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Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between indoor air quality and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in South Australian preschool children. Methodology: Data were collected from 14124 families with a child aged 4 years 3 months to 5 years of age. This sample represents 73% of the targeted State preschool population. At the time of a routine preschool health check, parents completed a questionnaire regarding: their child's respiratory health and place of residence (postcode), parental smoking, type of fuel used for cooking and heating and method used for home cooling. Results: For preschool children residing in the greater Adelaide region, logistic regression analyses found that having a natural gas stove compared to an electric stove was significantly associated with increased prevalence rates for: (i) asthma (odds ratio [OR] 1.24); (ii) wheezing in the preceding 12 months (OR 1.16); excessive colds (OR 1.14); and hay fever (OR 1.13). The use of a liquid petroleum gas stove compared to an electric stove was not associated with any respiratory symptoms- The use of a flueless gas heater compared to other forms of heating was significantly associated with increased prevalence rates for dry cough (OR 1.26), ever having wheezed (OR 1.15) and wheezing in the preceding 12 months (OR 1.18). The use of a wood fire/heater compared to other forms of heating was significantly associated with a reduced prevalence rate for dry cough (OR 0.84) and ever having wheezed (OR 0.82). Parental smoking was significantly associated with increased prevalence rates for bronchitis (OR 1.21) and ever having wheezed (OR 1.24). The form of home cooling used was not associated with prevalence rates, after accounting for geographic location. Socio-economic status (postcode level) was not generally associated with prevalence rates. Conclusions: These results suggest that respiratory symptom prevalence is related to the fuel used for cooking and heating and parental smoking. Prospective investigation regarding indoor air quality and respiratory symptoms is required.

Objective: To evaluate the validity of a parental questionnaire used to screen preschool children for persistent hearing impairment. Methodology: Six-hundred and eighty-five children aged 4–5 years from a Metropolitan area of Adelaide, Australia, were enrolled. Each parent completed a questionnaire aimed at detecting parental concerns about hearing impairment. Screening audiometry was then performed. Children who failed the initial audiometry screening underwent repeat audiometry screening 6–8 weeks later. The audiometry and questionnaire data were then compared. Results: Of the 657 children who successfully completed initial audiometry, 544 (83%) passed and 113 (17%) failed. Of the 84 children who had follow-up audiometry, 64 (76%) passed. Parental concerns were identified on questionnaire in 50% of all children. Neither individual questions nor the number of concerns were found to relate to audiometry results. Compared with audiometry results, the hearing screening questionnaire had a sensitivity of 56% and specificity of 52%. Conclusions: The hearing questionnaire used in this study and in several Australian states is an ineffective screening test for detecting persistent hearing loss.

Objectives: This study was designed to ascertain the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in South Australian preschool children and to investigate the relationship between prevalence rates and geographic location. Methodology: Data were collected from 14124 families with a child aged 4 years 3 months to 5 years of age. This sample represents 73% of the State preschool population of that age. At the time of a routine preschool health check, parents completed a questionnaire regarding their child's respiratory health and place of residence (postcode). Results: Results showed that the prevalence rates were as follows: (i) ever having chest wheezing 38.6%; (ii) chest wheezing within the preceding 12 months 25.2%; (iii) ever having asthma 22.5%; (iv) ever having a dry cough at night 33.7%; (v) ever having bronchitis or cough with sputum 55.3%; (vi) ever having hay fever 29.7%; (vii) prone to excessive head colds 32.6%; and (viii) ever having eczema 18.8%. Over 38% of parents claimed that winter was the season for the most frequent or severe attacks of wheezing and 31.7% claimed no seasonal difference. Winter was the season most associated with episodes of bronchitis (50.9%), with no seasonal difference in episodes for 29.8% of children. Prevalence rates differed by geographic location within South Australia and within the Adelaide metropolitan region. Conclusion: This population-based survey shows that over 22% of South Australian 4 to 5 year old preschool children have had (or continue to have) asthma. The study also documented the geographic distribution of respiratory symptom prevalence within South Australia.

A cohort of over 600 children who were born between 1979 and 1982 and accounted for the great majority of all births in Port Pirie, South Australia, and its immediate environs, underwent capillary blood sampling at the ages of 6 months, 15 months, 2 years, and annually thereafter. The mean blood lead concentration (Pb-B) initially rose markedly, peaked at 2 years of age, and subsequently declined gradually at 3 and 4 years of age. No differences in Pb-B were observed between girls and boys. Secular trends in Pb-B at the age of 2 years that were observed in blood samples taken over the 1981-1984 period suggest that both the drought of 1982 and changes in community behaviour may have accounted for some of the age-related variation. The Pb-B was associated positively with surface soil lead concentrations, with a two-fold variation in mean Pb-B between residential zones within Port Pirie. Pb-B was higher in summer than in winter months at the ages of 6 and 15 months, but not at older ages. These findings suggest that lead in dust influences strongly blood lead concentrations in early childhood.

A limited survey of the physical characteristics of Western Samoan pre-school children was conducted. The Samoan children appear larger than their European counterparts in early infancy, although this difference is lost by nine months of age. There is a need to establish standards of growth for Western Samoan children. Until these standards are available caution is advised when comparing Samoan infant growth parameters with UK norms.