Community Assessment of Toddlers in the Aboriginal Community
For the purpose of this essay, the Aboriginal community will be assessed on the causes, impact and control against cardiac diseases which mainly affect toddlers in this community. Aboriginal peoples in Australia are up of 500 different groups which have their own language and live in separate clans (International, 2017). The Aboriginal community are one of the first inhabitants of Australia. The loss of the land of these inhabitants had devastating physical and social impact which until today affect the lives of the Aboriginal people. As such, they live in remote places where they do not easily access medical care and live under poor economic and social setups (International, 2017). This paper will tell more about the prevalence of cardiac diseases among the Aboriginal people specifically the toddlers.
The early childhood period is considered as one of the most vital development stages in a human being life span (Moore, McDonald, Carlon, & O’Rourke, 2015). It is at this stage that the toddler is in a position of learning more and exploring the environment hence exposing them to many injuries and diseases. Moreover, the immune system of this age group is not fully developed hence placing the children in a compromising situation where they can be easily attacked by many diseases and nutritionally related conditions. Therefore, it is vital to place the children under healthy early child development (ECD) to reduce the possibility of suffering from any of these conditions. ECD involves emotional wellbeing, heart disease, mental health and competence in the numeracy and literacy (World Health Organization, WHO, 2017). What happens in the early days of children has an impact on the development of a person throughout the lifespan. The evidence of the health issues and social determinants in the health of the toddlers within the chosen population was collected from the aboriginal community in Australia statistics, international agencies Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and previously conducted studies. According to the (NGO) Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2017), it is the role of the parent or the guardian to ensure the safety of the child. As such, either parents or guardians should be aware of the setbacks within the society that can lead to health condition of the toddler.
Mosby (2013) states that the future health of a person is based on the early years of a toddler’s life, which provides the foundation for the health of the child in future. A poor start in children’s life will lead to a high possibility of adverse outcomes in future while a positive start, the possibility of the child living a well-being life. The health of both children and adults is influenced by the different choices we make in life. If the child is not immunized or eat an unhealthy diet, the latter is in a position of suffering from health complications. Health care promotion and prevention for toddlers can be achieved through effective treatment and care for the toddlers (Berkman, Kawachi, & Glymour, 2014). Some of the factors that affect the health status of Aboriginal children in Australia include education, social support, income and conditions of employment of the toddlers’ parents (Center for Disease Control and planning, 2017).
Demographics
The Aboriginal community is one of the many groups living in Australia. In 2013, 12% patients in the Aboriginal community succumbed to cardiovascular diseases (Foundation, 2017). Cardio vascular diseases are reported to be the leading cause of death in Australia having cause around 45,392 deaths in 2015 (Department of Health, Cardiovascular disease, 2016). Aboriginal children’s health is an important factor that has an impact on the well-being of the future nations because it is one of the most vulnerable societies to most diseases and nutritional associated conditions. Mosby (2013) opines that addressing the health challenges poor living conditions, lack of knowledge about the disease, and lack of access to medical facilities associated with Aboriginal toddlers requires the use of innovative and cultural effective methods. Therefore, the disparities that make these toddlers 70% more vulnerable as compared to other societies in Australia are based on the social determinants lack of knowledge regarding the diseases and living in remote areas rather than biomedical explanation to explain and intervene these inequities (Foundation, 2017). In comparison to other children in Australia, Aboriginal toddlers fall in a category below the national health averages. As such, these children face high 70% mortality rates as compared 30% of other children (Foundation, 2017). Besides, they are profoundly affected by some health conditions such as tuberculosis, dental caries, child mortality, diabetes, and increased exposure to harmful contaminants in the environment (Myers et al., 2014).
However, cardio vascular diseases still remain as one of the top killer diseases with a reported approximate of 4.2 million people in Australia suffering from the condition (Department of Health, Cardiovascular disease, 2016). The cause of cardio vascular diseases in Aboriginal children as reported by Department of Health (2016) is lack of easy access to doctors. Most aboriginal children are born in communities where there is a low socioeconomic status, attributing to poor diet, which leads to some conditions that some of the toddlers succumb to (Myers et al., 2014). Moreover, increased rates of substance abuse such as the increased smoking rate where two in every five people (43%) from age of fifteen smoked cigarettes daily (Foundation, 2017). As such, the issues affecting the health of the Aboriginal children can only be solved by providing solutions that are considerate about the sociopolitical and geographical context of the society.
Greenwood and Leeuw (2012) assert that the health conditions of Aboriginal children continue to deteriorate after birth since factors such as proximal, intermediate and distal determinants continue to negatively affect the community. The proximal determinants have an adverse impact on the health, that impact on the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of the toddlers. The intermediate determinants involve the health care systems, community infrastructure and cultural community, which influence the health conditions in such communities. The social determinants include social exclusion, self-determination, and racism, which affects the access of health facilities by some community groups (Greenwood & Leeuw, 2012). In 2014-2015, the number of Aboriginal people recorded to have heart diseases was 69,600 (Department of Health, Cardiovascular disease, 2016).
