title: The respiratory health of urban indigenous children aged less than 5 years: study protocol for a prospective cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the burden of acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being a substantial cause of childhood morbidity and associated costs to families, communities and the health system, data on disease burden in urban children are lacking. Consequently evidence-based decision-making, data management guidelines, health resourcing for primary health care services and prevention strategies are lacking. This study aims to comprehensively describe the epidemiology, impact and outcomes of ARI in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (hereafter referred to as Indigenous) in the greater Brisbane area.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ongoing prospective cohort study of Indigenous children aged less than five years registered with a primary health care service in Northern Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Children are recruited at time of presentation to the service for any reason. Demographic, epidemiological, risk factor, microbiological, economic and clinical data are collected at enrolment. Enrolled children are followed for 12 months during which time ARI events, changes in child characteristics over time and monthly nasal swabs are collected. Children who develop an ARI with cough as a symptom during the study period are more intensely followed-up for 28 (±3) days including weekly nasal swabs and parent completed cough diary cards. Children with persistent cough at day 28 post-ARI are reviewed by a paediatrician.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study will be one of the first to comprehensively evaluate the natural history, epidemiology, aetiology, economic impact and outcomes of ARIs in this population. The results will inform studies for the development of evidence-based guidelines to improve the early detection, prevention and management of chronic cough and setting of priorities in children during and after ARI.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry Registration Number: 12614001214628 . Registered 18 November 2014.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, QLD, Australia. kk.hall@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kerry K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, QLD, Australia. anne.chang@menzies.edu.au.|Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Tiwi, NT, Australia. anne.chang@menzies.edu.au.|Queensland Children's Respiratory Centre, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. anne.chang@menzies.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Sir Albert Sakzewski Virus Research Centre, Queensland Paediatric Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. t.sloots@uq.edu.au.|Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia. t.sloots@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Theo P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Sloots
authors.affiliation: Murri Medical, Caboolture, QLD, Australia. jennie@murrimedical.com.au.
authors.forename: Jennie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Murri Medical, Caboolture, QLD, Australia. anita@murrihealthgroup.org.au.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia. janet.hammill@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hammill
authors.affiliation: School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, NSW, Australia. michael.otim@acu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otim
authors.affiliation: Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, QLD, Australia. kerryann.ogrady@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kerry-Ann F
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: O'Grady
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003371:Cough / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology*; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples