Examining relationships between parent-reported factors and recurring ear symptoms among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

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.

Parent Perspectives of Ear Health and the Relationship with Children's Speech and Language in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children.

Health and well-being are holistic concepts that are perceived to be inseparable for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We examined relationships between parent-reported ear symptoms for 787 Indigenous children at two time points (age 2-3 years, age 4-5 years) and two parent-reported speech and language outcomes one year later (age 5-6 years). Most parents (80.2%) reported no concern about their child's expressive language and (93.8%) receptive language. Binary logistic regression models examined ear health as a predictor of children's expressive and receptive speech and language adjusting for sociodemographic and health covariates. For children without parent-reported ear symptoms, there were lower odds of parental concern about expressive speech and language (aOR = 0.45; 95% CI 0.21-0.99) and receptive language (aOR = 0.24; 95% CI 0.09-0.62). Parents were less likely to have concerns about the child's expressive speech and language if their child was female, lived in urban or regional areas, had excellent or very good global health, or had no disability when aged 2-5 years. Since parent-reported ear health and speech and language concerns were related, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children could benefit from culturally safe, strength-based, and family-centered integrated speech, language, and ear health services.