In the first year of Footprints in Time, the parents1and carers2of 1,687 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were interviewed between April 2008 and February 2009 in eleven sites around Australia. Most parents we interviewed were mums (93% or 1565). A small group of dads (39) was interviewed as the primary care-giver, representing 2% of the total number of parents and carers interviewed. A small number of other carers, mainly grandparents, was also interviewed. Just over half of the parents interviewed (52% or 877) were aged between 21 and 30 years and one third (551) were aged between 31 and 40 years.
Our Footprints in Time children were made up of 860 boys (51%) and 827 girls (49%). Most children were identified by their parents as Aboriginal (1474 or 88%). A smaller number of children (109) were Torres Strait Islander. This represented six per cent of the children in the study. Six per cent of children (104) were identified by their parents as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status of parents and their partners are shown at Table 1. In 95 per cent of cases, the study child was the son or daughter of the parent being interviewed. In three per cent of cases (50 children) the study child was a grandchild of the person interviewed. The remaining two per cent of children (22) were related to the person interviewed in some other way.
Table 1: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Status of Parent 1 Interviewed (total 1661)
| Aboriginal |
76% |
| TSI |
7% |
| Both |
4% |
| Neither |
13% |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Status of Parents’ Partners (total 874)
| Aboriginal |
64% |
| TSI |
9% |
| Both |
4% |
| Neither |
23% |
Almost half of the parents (49% or 825) interviewed had four household members or less living in the home. Almost two thirds (64%) of our study children have between one and three other children living in the household. Only 13 per cent of households have four or more other children. Almost one quarter (23%) of study children were the only child living in the household. Of all Footprints in Time children, 29 per cent had brothers or sisters (including half or step brothers and sisters) living elsewhere.
Parental health
Most Footprints in Time parents (89%) reported their health as excellent, very good or good. A small number (100) reported some form of ear problem (6%) or eye problem (5% or 83 parents). The majority of parents (72%) interviewed reported they did not have any health problems that made it difficult to look after the study child.
Footprints in Time mums – what you told us about your health and pregnancy care
Mothers or caregivers were asked about the pregnancy and birth of the study child. In total, 1,594 responded. Mums were asked where they obtained information or advice about pregnancy or giving birth. A mix of sources was reported. Almost a third of mums reported getting advice about pregnancy from their mothers and/or aunties. Other family members and friends were reported as a source of information by 21 per cent of mums. Aboriginal medical services were reported as a source of information about pregnancy and giving birth by 30 per cent of mums. Almost 38 per cent also reported using other service providers as a source of information. Doctors and midwives were the most commonly consulted, whether in Aboriginal medical services or in other service providers.
Mums with babies in the study (906) were asked about whether they had check-ups during their pregnancy. Almost all of them (97% or 875) reported having check-ups during pregnancy, with most of these mums (95%) having at least one check-up every two months.
All mums were asked about any health problems they had during pregnancy. Low iron levels/anaemia was reported as the most frequent problem during pregnancy, with 168 mums (11%) reporting this. Just over half of all mums (53%) reported taking iron supplements during their pregnancy.
Of all mums interviewed, 17 per cent (278 mums) reported they suffered or ‘probably suffered’ from ‘baby blues’ or post-natal depression for at least a month after the study child’s birth. Thirty nine per cent of these mums (108) reported that they received some form of treatment for this condition. Thirty-three per cent (93 mums) reported receiving no treatment, while an additional 22 per cent (60 mums) reported their condition as not diagnosed by a doctor or nurse.
Half of the mums (50% or 749) told us that they smoked during pregnancy. Of those, 51 per cent smoked less while they were pregnant than before they were pregnant. Less than one quarter of mums (22% or 337) drank alcohol during pregnancy. However, the majority of these mums (79%) drank less while pregnant.
How healthy are Footprints in Time children?
Almost all parents (97% or 1,628) said their children are in excellent, very good or good health. The main health condition for children reported by parents related to ear problems (20% or 338 children affected).
