4715.0.55.006 - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Summary Booklet, 2004-05  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/02/2007  First Issue
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

Image: Women's and children's health


WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S HEALTH
    Immunisation

    Reported vaccinations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children under seven years of age in non-remote areas showed around nine in ten children (89%) had been fully immunised against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella and haemophilus influenza type B (HIB).

    Breastfeeding

    The majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women aged 18–64 years who had had children reported having breastfed them. At the time of the survey 79% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children under four years of age had been breastfed, of whom 13% were currently being breastfed.

    Children's hearing

    Ear/hearing problems, including otitis media (middle ear infection) and hearing loss, were more than three times higher among Indigenous children aged 0-14 years (10%) than non-Indigenous children in this age group (3%).

    Women's health

    In 2004-05, around one-third (32%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women aged 40 years and over reported regular mammograms, and just over half of those aged 18 years and over reported having had regular pap smear tests (52%).