Data Room Hearing

DATA ROOM

Hearing

Hospitalisation1

3.0 2.7

Rate per 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander peoples were 11.1 per cent more likely to be hospitalised with a principal diagnosis of diseases of the ear and mastoid than non-

Indigenous Queenslanders

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander NonIndigenous

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and

young peoples aged between 0 to 19 years were 30 per cent or 1.3 times more likely to be hospitalised for chronic (suppurative) otitis 30% media as a principal diagnosis than nonIndigenous children and young people OR 1.3X

Hearing aids3

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children*

comprised 9.5% of those fitted with hearing aids or cochlear implants

There is no difference in hearing loss at birth1

Between 2010–2013 an average of 0.2% of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies and nonIndigenous babies had a mild, moderate or greater permanent hearing loss in one or both ears—around 2 babies per 1000 on average

Middle ear disease and associated hearing loss throughout infancy and childhood2

On average Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people experience middle ear disease for over than non-Indigenous 10X longer

children and young people 0 1 2

2.7 years

3

3 months

Cumulative total in years

22.4 % 80.8 % 17.5 %

*In 2018, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children made up 5.9% (an estimated 278,000) of the total child population in Australia7

Ear and hearing health problems

9/10

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

children who live in remote communities have some form of ear disease4

Burden of disease6 Middle ear disease is one of the top 20 diseases contributing to the burden of ONE OF TOP20 disease of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (ranked 20 for males and 18 for females)

81

Middle ear disease is ranked 81st in the

non-Indigenous population

7%

3.6%

Nearly twice the rate of Aboriginal and

Urban Hearing Pathways Project (the Hearing Project). The shortterm project aims to explore possible service enhancements to improve the ear and hearing health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–5 years. Spanning three urban settings across three states, the Hearing Project will map Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ear and hearing health services of each jurisdiction. The three sites of the Hearing Project are Midland in

Torres Strait Islander

children aged 0–14 years were reported as problems compared to non-Indigenous

children5

Urban Hearing Pathways Project

In response, QAIHC and Hearing Australia are undertaking the having ear and hearing Western Australia, Newcastle in New South Wales and Ipswich in Queensland, involving Kambu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health. The purpose of service mapping is to identify the geographic spread and reach of ear and hearing health services for community, as well as any gaps, overlaps or duplication of services. Service mapping information will be evaluated for alignment with clinical guidelines for the management of otitis media (middle ear disease).