 (5) | ||
10/11 | 7.6 (9) | 2.5 (3) |
Non-indigenous children - AOR [95% CI] ear infections between wave* | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2/3 years | 4/5 years | 6/7 years | 10/11 years | ||
B cohort
| |||||
0/1 | No | ref | ref | ref | |
Yes |
7.6 [5.1-11.3]
|
4.6 [2.9-7.4] |
1.9 [1.0-3.7]
| ||
2/3 | No | ref | ref | ||
Yes |
8.0 [5.5-11.6]
|
4.1 [2.5-6.8]
| |||
4/5 | No | ref | |||
Yes |
12.3 [8.0-18.9]
| ||||
K cohort
| |||||
4/5 | No | ref | ref | ||
Yes |
9.3 [6.8-12.6]
|
6.5 [4.2-9.9]
| |||
6/7 | No | ref | |||
Yes |
17.7 [11.2-26.4]
| ||||
Indigenous children - AOR [95% CI] reported ear infections between wave*
| |||||
2/3 years
|
4/5 years
|
6/7 years
|
10/11 years
| ||
B cohort
| |||||
0/1 | No | ref | ref | ref | |
Yes | 2.8 [0.6-13.1] |
4.7 [1.1-20.5] | 1.4 [0.09-22.4] | ||
2/3 | No | ref | ref | ||
Yes |
9.4 [1.7-51.8]
| 3.4 [0.39-29.7] | |||
4/5 | No | ref | |||
Yes |
25.3 [4.6-139.7]
| ||||
K cohort
| |||||
4/5 | No | ref | ref | ||
Yes |
9.8 [1.6-59.3]
|
10.1 [2.4-42.9]
| |||
6/7 | No | ref | |||
Yes |
17.5 [1.1-287.9]
|
Non-indigenous children - AOR [95% CI] ear infections and hearing problems* | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4/5 years | 6/7 years | 8/9 years | 10/11 years | ||
B cohort
| |||||
0/1
| No | ref | ref | ||
Yes | 2.3 [0.9-6.0] |
2.6 [1.2-5.7]
| |||
2/3
| No | ref | ref | ||
Yes |
2.5 [1.2-5.1]
|
3.9 [2.1-7.6]
| |||
4/5
| No | ref | |||
Yes |
5.2 [2.9-9.4]
| ||||
K cohort
| |||||
4/5
| No | ref | ref | ||
Yes |
4.0 [2.2-7.3]
|
3.9 [2.1-7.4]
| |||
6/7
| No | ref | ref | ||
Yes |
9.8 [5.6-17.1]
|
10.2 [5.4-19.2]
| |||
Indigenous children - AOR [95% CI] ear infections and hearing problems*
| |||||
4/5 years
|
6/7 years
|
8/9 years
|
10/11 years
| ||
B cohort
| |||||
0/1
| No | ref | |||
Yes | (no observation) | 2.0 [0.2-20.7] | |||
2/3
| No | ref | |||
Yes | (no observation) | (no observation) | |||
4/5
| No | ref | |||
Yes | 6.1 [0.8-46.9] | ||||
K cohort
| |||||
4/5
| No | ref | ref | ||
Yes |
7.7 [1.0-59.4]
|
15.7 [1.3-186.0]
| |||
6/7
| No | ||||
Yes | (no observation) | (no observation) |
Non-indigenous children | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
B cohort | K cohort | ||||
Number of ear infections | % (n) | Hearing problems at age 6/7 years AOR [95% CI] | Number of ear infections | % (n) | Hearing problems at age 10/11 years AOR [95% CI] |
Never | ref | Never | ref | ||
Once | 9.6 (462) |
4.5 [2.8-7.1] | Once | 8.7 (402) |
4.6 [2.4-8.7] |
Twice | 2.8 (137) |
8.9 [4.9-15.9] | Twice | 1.6 (72) |
17.1 [7.9-36.7] |
Three times + | 0.5 (24) |
31.7 [12.7-79.3] | Three times + | 0.5 (22) |
51.0 [19.2-135.4] |
Indigenous children
| |||||
B cohort
|
K cohort
| ||||
Number of ear infections | % (n) | Hearing problems at age 6/7 years AOR [95% CI] | Number of ear infections | % (n) | Hearing problems at age 10/11 years AOR [95% CI] |
Never | ref | Never | ref | ||
Once | 13.9 (31) | n/a | Once | 11.6 (20) | 6.1 [0.3-127.0] |
Twice | 4.8 (11) | 4.8 [0.6-34.2] | Twice | 2.9 (5) | 41.9 [0.9-1958.6] |
Three times + | 0.4 (1) | n/a | Three times + | 1.2 (2) | n/a |