In 2015, a third of Aboriginal people lived in major cities. One fifth of Aboriginal lived in very remotes areas hence had no quick access to medical facilities (Foundation, 2017). As per the last census conducted in 2011, one-third of the indigenous population were reported to be less than fifteen years of age hence reflecting on a high number of toddlers. In comparison to the non-indigenous people, only one-fifth of this group lied below the age of fifteen years of age (Australian Indigenous, 2015). In 2014, the number of births reported by Aboriginal community parents was 17,779 births registered all over Australia (Australian Indigenous, 2015). As such, the number of Aboriginal toddlers was higher than that of other children born to non-Indigenous women. Three-quarters of the parents of these toddlers were unprepared in caring for their children since they were less than thirty years of age. Moreover, 17% of such parents were teenagers as compared to 2.5% of the non-Indigenous mothers (Australian Indigenous, 2015). Under aged parents are not in a position of effectively providing for their children through the purchase of nutritious food hence may lead to exposing the children to nutrition-related conditions (Willows, Hanley & Delormier, 2012). Similarly, such parents are not well prepared in playing their parental roles hence the children may suffer from some health care problems due to lack of effective health care.
In 2013, the average weight of children born to Aboriginal mothers weighed around 3,200 grams. This weight was 161 grams less as compared to the children born to non-indigenous mothers. Willows, Hanley, and Delormier (2012) state that there is a high likelihood of the indigenous mothers to give birth to low weight babies. Low weight babies are those weighing less than 2500 grams. Research has shown that heart diseases in most Aboriginal toddlers are associated with low weight during birth (Australian Indigenous, 2015).
Health Issues
Reath, and Brown (2010) note that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are responsible for increased mortality cases among the Aboriginal people. CVD cases may begin early in life thus it is necessary to screen for the risk factors within the society regardless of the age or gender. As such, Aboriginal children are affected by cardiovascular diseases thus depicting many risk factors they are exposed to. The CVDs that contribute to increased mortality cases in Aboriginal community include heart failure, hypertension, coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease (Reath & Brown, 2010). Rheumatic heart disease does not contribute to high mortality cases as the other diseases mentioned (Reath & Brown, 2010). Although there is similarity in the management of CVDs, there is a need for specific approaches in treating this group since the Aboriginal community is different from the rest of Australian communities as a result of being remotely located.
Moreover, high rates of dental diseases have recorded among Aboriginal children as compared to non-Aboriginal children (Korff, 2016). A five-year study of this community found that 78% of the Aboriginal toddlers were affected by dental diseases (Korff, 2016). Sandilands (2017) states that oral diseases and cardiac heart disease are related by the spread of bacteria. The bacteria may spread from the mouth to the bloodstream through other body parts where it attaches to the heart and causes inflammation or damage. Some of the congenital heart diseases linked with oral diseases include stroke, atherosclerosis and endocarditis (Sandilands, 2017).
A study by Armfield, Spencer, Roberts-Thomson and Plastow (2013) explain that the dental diseases in such communities are caused by poor diet and lack of fluoride in water. The social-economic disadvantage of Aboriginal communities attributes to the dental diseases affecting the toddlers which in turn becomes one of the attributing factors to cardiac heart disease. Korff (2016) asserts that other aspects contribute to the dental diseases in toddlers include familial separation, domestic abuse, problems associated with alcohol and land ownership issues. This community has limited access to dental health care services hence are not taught on the benefits of oral hygiene. Some of the health conditions associated with dental problems include spread of infection to other body parts, tooth loss, speech problems and difficulty in eating (Armfield et al., 2013). Dental problems may cause pain that disrupts concentration, sleep, and even lower self-esteem. As per the two studies, dental problems are interrelated with congenital heart disease hence fighting the dental problems can reduce the number of congenital heart disease in Aboriginal children.
Social Determinants of Health
The social determinants that affect the healthy well-being of toddlers are described as the circumstances in which people live, grow, age, work in and the systems which put the people in a position to deal with the illnesses (Greenwood & Leeuw, 2012). Such conditions are shaped up by the economic, social and political forces. Physical and social environment are some of the factors that lead to an impact on the health and development of the toddlers (Berkman, Kawachi & Glymour, 2014). The elements of the physical environment long distance between Aboriginal communiy and the medical institutions contribute to the health condition of Aboriginal toddlers include the nature of the environment. As such, children ought to have access to a clean and safe environment safe from environmental toxins. Individuals living in low socioeconomic communities such as Aboriginal communities in remote areas are exposed to poor water quality, toxic wastes and inadequate housing (Moore et al., 2015). The social environment racism and ethnicity affects the functioning of families and the development of the toddlers. Other social determinants of health include poor social cohesion and social support. Such determinants are associated with child maltreatment and smoking during pregnancy.
