scholarly journals Hearing and justice: The link between hearing impairment in early childhood and youth offending in Aboriginal children living in remote communities of the Northern Territory, Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Yaofeng He ◽  
Jiunn-Yih Su ◽  
Steven Guthridge ◽  
Catia Malvaso ◽  
Damien Howard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Childhood And Youth ◽  
Aboriginal Children

Abstract Background High prevalence of chronic middle ear disease has persisted in Australian Aboriginal children, and the related hearing impairment (HI) has been implicated in a range of social outcomes. This study investigated the association between HI in early childhood and youth offending. Method This was a retrospective cohort study of 1533 Aboriginal children (born between 1996 and 2001) living in remote Northern Territory communities. The study used linked individual-level information from health, education, child protection and youth justice services. The outcome variable was a youth being “found guilty of an offence”. The key explanatory variable, hearing impairment, was based on audiometric assessment. Other variables were: child maltreatment notifications, Year 7 school enrolment by mother, Year 7 school attendance and community ‘fixed- effects’. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the association between HI and youth offending; and the Royston R2 measure to estimate the separate contributions of risk factors to youth offending. Results The proportion of hearing loss was high in children with records of offence (boys: 55.6%, girls: 36.7%) and those without (boys: 46.1%; girls: 49.0%). In univariate analysis, a higher risk of offending was found among boys with moderate or worse HI (HR: 1.77 [95% CI: 1.05–2.98]) and mild HI (HR: 1.54 [95% CI:1.06–2.23]). This association was attenuated in multivariable analysis (moderate HI, HR: 1.43 [95% CI:0.78–2.62]; mild HI, HR: 1.37 [95% CI: 0.83–2.26]). No evidence for an association was found in girls. HI contributed 3.2% and 6.5% of variation in offending among boys and girls respectively. Factors contributing greater variance included: community ‘fixed-effects’ (boys: 14.6%, girls: 36.5%), child maltreatment notification (boys: 14.2%, girls: 23.9%) and year 7 school attendance (boys: 7.9%; girls 12.1%). Enrolment by mother explained substantial variation for girls (25.4%) but not boys (0.2%). Conclusion There was evidence, in univariate analysis, for an association between HI and youth offending for boys however this association was not evident after controlling for other factors. Our findings highlight a range of risk factors that underpin the pathway to youth-offending, demonstrating the urgent need for interagency collaboration to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children in the Northern Territory.

scholarly journals The Impact of Hearing Impairment on the Life Trajectories of Aboriginal Children in Remote Australia: Protocol for the Hearing Loss in Kids Project

10.2196/15464 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e15464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiunn-Yih Su ◽  
Vincent Yaofeng He ◽  
Steven Guthridge ◽  
Sven Silburn
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Aboriginal Children ◽  
The Impact

Background Previous studies have reported a high prevalence of chronic otitis media (OM) and hearing impairment (HI) in Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. Children affected by these disorders are believed to be at increased risk for adverse outcomes in early childhood development, school attendance, academic performance, and child maltreatment and youth offending. However, to date, there have been no studies quantifying the association between HI and these outcomes in this population. Objective This study will investigate the association between HI and the 5 outcomes in Aboriginal children living in remote NT communities. Methods Individual-level information linked across multiple administrative datasets will be used to conduct a series of retrospective observational studies on selected developmental and school outcomes. The predictor variables for all studies are the results from audiometric hearing assessments. The outcome measures are as follows: Australian Early Development Census results, representing developmental readiness for school, assessed around 5 years of age; Year 1 school attendance rates; Year 3 school-based academic performance, assessed in the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy; incidence of child maltreatment events (including both notifications and substantiated cases); and incidence of a first guilty verdict for youth offenders. Confounding and moderating factors available for the analysis include both community-level factors (including school fixed effects, socioeconomic status, level of remoteness, and housing crowdedness) and individual-level factors (including maternal and perinatal health and hospital admissions in early childhood). Results The study commenced in 2018, with ethics and data custodian approvals for data access and linkage. This has enabled the completion of data linkage and the commencement of data analysis for individual component studies, with findings expected to be published in 2019 and 2020. Conclusions This study will provide first evidence of the impact of OM-related HI on the developmental, educational, and social outcomes of Australian Aboriginal children. The findings are expected to have significant implications for policy development, service design, and resource allocation. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR1-10.2196/15464

scholarly journals The Developmental and Educational Impact of Hearing Impairment in Aboriginal Children Living in Remote Australia – A Data Linkage Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Shajedur Rahman Shawon,
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Attendance Rates ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Aboriginal Children

