A Picture of Australia's Children
The new health problems of childhood are complex in their origins and are likely to be complex in their solutions, according to an analysis of Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data presented in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.
Reflecting on the AIHW report, A Picture of Australia's Children, George Patton, VicHealth Professor of Adolescent Health Research at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, says while Australia's economic prosperity has led to significantly better health through improved living conditions, education and vaccination, new problems are emerging such as childhood obesity. But available data are ten years old.
The authors acknowledge the transformation of Australian families and socioeconomic changes may have produced a 'bubble-wrap' generation of children, with only limited exposure to exploration, risk taking and physical activity. These children are also highly susceptible to marketing for material consumption.
The AIHW report found that:
- The infant mortality rate in Australia halved over the past two decades, from 9.6 per 1000 live births in 1983 to 4.8 in 2003. The Indigenous infant mortality rate also declined by 3.3 per cent per year, but was still 2.5 times that of other Australian infants.
- Rates of non-communicable health problems, such as obesity and mental disorders, appear to be rising, but lack of up-to-date national data makes it difficult to accurately assess the current rates.
- Rates of vaccination among children aged 1 and 2 years have increased over time, with the coverage in 2004 being over 90 per cent.
- Between 1990 and 2000, children's dental health improved, with a decrease in the mean number of decayed teeth in 6 year olds (from 2.1 to 1.7), and 12 year olds (from 1.4 to less than 1). However, since 2000, tooth decay in Australian children seems to be on the increase again.
- The number of children on care and protection orders has risen almost 50 per cent in the past 6 years, with the rates sixfold higher in Indigenous children. The proportion of children placed in out-of-home care also rose from 3 per 1000 children in 1997 to 5 per 1000 in 2004.
"A clearer picture of our children is needed to guide our responses - whether these be through priority research, informed government policy, better functioning of our service systems or, most importantly, the efforts of Australia's parents, schools and local communities," Professor Patton said.
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
CONTACT Professor George PATTON 0409 964 434 / 03 9345 6598
Judith TOKLEY, AMA Public Affairs, 0408 824 306 / 02 6270 5471