Unhealthy rural kids
August 8, 2011
CHILDREN living in remote areas
experience poorer outcomes across
many health indicators compared
to children in major cities, according
to a recent report by the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare.
The Headline indicators for
children’s health, development and
wellbeing 2011 report looked at
how Aussie children aged 0–12
years are tracking across 12 of 19
health, learning and care areas.
In general Australian children are
faring well in terms of their health
and wellbeing, however the nation
is falling behind in the health
outcomes of remote living children.
“Internationally, Australia’s
performance was better than the
OECD average based on data for
infant mortality, low birthweight,
dental health, injury deaths and
teenage births,’ said AIHW
spokesperson Dr Fadwa Al-Yaman.
However children living in remote
areas are 30% more likely to be
born with low birthweight or to be
overweight or obese in childhood.
They were also twice as likely to
die as infants.
Indigenous children were also
found to be 2–3 times as likely to
have a low birthweight, to die as
infants, to die from injury, and to
be developmentally vulnerable at
school entry.
Alarming trends were also
present in children from
socioeconomically disadvantaged
areas who were found to be 1.7
times as likely to be overweight or
obese than children living in the
highest socioeconomic status
areas, and 1.3 times as likely to be
born with low birthweight.
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