IntroductionHigh prevalence of otitis media (OM) and hearing impairment (HI) in Aboriginal children in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) is well documented. HI may be associated with poorer outcomes in early childhood development, school attendance and academic achievement. However, these associations have not been investigated in this population. Objectives and ApproachRetrospective cohort studies were conducted to investigate the association between HI and three education-related outcomes in Aboriginal children living in remote NT communities. The explanatory variable for all studies was audiometrically determined hearing levels. The outcome measures were Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) results, representing developmental outcomes at around age 5 years; Year 1 school attendance rates; and, National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results for Year 3 for academic achievement. Relevant confounding variables from available linked datasets were controlled for in the statistical analyses. ResultsCompared with normal hearing children, after adjustment for selected confounding factors, children with HI had higher risk for being developmentally vulnerable in two or more of the five AEDC domains (adjusted odds ratio 1.69); lower AEDC domain score sum (-1.60~-2.40); scoring lower in Numeracy (by 15.2 points), Writing (by 13.4-15.6 points) and Spelling (by 5.0 points) domains of NAPLAN; and having lower attendance rates (attending 4.0-5.6 fewer days in Year 1). Severer HI categories generally yielded greater effect sizes. Notably, across the studies, some confounding variables included in the analysis yielded substantially greater effect sizes. Conclusion / ImplicationsOM-related HI has a negative impact on early childhood development, Year 1 school attendance and academic achievement in Year 3 in Aboriginal children living in remote NT communities. To improve the developmental and educational outcomes it is important to detect HI at an early age and provide effective educational support, in addition to clinical and audiometric management.

scholarly journals The impact of hearing impairment on Aboriginal children’s school attendance in remote Northern Territory: a data linkage study

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 544-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiunn-Yih Su ◽  
Vincent Yaofeng He ◽  
Steven Guthridge ◽  
Damien Howard ◽  
Amanda Leach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Data Linkage ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Linkage Study ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals High Prevalence of Hearing Impairment in HIV-Infected Peruvian Children

2011 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina K. Chao ◽  
Josephine A. Czechowicz ◽  
Anna H. Messner ◽  
Jorge Alarcón ◽  
Lenka Kolevic Roca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Cd4 Cell Count ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Cerebral Infection ◽  
Cd4 Cell

Objectives. To measure the prevalence and to identify risk factors of hearing impairment in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children living in Peru. Study design. Cross-sectional observational study. Setting. Two public hospitals and 1 nonprofit center in Lima, Peru, between August 2009 and April 2010. Subjects. A total of 139 HIV-infected children, ages 4 to 19 years. Methods. Hearing impairment and otologic health were assessed with pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, and otoscopy. The primary outcome was hearing loss, defined as average threshold >25dB for 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz, in one or both ears. Historical and socioeconomic information was obtained through parental survey and medical chart review. Statistical analysis included univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Results. Fifty-four (38.8%) of 139 children had hearing impairment. On multivariate analysis, risk factors included: tympanic membrane perforation (odds ratio [OR] 7.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.65-30.5; P = .01), abnormal tympanometry (OR 2.71; 95% CI, 1.09-6.75; P = .03), cerebral infection (OR 11.6; 95% CI, 1.06-126; P = .05), seizures (OR 5.20; 95% CI, 1.21-22.4; P = .03), and CD4 cell count <500 cells/mm3 (OR 3.53; 95% CI, 1.18-10.5; P = .02). Conclusions. The prevalence of hearing impairment in HIV-infected children in Lima, Peru was 38.8%. Middle ear disease, prior cerebral infection, and low CD4 cell count were significantly associated with hearing impairment. The high prevalence of hearing impairment emphasizes the need for periodic hearing assessment in the routine clinical care of HIV-infected children.

scholarly journals Child Abuse Potential in Young German Parents: Predictors, Associations with Self-reported Maltreatment and Intervention Use

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Lang ◽  
Christoph Liel ◽  
Ulrike Lux ◽  
Heinz Kindler ◽  
Marc Vierhaus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Abuse Potential ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Early Childhood Intervention ◽  
Child Abuse Potential ◽  
Childhood Intervention ◽  
Abuse Risk

AbstractSince child maltreatment has highly negative effects on child adjustment, early identification of at-risk families is important. This study focuses on longitudinal risk factors for child maltreatment and associations between abuse risk and occurrence. It also examines whether abuse risk and involvement in early childhood intervention are associated. The sample comprises 197 German caregivers with children under 3 years of age. Data was collected in two waves. The Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory assessed abuse risk. Socio-demographic, parent, child and family-related risk factors were measured using screening tools. The analysis revealed that parental characteristics (psychopathology, own maltreatment experiences etc.) were associated with concurrent abuse risk. Longitudinal changes in abuse risk were linked to caregiver education and child-related factors. Cumulative risk did not explain more variance than specific risk factors. Significant associations with caregiver-reported abuse were found, and data suggest that some burdened families cannot be reached by early childhood intervention.

scholarly journals Pathways to school success: Self-regulation and executive function, preschool attendance and early academic achievement of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in Australia’s Northern Territory

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259857
Author(s):  
Vincent Yaofeng He ◽  
Georgie Nutton ◽  
Amy Graham ◽  
Lisa Hirschausen ◽  
Jiunn-Yih Su
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Early Literacy ◽  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Preschool Attendance ◽  
Early Academic Achievement ◽  
Aboriginal Children

Background With the pending implementation of the Closing the Gap 2020 recommendations, there is an urgent need to better understand the contributing factors of, and pathways to positive educational outcomes for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. This deeper understanding is particularly important in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, in which the majority of Aboriginal children lived in remote communities and have language backgrounds other than English (i.e. 75%). Methods This study linked the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) to the attendance data (i.e. government preschool and primary schools) and Year 3 National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the pathway from self-regulation and executive function (SR-EF) at age 5 to early academic achievement (i.e. Year 3 reading/numeracy at age 8) for 3,199 NT children. Result The study confirms the expected importance of SR-EF for all children but suggests the different pathways for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. For non-Aboriginal children, there was a significant indirect effect of SR-EF (β = 0.38, p<0.001) on early academic achievement, mediated by early literacy/numeracy skills (at age 5). For Aboriginal children, there were significant indirect effects of SR-EF (β = 0.19, p<0.001) and preschool attendance (β = 0.20, p<0.001), mediated by early literacy/numeracy skills and early primary school attendance (i.e. Transition Years to Year 2 (age 5–7)). Conclusion This study highlights the need for further investigation and development of culturally, linguistically and contextually responsive programs and policies to support SR-EF skills in the current Australian education context. There is a pressing need to better understand how current policies and programs enhance children and their families’ sense of safety and support to nurture these skills. This study also confirms the critical importance of school attendance for improved educational outcomes of Aboriginal children. However, the factors contributing to non-attendance are complex, hence the solutions require multi-sectoral collaboration in place-based design for effective implementation.

scholarly journals The impact of hearing impairment on early academic achievement in Aboriginal children living in remote Australia: a data linkage study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiunn-Yih Su ◽  
Steven Guthridge ◽  
Vincent Yaofeng He ◽  
Damien Howard ◽  
Amanda Jane Leach
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Academic Outcomes ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Aboriginal Children ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The prevalence of otitis media (OM) and related hearing loss has remained persistently high among some groups of Australian Aboriginal children who are also reported to have poor academic outcomes. The general literature remains inconclusive about the association between OM-related hearing loss and academic performance in primary school. This study aimed to investigate this association in Aboriginal children living in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. Methods A retrospective, observational cohort study was conducted for 2208 NT Aboriginal children, aged about 8 years, living in remote and very remote communities. The explanatory variable was audiometrically determined hearing level as recorded in the Remote Hearing Assessment dataset. The outcome variable consisted of scale scores in the five domains of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for Year 3. Other linked datasets used in the study included school attendance records, perinatal records and community level information on relative remoteness, socioeconomic disadvantage and housing crowdedness. Fixed effects linear regression models were used for statistical analyses. Results Compared with children with normal hearing and after controlling for a range of covariates, children with mild hearing impairment (HI) scored lower in Writing and Spelling by 15.0 points (95% CI: − 22.4 to − 7.6, p < 0.0005) and 5.0 points (95% CI: − 9.6 to − 0.3, p = 0.037), equivalent to 7.3 and 2.1% of the mean score, respectively. Children with moderate or worse HI scored lower in Writing and Numeracy by 13.4 points (95% CI, − 24.8 to − 1.9, p = 0.022) and 15.2 points (95% CI, − 27.6 to − 2.7, p = 0.017), both equivalent to 6.3% of the mean score the respective domain. Other factors associated with poorer NAPLAN results included being male, lower Year 2 school attendance, low birthweight, average household size> 5 persons, living in a very remote community and speaking English as a second language. Conclusions OM-related HI was independently associated with poorer early year academic achievement in Aboriginal children living in remote NT communities. Interventions to improve academic outcomes for Aboriginal children must incorporate actions to address the negative impact associated with HI through early detection, effective treatment and ongoing support for affected children.

High Risk Factors Associated With Early Childhood Hearing Loss: A 3-Year Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey A. Dumanch ◽  
Lenore Holte ◽  
Tammy O'Hollearn ◽  
Elizabeth Walker ◽  
Jacob Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Congenital Hearing Loss ◽  
Congenital Hearing Impairment

Purpose In this study, we examined the association between risk factors for hearing loss and early childhood hearing status (normal hearing, congenital hearing loss, or delayed-onset hearing loss). Follow-up rates of audiologic care following passed or referred birth screens for children with risk factors were also examined. Method A retrospective data review was completed on 115,039 children born from 2010 to 2012. Data analyses included prevalence rates, odds ratios, and Fisher exact tests of statistical significance. Results Ninety percent of children were born with no risk factors for hearing loss; of those, 99.9% demonstrated normal hearing by 3 years of age. Of the 10% of children born with risk factors, 96.3% demonstrated normal hearing by age 3, 1.4% presented with congenital hearing loss, and 2.3% demonstrated permanent hearing loss by age 3. Factors that placed children at the highest risk of congenital hearing impairment were neurodegenerative disorders, syndromes, and congenital infections. Factors that placed children at the highest risk of developing permanent postnatal hearing loss were congenital cytomegalovirus, syndromes, and craniofacial anomalies. Conclusions Certain risk factors place a child at significantly greater risk of congenital hearing impairment or developing permanent hearing loss by age 3. Follow-up diagnostic testing should remain a priority for children with certain risk factors for hearing loss.

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