Perinatal outcomes

Perinatal health in children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Western Australia (WA)

Brilliana von Katterfeld, Jianghong Li (Telethon Institute for Child Health Research), Bev McNamara (Anthropology & Sociology, UWA)

Social factors are widely accepted to be linked to health outcomes, even if the nature of these links is still commonly disputed. Health status is affected by age, gender, social class and ethnicity, and while the former three have achieved recognition as social determinants of health, the latter has remained largely unappreciated in a multicultural Australian context. Similarly, much of the research that has focused on childhood health inequalities has often neglected the influence of cultural and linguistic diversity. We know that events occurring early in life, even whilst still in the womb, can have enduring consequences for health and wellbeing, yet what is known of the health of children relies on broad-based research which often has not differentiated between children from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Aims of the study

This study will:

• Examine whether significant differences exist in pregnancy complications, birth outcomes and perinatal mortality between children from CALD backgrounds and Anglo-Australian backgrounds in WA.
• Collect qualitative data on the pregnancy, birth and early motherhood experiences of women from CALD and Anglo-Australian backgrounds who have given birth in WA.
• Explore to what extent ethnicity contributes to possible inequalities in health, particularly in terms of accessing support during the perinatal period and the utilisation of medical care for pregnant women, new mothers and infants.

Cross-disciplinary research methods

This study involves a cross-disciplinary two-part investigation. Firstly, a quantitative investigation of birth and hospital records using research methods from epidemiology and biostatistics, and secondly, an ethnography-based qualitative exploration founded on interviews with mothers.

The first part of the project will provide population-level information on patterns of pregnancy complications, birth outcomes and perinatal mortality amongst children from CALD and Anglo-Australian backgrounds, by using several datasets linked through the Maternal and Child Health Research Database (MCHRDB) for all births in WA between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2002 (72, 357 births in total).

As a second dimension to this study a series of interviews will be conducted with mothers from CALD and Anglo-Australian backgrounds who gave birth in WA between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2002. This second part of the study aims to apply an anthropological perspective to pregnancy and childbirth through the discussion of the real-life experiences of women in WA. We hope to gain an insight into the differences and similarities between CALD and Anglo-Australian women in how they experience pregnancy, childbirth and the medical system.