Australian Indigenous

This section of the Bulletin identifies recent journal articles. If you are aware of any journal articles that would be appropriate for inclusion in this section please contact us.

• Action is required to reduce kava supply in Arnhem Land . . . again! [letter] added 2 February 2006
• Albuminuria and incident coronary heart disease in Australian Aboriginal people added 14 March 2006
• Building service capacity within a regional district mental health service: recommendations from an Indigenous mental health symposium added 13 February
• Do women in rural and remote areas need different guidelines for management of low-grade abnormalities found on cervical screening? [letter] added 23 March 2006
• Evaluating an Indigenous sexual health peer education project added 1 March 2006
• Health professionals' knowledge, practice and opinions about fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol consumption in pregnancy added 19 January 2006
• Injury profiles of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in New South Wales added 7 March 2006
• Invasive pneumococcal disease in Indigenous people in north Queenlsland, 1999-2004 added 8 February 2006
• Long-term trends in cancer mortality for Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory [correction] added 16 January 2006
• Low back pain risk factors in a large rural Australian Aboriginal community. An opportunity for managing co-morbidities? added 23 February
• Mutual obligation and Indigenous health: thinking through incentives and obligations added 20 March 2006
• Nutrition status of primary school children in Townsville added 5 January 2006
• Respiratory syncytial virus infection and immunoprophylaxis for selected high-risk children in Central Australia added 5 January 2006
• Stroke among Indigenous Australians at Royal Darwin Hospital, 2001–02 [letter] added 20 February 2006
• Succimer therapy for congenital lead poisoning from maternal petrol sniffing added 30 January 2006
• Summary of Indigenous health: ear disease and hearing loss added 2 March 2006
• Zinc and vitamin A supplementation in Indigenous Australian children hospitalised with lower respiratory tract infection: a randomised controlled trial added 6 February 2006

Bolisetty S, Wheaton G, Chang AB (2005)
Respiratory syncytial virus infection and immunoprophylaxis for selected high-risk children in Central Australia.
Australian Journal of Rural Health;13(5):265-270

This article reports on a retrospective review of infant and child hospital separations for bronchiolitis in Central Australian between 1998-2000. It outlines the incidence and viral aetiology of bronchiolitis hospitalisations, and the usage of immunoprophylaxis in high risk children. The findings indicate that the incidence of bronchiolitis among Aboriginal infants and children is extremely high, and the usage of immunoprophylaxis may be justified.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

Breeze C, De Costa CM, Jagusch M (2006)
Do women in rural and remote areas need different guidelines for management of low-grade abnormalities found on cervical screening? [letter]
Medical Journal of Australia;184(6):307-308
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Burrow S, Thomson N (2006)
Summary of Indigenous health: ear disease and hearing loss.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal;30(1):10-12

This article details the burden of ear disease and hearing loss among Indigenous people, particularly young children. Also outlined are prevention and management issues related to ear disease and hearing loss, including recent policies and strategies for improving ear health.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

Chang AB, Torzillo PJ, Boyce NC, White AV, Stewart PM, et al. (2006)
Zinc and vitamin A supplementation in Indigenous Australian children hospitalised with lower respiratory tract infection: a randomised controlled trial.
Medical Journal of Australia;184(3):107-112
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Clapham KF, Stevenson MR, Lo SK (2006)
Injury profiles of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in New South Wales.
Medical Journal of Australia;184(5):217-220
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Clough AR, Currie BJ, Yunupingu MW, Conigrave KM (2006)
Action is required to reduce kava supply in Arnhem Land . . . again! [letter]
Medical Journal of Australia;184(2):91-92
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Condon JR, Barnes T, Cunningham J, Armstrong BK (2006)
Long-term trends in cancer mortality for Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory [correction].
Medical Journal of Australia;184(1):39
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Eley DS, Hunter K (2006)
Building service capacity within a regional district mental health service: recommendations from an Indigenous mental health symposium.
Rural and Remote Health;6(1):Article 448.
Available from: http://rrh.deakin.edu.au
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Hanna JN, Humphreys JL, Murphy D (2006)
Invasive pneumococcal disease in Indigenous people in north Queenlsland, 1999-2004.
Medical Journal of Australia;184(3):118-121
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Heath DL, Panaretto KS (2005)
Nutrition status of primary school children in Townsville.
Australian Journal of Rural Health;13(5):282-289

