Vol 4 No 4 October 2004 - December 2004: ISSN 1445-7253
A peer-reviewed electronic journal from the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Current topics
This section of the Bulletin contains information about major public events, new programs and relevant staff appointments. If you would like to contribute to this section, contact us.
Dr Sandra Eades: first Aboriginal doctor to be awarded a PhD
The following summary has been adapted from the 13 September 2004, University of Western Australia media release and David King’s article in The Australian, 15th September 2004.
Dr Sandra Eades has become Australia’s first Aboriginal medical
doctor to be awarded a Doctorate of philosophy for her investigation of
the health of Aboriginal women and children in the Perth area.
'Dr Eades has provided a vital, detailed and multi layered analysis of
the state of health of many Aboriginal families in Perth and I know has
been pivotal in raising awareness among Aboriginal families to improve
the health of pregnant women and children', said Professor Stanley, Director
of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Western Australia.
With the assistance of 274 urban Aboriginal families, Dr Eades examined
a range of factors that influence poor birth outcomes and health in the
first 12 months of life.
The ‘Bibbulung Gnarneep’ Solid Kid Study was the first to
demonstrate a strong link between infant health outcomes and social factors
such as maternal educational level and access to housing. The risk of
significant illness in infants was found to be higher if mothers had completed
less than Year 10 secondary schooling or lived in a house in a bad state
of repair.
Dr Eades’ study found factors such as high blood pressure before
pregnancy, vaginal bleeding during pregnancy and maternal consumption
of excess spirits during pregnancy were all associated with poorer birth
outcomes. It also found that 65 percent of mothers in the study smoked
during pregnancy and 82 percent of infants were exposed to passive smoke
in the home, a finding that reflects the frequent occurrence of respiratory
illness among Aboriginal infants exposed to tobacco smoke.
Dr Eades has developed a follow up study to test whether a culturally
appropriate behavioural intervention can assist pregnant Indigenous women
to quit smoking during pregnancy.
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