Sudden infant death syndrome risk factors in north Queensland: a survey of infant-care practices in Indigenous and non-Indigenous women.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) risk factors in the Indigenous and non-Indigenous community of Townsville, a large remote urban centre in north Queensland, Australia.


METHODS
Thirty Indigenous and 30 non-Indigenous women with young children were surveyed using sections of the West Australian Infancy and Pregnancy Survey 1997-1998. The prevalence of SIDS risk factors was compared between the two groups and medians and univariate associations were generated where appropriate.


RESULTS
The Indigenous women were significantly younger and more likely to be single. The median age of the infants was 8 months (range 0.3-26 months) with no difference between the two groups. Thirty-seven per cent of Indigenous infants slept prone (cf. 17% of non-Indigenous infants; P = 0.03), and 77% shared a bed (cf. 13% of non-Indigenous infants; P < 0.001). The Indigenous households had significantly more members, with 57% including extended family members (cf. 20% non-Indigenous group; P = 0.003). Fifty-three per cent of the Indigenous women smoked during pregnancy (cf. 23% of non-Indigenous women; P = 0.017), 60% were smokers at the time of the interview, and smoking occurred inside 40% of Indigenous houses (cf. 20% and 20% for non-Indigenous women, respectively; P < 0.001, 0.09).


CONCLUSIONS
This small survey suggests that the prevalence of SIDS risk factors is higher in the Indigenous population, and a new approach to education is needed urgently to promote SIDS awareness among Indigenous women.
Panaretto
K S
KS
Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service, Garbutt, Queensland, Australia. kpanaretto@taihs.net.au
Smallwood
V E
VE
Cole
P
P
Elston
J
J
Whitehall
J S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D003625:Data Collection; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000208:ethnology*