Moore et al. (2015) assert that the behaviors and attitudes of the parents of the toddlers dictate the health conditions of the children. The knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes of either parents or caregivers influence the health status. Vulnerable families such as Aboriginal people living in remote areas may not have easy access to information regarding the upkeep of the children. Moreover, such families may even not be aware that some health care services exist hence the toddlers may suffer from the health conditions. On the contrary, non-indigenous parents have access to health information hence provide the appropriate upkeep for their children.
Family environment dictates the background in which the toddlers are raised in. Children from poorly resourced families easily suffer from health conditions since the parents are overwhelmed by the need of high demand for a contemporary living rather than taking care of children. Such families suffer from poverty, house instability, and social isolation thus suffers from victimization. Housing is one of the most relevant health inequities in Australia affecting the children, since most of the infectious diseases are associated with either overcrowding or poor housing conditions (Armfield et al., 2013).
Conclusion
Cardiovascular diseases are evidently a leading cause of cardiac diseases among toddlers in the Aboriginal community. The main cause of the disease is attached to both the economic and social status of the people. If the Aboriginal people can be educated on ways of avoiding cardiac heart diseases among the peddlers such as through eating healthy diet, the prevalence of the disease and mortality case can be reduced significantly. In essence, with the right interventions, the negative impact of the disease in the community can be significantly reduced.
References
Armfield, J. M., Spencer, A. J., Roberts-Thomson, K. F., & Plastow, K. (2013). Water fluoridation and the association of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and dental caries in Australian children. American journal of public health, 103(3), 494-500.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2017). Child health, development and wellbeing. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/child-health-development-and-wellbeing/
Australian Indigenous. (2015). Summary of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Retrieved from http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-facts/summary
Berkman, L. F., Kawachi, I., & Glymour, M. M. (2014). Social epidemiology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Center for Disease Control and planning, CDC. (2017). Child Development, Toddlers (1-2 years old) – NCBDDD. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/toddlers.html
Department of Health, Cardiovascular disease. (2016). Health.gov.au. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/chronic-cardio
Foundation, T. (2017). Cardiovascular risk profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Heart Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/about-us/what-we-do/heart-disease-in-australia/cardiovascular-risk-profile-of-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples
Greenwood, M., & Leeuw, S. (2012). Social determinants of health and the future well-being of Aboriginal children in Canada. Paediatrics And Child Health, 17(7), 381-384. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pch/17.7.381
International, S. (2017). Aboriginal people. Survivalinternational.org. Retrieved from http://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/aboriginals
Korff, J. (2016). Aboriginal health in Australia. Retrieved from https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/health/#axzz4byLlLQNH
Moore, T., McDonald, M., Carlon, L., & O’Rourke, K. (2015). Early childhood development and the social determinants of health inequities. Health Promotion International, 30(2), 102-115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dav031
Mosby, I. (2013). Administering colonial science: Nutrition research and human biomedical experimentation in Aboriginal communities and residential schools, 1942–1952. Histoire sociale/Social history, 46(1), 145-172.
Myers, J., Thorpe, S., Browne, J., Gibbons, K., & Brown, S. (2014). Early childhood nutrition concerns, resources and services for Aboriginal families in Victoria. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 38(4), 370-376.
Reath, J., & Brown, N. (2010). Managing cardiovascular disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Australian Prescriber, 33(3), 72-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.2010.039
Riedlinger, D. I., Jennings, P. A., Edgar, D. W., Harvey, J. G., Cleland, M. H. J., Wood, F. M., & Cameron, P. A. (2015). Scald burns in children aged 14 and younger in Australia and New Zealand—an analysis based on the Burn Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ). Burns, 41(3), 462-468.
Romani, L., Koroivueta, J., Steer, A., Kama, M., Kaldor, J., & Wand, H. et al. (2015). Scabies and Impetigo Prevalence and Risk Factors in Fiji: A National Survey. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 9(3), 3-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003452
Smith, L., Blinkhorn, A., Moir, R., Brown, N., & Blinkhorn, F. (2015). An assessment of dental caries among young Aboriginal children in New South Wales, Australia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 3-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2673-6
World Health Organization, WHO. (2017). Early child development. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/social_determinants/themes/earlychilddevelopment/en/
Willows, N. D., Hanley, A. J., & Delormier, T. (2012). A socioecological framework to understand weight-related issues in Aboriginal children in Canada. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 37(1), 1-13.
