title: Socio-economic differentials in the health-related quality of life of Australian children: results of a national study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine differences in health-related quality of life (HRQL) of children living in different socio-economic contexts in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parental reports describing the HRQL and socio-economic status of a random national sample of 3,597 school-age children were obtained using the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) and a standardised socio-economic interview. Response rate was 70%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children in families of higher income, whose parents had more years of schooling and were employed and children who lived in two-parent, original families had significantly higher HRQL across a range of domains assessed by the CHQ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children from lower socio-economic backgrounds in Australia have a significantly more negative experience of health and wellness. Such differences may well increase unless deliberate political attention is given to addressing the widening differences in relative wealth in Australia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042. nicola.spurrier@flinders.edu.au
authors.forename: Nicola J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Spurrier
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baghurst
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires