Socio‐economic differentials in the health‐related quality of life of Australian children: results of a national study

• Published in: Australian and New Zealand journal of public health Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 27 - 33
• Main Authors: Spurrier, Nicola J., Sawyer, Michael G., Clark, Jennifer J., Baghurst, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier B.V 01.02.2003; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Asthma; Australia; Breastfeeding & lactation; Child; Child Welfare; Children; Children & youth; Childrens health; Educational Status; Employment; Families & family life; Female; Health disparities; Health Status; Humans; Income; Income distribution; Longitudinal studies; Male; Mental health; Mortality; Parents; Parents & parenting; Public health; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Social Class; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic status; Socioeconomics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Wealth; Australia; PSE, New Zealand; PSE, Australia
• ISSN: 1326-0200; 1753-6405
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00376.x

To examine differences in health‐related quality of life (HRQL) of children living in different socio‐economic contexts in Australia. 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%. 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. 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.