The most common ear problem was ‘runny ears’ which included glue ear, tropical ear or ear infection. In six per cent of cases, parents reported children having eye problems (105 children), half of which were eye infections such as conjunctivitis. Chest infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia and flu were reported in 15 per cent of cases (256 children) and asthma was reported in 13 per cent of cases (214 children).
Asked about tooth brushing, parents reported over half of the children with teeth (57%) brushed at least once a day.
What do Footprints in Time children eat?
All parents were asked about breastfeeding history. Over three quarters (80%) of Footprints in Time children were breastfed. Of these 21 per cent (or 280 children) were still being breastfed at the time of interview. The main reasons for stopping breastfeeding were ‘no milk or not enough milk’ (29% or 281); the child was old enough to stop (16% or 158) or the child self-weaned (14% or 141).
Parents were asked about the types of food and drinks their child had throughout the day before the interview.
Most of the older children (96% or 674) ate breakfast. Of these, the majority ate cereal for breakfast (72% or 522 children). Half (50% or 363) of the older children were reported as eating bread and almost one third (31% or 225 children) ate fresh fruit in the morning. Sandwiches were the most common food eaten for lunch. This was reported for over half of the children (57% or 411 children). Unprocessed meat, cooked vegetables and pasta were most common for the evening meal.
For the older children the most commonly reported drinks throughout the day were water, fruit juice and plain milk.
Over a third (34%) of all study children go to bed with a bottle or feeder cup. The most common drink for these children was milk (46%) or formula (36%).
Nearly half (48% or 349 children) have bush tucker in their diet including bush fruits, berries and vegetables, native meats and various seafood and shellfish.
“I just think that they need to be taught more about the Aboriginal culture and bush tucker, all those sort of things.”
How do Footprints in Time children spend their time?
Parents were asked about the sorts of activities they undertook with their children the week before interview. Parents reported children as busy with many different types of activities. In almost all cases (99%), Parent 1 spent the most time with the study child. Most children (93% or 1449) went shopping with their mums. About eighty per cent or more of children participated in indoor and outdoor activities with mum.
Over three quarters of children (1286) had mum or a family member read them a book. Two thirds of children (1131 children) also had stories which were not from a book told to them by their mum or other family members. In most cases (93% or for 1564 children) mum or a family member also played music, sang songs, danced or did other musical activities with their children. Computers and computer games were played by less than a third of the children (29% or 486). Dads also did these things with children, but to a lesser extent. Dads spent about half the time that mothers did with their children, doing things such as swimming, walking outdoors, playing and musical activities.
“When (his dad and his brother) are fixing stuff downstairs, like the mowers and bikes, he is right in there amongst it, with the tools, running off with his tools. Just follows them, and copies them. We take him to the library to get playschool computer programs. Loves it. And the kids play area downstairs at the library...he goes mad, squealing, yelling. And he loves reading books, bringing the books home.”
“He loves to play football… he is just constantly football, football, football, football. If it’s not football it’s wrestling. And he loves his horses, goes to feed the horses with poppy quite a bit. Just recently, one of his poppy’s horses had a foal, so… he was getting all happy and laughing because it was trying to stand up and falling back down and then it got up and the legs were real jelly. He was like yeah carrying on because he’s full of energy as it is… he thought it was great.”
What do you enjoy doing with study child?
“I love sitting down and drawing with her; love taking her to the park and playing outside and trying to make up bonding one on one time with her because she was taken away from me at birth and so I’m trying to spend as much time with her now.”
“Everything I do I love doing with her.”
“Playing, singing, take him for walk, reading book to him, yarning.”
“Sitting down yarning, talking, telling him stories, taking him bush, taking him fishing.”
“Reading his books and playing out with the ball and dancing to the Wiggles.”
What does study child enjoy doing with you?
“Fight with me, kiss me, pull my hair and love me up.”
“Be everywhere I am, follow me around, help with cleaning, she likes it when I nurse her to sleep, just that togetherness she likes doing everything with me, she loves playing peek a boo – everyday.”
‘'The dishes, making beds, folding clothes.”
“Going for walks, sits on my shoulder when we go up town and out bush.”
“Listening to music, likes dancing, starting to learn how to write her name, talking about school.”
“Tormenting Nan, jumping on trampoline, ratting through drawers.”