No official identity: a data linkage study of birth registration of Aboriginal children in Western Australia
Abstract Objective: Evidence of identity, particularly a birth certificate, is essential to access many rights. However, the births of many Aboriginal Australians are not registered when they are infants. We examined factors related to birth registration among Western Australian children born to Abo...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2016-08-01
|
| Series: | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12548 |
| _version_ | 1827840332528615424 |
|---|---|
| author | Alison J. Gibberd Judy M. Simpson Sandra J. Eades |
| author_facet | Alison J. Gibberd Judy M. Simpson Sandra J. Eades |
| author_sort | Alison J. Gibberd |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective: Evidence of identity, particularly a birth certificate, is essential to access many rights. However, the births of many Aboriginal Australians are not registered when they are infants. We examined factors related to birth registration among Western Australian children born to Aboriginal mothers. Methods: All births to Aboriginal mothers in the Midwives Notification System in Western Australia (WA) from 1980 to 2010 were linked to birth registrations. Associations between registration and maternal and child characteristics were examined for children aged under 16 years in 2012. Results: Among 49,694 births between 1980 and 2010, 18% of those aged under 16 years had unregistered births, compared to 3% of those aged 16–32 years. Unregistered births were most strongly associated with young maternal age at first birth (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 5.22; 95%CI 3.07–8.86; for 16 years or younger vs 30 years or older, among non‐smokers), remoteness (AOR 2.17; 95%CI 1.87–2.52; very remote vs major cities), mothers whose own birth was unregistered (AOR 3.00; 95%CI 1.78–5.07) and no private hospital insurance (AOR 0.19; 95%CI 0.11–0.31; insured vs uninsured). Conclusions: Unregistered births are common among WA Aboriginal children, particularly in disadvantaged families. Implications: Assistance before discharge from hospital may increase birth registrations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:32:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6450d31a53ab49e096779c8cc68deb62 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1326-0200 1753-6405 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:32:32Z |
| publishDate | 2016-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-6450d31a53ab49e096779c8cc68deb622023-09-02T21:42:56ZengElsevierAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health1326-02001753-64052016-08-0140438839410.1111/1753-6405.12548No official identity: a data linkage study of birth registration of Aboriginal children in Western AustraliaAlison J. Gibberd0Judy M. Simpson1Sandra J. Eades2School of Public Health University of Sydney New South WalesSchool of Public Health University of Sydney New South WalesBaker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute VictoriaAbstract Objective: Evidence of identity, particularly a birth certificate, is essential to access many rights. However, the births of many Aboriginal Australians are not registered when they are infants. We examined factors related to birth registration among Western Australian children born to Aboriginal mothers. Methods: All births to Aboriginal mothers in the Midwives Notification System in Western Australia (WA) from 1980 to 2010 were linked to birth registrations. Associations between registration and maternal and child characteristics were examined for children aged under 16 years in 2012. Results: Among 49,694 births between 1980 and 2010, 18% of those aged under 16 years had unregistered births, compared to 3% of those aged 16–32 years. Unregistered births were most strongly associated with young maternal age at first birth (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 5.22; 95%CI 3.07–8.86; for 16 years or younger vs 30 years or older, among non‐smokers), remoteness (AOR 2.17; 95%CI 1.87–2.52; very remote vs major cities), mothers whose own birth was unregistered (AOR 3.00; 95%CI 1.78–5.07) and no private hospital insurance (AOR 0.19; 95%CI 0.11–0.31; insured vs uninsured). Conclusions: Unregistered births are common among WA Aboriginal children, particularly in disadvantaged families. Implications: Assistance before discharge from hospital may increase birth registrations.https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12548birth registrationIndigenouslinked data |
| spellingShingle | Alison J. Gibberd Judy M. Simpson Sandra J. Eades No official identity: a data linkage study of birth registration of Aboriginal children in Western Australia Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health birth registration Indigenous linked data |
| title | No official identity: a data linkage study of birth registration of Aboriginal children in Western Australia |
| title_full | No official identity: a data linkage study of birth registration of Aboriginal children in Western Australia |
| title_fullStr | No official identity: a data linkage study of birth registration of Aboriginal children in Western Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | No official identity: a data linkage study of birth registration of Aboriginal children in Western Australia |
| title_short | No official identity: a data linkage study of birth registration of Aboriginal children in Western Australia |
| title_sort | no official identity a data linkage study of birth registration of aboriginal children in western australia |
| topic | birth registration Indigenous linked data |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12548 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alisonjgibberd noofficialidentityadatalinkagestudyofbirthregistrationofaboriginalchildreninwesternaustralia AT judymsimpson noofficialidentityadatalinkagestudyofbirthregistrationofaboriginalchildreninwesternaustralia AT sandrajeades noofficialidentityadatalinkagestudyofbirthregistrationofaboriginalchildreninwesternaustralia |