This article outlines the findings of a project to assess the nutritional health status of children in three primary schools in Townsville, North Queensland. The schools were chosen based on the relatively high proportions of Indigenous children that attended them. The health status of Indigenous children was shown to be poorer than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Indigenous children were more likely to suffer from anaemia, iron depletion, eosinophilia, runny noses, and skin sores. The findings have informed the efforts of the Indigenous community to address the nutrition-related issues affecting their children.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

Kowal E (2006)
Mutual obligation and Indigenous health: thinking through incentives and obligations.
Medical Journal of Australia;184(6):292-293
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Mikhailovich K, Arabena K (2005)
Evaluating an Indigenous sexual health peer education project.
Health Promotion Journal of Australia;16(3):189-193
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Payne J, Elliott E, D'Antoine H, O'Leary C, Mahony A, et al. (2005)
Health professionals' knowledge, practice and opinions about fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol consumption in pregnancy.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health;29(6):558-564

Objective: To measure the knowledge, attitudes and practices of health professionals regarding fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and alcohol use during pregnancy.

Method: A postal survey of a representative random sample of health professionals was conducted in Western Australia (WA) in 2002/03. 1,143 (79%) of 1,443 eligible health professionals completed the survey (87 Aboriginal Health Workers, 286 allied health professionals, 537 community nurses, 170 general practitioners and 63 obstetricians).

Results: Of 1,143 health professionals, 12% identified all four essential diagnostic features of FAS. Most (95%) had never diagnosed FAS. Although 82% believed that making a diagnosis of FAS might improve treatment plans and 85% agreed FAS was preventable, 53% said the diagnosis might be stigmatising. Only 2% felt very prepared to deal with FAS and most wanted information for themselves and their clients. Of the 659 health professionals caring for pregnant women, only 45% routinely ask about alcohol use in pregnancy, only 25% routinely provide information on the consequences of alcohol use in pregnancy and only 13% provide advice consistent with NHMRC guidelines on alcohol consumption in pregnancy.

Conclusion: Health professionals have identified the need for educational materials for themselves and their clients.

Implications: FAS is likely to be under-ascertained in Australia due to a lack of knowledge of FAS by health professionals. Until this lack of knowledge is addressed, opportunities for diagnosis and prevention of FAS will be limited.

Abstract reproduced with permission of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (view website)

Pepper EM, Cadilhac DA, Pearce DC, Burrow J, Weeramanthri TS (2006)
Stroke among Indigenous Australians at Royal Darwin Hospital, 2001–02 [letter].
Medical Journal of Australia;184(4):195
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Powell ST, Bolisetty S, Wheaton GR (2006)
Succimer therapy for congenital lead poisoning from maternal petrol sniffing.
Medical Journal of Australia;184(2):84-85
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Vindigni D, Walker BF, Jamison JR, Da Costa C, Parkinson L, et al. (2005)
Low back pain risk factors in a large rural Australian Aboriginal community. An opportunity for managing co-morbidities?
Chiropractic and Osteopathy;13:21-32
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Wang Z, Hoy WE (2005)
Albuminuria and incident coronary heart disease in Australian Aboriginal people.
Kidney International; 68:1289-1293

This article examines the usefulness of testing for albuminuria to identify people with increased coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Aboriginal people from the Northern Territory aged between 20-74 without prevalent baseline CHD formed the study group. The findings identified that, independent of traditional risk factors for the Aboriginal population, albuminuria may be useful in identifying CHD risk in individuals.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

Last updated: 14 June, 2006