| Project: Housing
Improvement and Child Health (HICH)—Extension |
|
CRCAH Project No. SD162
Administering organisation
Menzies School of Health Research
Program Manager
Scott
Davis
Project Leader
Ross
Bailie (Menzies School of Health Research)
Team members
Stephen Guthridge, Harold Ulamari, Kat Lonergan, David Brewster,
Gary Robinson, Matthew Stevens, Steven Halpin, Xavier Schobben,
Peter Thornton
Contact details
Ross Bailie
Menzies School of Health Research
PO Box 41096, Casuarina,
Northern Territory 0811
Tel: 07 3720 9114
Fax: 07 3720 9454
Email: rossb@menzies.edu.au
Funding sources
CRC for Aboriginal Health, Northern Territory Department of Housing
and Local Government
Original project funding from National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC)
In kind contributors:
Menzies School of Health
Research, Northern Territory Government—Department of Health
and Community Services and Department of Housing and Local
Government
Partners involved
- Menzies School of Health Research
- Charles Darwin University
- Department of Local Government, Housing and Sport
- Department of Health and Community Services
- University of Queensland
- CRC for Aboriginal Health
- Northern Territory Aboriginal communities (3)
|
Project summary
This project is an extension of
a National Health and Medical Research-funded, CRC for Aboriginal
Health in-kind study which commenced in 2003. The aims of the
overall study are to provide information to better understand the
relationship between housing infrastructure factors and child
health, and the variety of community, household and personal
factors that mediate this relationship.
The aim of the extension of
this study is to complete the collection of data at the remaining
three of the original 11 communities, and undertake data analysis and transfer
of research data collection back to the last three
communities.
Summary of projected outcomes
The primary objectives of the HICH—Extension project are
to:
- Determine the extent to which improvements in household
infrastructure reduce the incidence among young children of: (a)
skin infections, (b) respiratory infections, (c) gastroenteritis
and/or (d) being underweight for age compared to children of the
same age who have not experienced improvements in household
infrastructure.
- Determine the extent to which specific components of household
infrastructure impact on the incidence of these conditions.
- Examine what other factors operating in the household may be
important in ensuring improvements will be effective in improving
child health.
It is proposed that the research findings be
widely disseminated to government agencies and councils to assist
with prioritising urgent repairs, scheduling maintenance and
improving understanding within communities of the importance of the
link between housing and health.
Summary of project
implementation
The operational objectives of the study are:
- to conduct a socio-demographic and parent-reported child health
survey using the instruments developed in the pilot study;
- to conduct a survey of the household environment, focusing on
the functional status of household hardware and on possible
confounding factors using the survey methods developed in the pilot
study;
- to conduct an audit of health centre records of children whose
parents/guardians have provided consent for their
participation;
- to determine if there is an improvement in selected health
outcomes that can be attributed to the improvements in household
infrastructure, and if specific components of infrastructure appear
more important in this regard;
- to feed back information about the results of the study to key
members of the community.
Download a copy of the:
Timeline
The original project milestones
include:
December
2006
Complete follow-up surveys in two of the three communities.
Early 2007
Complete feedback to these two communities.
March 2007
Commence data collection for the final community.
May
2007
Complete data entry, cleaning and linking.
Back to
research projects
