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The Gudaga Study: establishing an Aboriginal birth cohort in an urban community

  1. Elizabeth Comino1,
  2. Pippa Craig2,
  3. Elizabeth Harris3,
  4. Dennis McDermott4,
  5. Mark Harris5,
  6. Richard Henry6,
  7. Lisa Jackson Pulver7,
  8. Lynn Kemp8,
  9. Jenny Knight8

Article first published online: 8 JUL 2010

DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00546.x

Issue

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health

Volume 34, Issue Supplement s1, pages S9–S17, July 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Comino, E., Craig, P., Harris, E., McDermott, D., Harris, M., Henry, R., Pulver, L. J., Kemp, L. and Knight, J. (2010), The Gudaga Study: establishing an Aboriginal birth cohort in an urban community. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 34: S9–S17. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00546.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales

  2. 2

    University of New South Wales

  3. 3

    Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales

  4. 4

    Flinders University, South Australia

  5. 5

    Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales

  6. 6

    University of New South Wales

  7. 7

    School of Public Health & Community Medicine, University of New South Wales

  8. 8

    Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales

*Correspondence to: Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Comino, Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052. Fax: (02) 9385 1513; e-mail: E.Comino@unsw.edu.au

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 JUL 2010
  2. Article first published online: 8 JUL 2010
  3. Submitted: June 2009 Revision requested: July 2009 Accepted: September 2009

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Keywords:

  • Oceanic ancestry group;
  • Infant;
  • newborn;
  • hospitals;
  • urban;
  • New South Wales;
  • Cohort studies

Abstract

Objective: This paper describes the establishment of the Gudaga Study, an Aboriginal birth cohort in south-west Sydney, and our approach to follow-up of participants. The Study describes the health, development, and services use of Aboriginal infants and their mothers. The research team works closely with the local Aboriginal community to implement the research.

Methods: All mothers in the maternity ward of an urban hospital were surveyed to identify mothers with an Aboriginal infant. These and some additional mothers identified through other networks were recruited to the study.

Results: The number of mothers were surveyed was 2,108. Mothers of Aboriginal infants were younger (25.3 years compared to 28.4 years, p<0.001), less likely to be married (16.1% cf. 58.4%, p<0.001) and to have completed school (63.2% cf. 77.8%, p=0.002) than mothers of non-Aboriginal infants. Of 155 identified mothers of Aboriginal infants, 136 were recruited and 23 through other networks. At 12 months, 85.5% of infants were followed up.

Conclusions: This study, to our knowledge, is the first cohort study of this kind on the eastern seaboard of Australia. The study has strong community support and follow-up, contrary to views that Aboriginal people are reluctant to participate in research. These data have national and regional significance.

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