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

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.

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Impact of hearing impairment on early childhood development in Australian Aboriginal children: A data linkage study

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health ◽

10.1111/jpc.15044 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 56 (10) ◽

pp. 1597-1606

Author(s):

Jiunn‐Yih Su ◽

Steven Guthridge ◽

Vincent Y He ◽

Damien Howard ◽

Amanda J Leach

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Hearing Impairment ◽

Early Childhood Development ◽

Data Linkage ◽

Linkage Study ◽

Childhood Development ◽

Australian Aboriginal ◽

Aboriginal Children

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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

Health & Justice ◽

10.1186/s40352-019-0097-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

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.

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The missing links to developing holistic aboriginal early childhood services in Canada : a critical literature review

10.32920/ryerson.14649603.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rachel Brophy

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Literature Review ◽

Cultural Identity ◽

Early Childhood Development ◽

Childhood Development ◽

Children And Families ◽

Critical Content ◽

Health And Development ◽

Aboriginal Children ◽

Critical Literature

This critical literature review explores the concepts of language, literacy and indigenous knowledge in relation to aboriginal early childhood development in Canada. Recognized is the urgent need for action in aboriginal communities and the connection between language, cultural identity and health. The review provides a synthesis of findings including a discussion of challenges, options and recommendations and a summary of themes. The critical content analysis is based in holistic principles of child development and identifies what is missing, ambiguous, and confusing within the literature and takes an advocacy stance on behalf of aboriginal children and families. The conclusion integrates ideas from the analysis into a statement of needs for future literature that will contribute to improving aboriginal child health and development. The most important findings are the need for clarity and consistency of terminology, the need to focus on children, and the need to include family voices in future literature.

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

JMIR Research Protocols ◽

10.2196/15464 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. e15464 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

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

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

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09620-6 ◽

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.

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A Sector Hanging in the Balance: Early Childhood Development and Lockdown in South Africa

10.35489/bsg-rise-wp_2020/055 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gabrielle Wills ◽

Janeli Kotzé ◽

Jesal Kika-Mistry

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Development ◽

Childhood Development ◽

Regulatory Environment ◽

Ripple Effect ◽

Demand Side ◽

Attendance Rates ◽

Household Incomes ◽

New Evidence

New evidence suggests that over four months after the closure of early childhood development (ECD) programmes on 18 March 2020, the ECD sector was likely to be operating at less than a quarter of its pre-lockdown levels. Of the 38 percent of respondents from the new NIDS-CRAM survey reporting that children aged 0-6 in their households had attended ECD programmes before the lockdown in March, only 12 percent indicated that children had returned to these programmes by mid-July, well after programmes were allowed to reopen. Using these findings, we estimate that just 13 percent of children aged 0-6 were attending ECD programmes by mid-July to mid-August compared to 47 percent in 2018. The last time that ECD attendance rates were as low as this was in the early 2000s. At this point it is not yet clear what proportion of these declines are only temporary, or whether there will be a lasting impact on ECD enrolment in the country. This dramatic contraction in the ECD sector relates to prohibitive costs to reopening ‘safely’ imposed by the regulatory environment, coupled with shocks to the demand side for ECD programmes (both in terms of reduced household incomes and parent fears of children contracting COVID-19). When viewed from a broader socio-economic lens, the threat of ECD programme closures across the nation will have impacts beyond ECD operators to the lives of millions of children, millions of households and millions of adults who rely on these ECD services. A swift intervention by government is necessary to save this important sector and limit the ripple effect of programme closures on multiple layers of society.

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Delivering Elder- and Community-Led Aboriginal Early Childhood Development Research: Lessons from the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort Project

Children ◽

10.3390/children6100106 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (10) ◽

pp. 106 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Brad M. Farrant ◽

Carrington C. J. Shepherd ◽

Carol Michie ◽

Clair Scrine ◽

Michael Wright ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Development ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Childhood Development ◽

Research Translation ◽

Participatory Action ◽

Urban Context ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Implementation Data ◽

Aboriginal Children

Elder- and community-led research processes are increasingly being acknowledged as critical for successful Aboriginal health and wellbeing research. This article provides an overview of the methodologies, methods and progress of the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort (Our Children, Our Heart) project—an Elder- and community-led research and research-translation project focused on the early childhood development of Australian Aboriginal children in an urban context (Perth, Western Australia). We describe the application of a participatory action research methodology that is grounded in Aboriginal worldview(s), from the collaborative development of the original idea to the post-funding processes of co-design and implementation, data collection, analysis, interpretation and translation.

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