Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Melanie Spallek

Publications and source records attributed to Melanie Spallek.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Walking to school: distribution by age, sex and socio-economic status.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: The aims of this study were to examine route to school, distance and mode of transport for primary school-aged children in Brisbane, and to quantify the exposure to risk of pedestrian injury by the sociodemographic characteristics of the children. METHODS: This study was part of a longitudinal cohort study of 871 Brisbane families with children aged 4-12 years that aimed to quantify the relationship between socio-economic status and childhood injury. Mode of transport to school and socio-demographic characteristics of children were obtained from a questionnaire completed at baseline by each child's primary carer. Route to school and distance travelled were recorded at the baseline interview on scaled geographical maps. RESULTS: Being driven by car was the predominant mode of transport to school (75%) and from school (72%), with the prevalence decreasing with the age of the child. The mean distance travelled to school was 3.8 kilometres (km), with 50% of children travelling between 1.25 km and 4.5 km. For children who walked to school, exposure to pedestrian injury risk was similar by gender, increased with age and was inversely related to household income and the primary carer's education level. CONCLUSION: The majority of children aged 5-12 live close to school but only a small minority of students walk the distance. Walking to school was least common in children from higher socio-economic backgrounds.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2006

Socio-economic distribution of environmental risk factors for childhood injury.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood injury remains the single most important cause of mortality in children aged between 1-14 years in many countries. It has been proposed that lower socio-economic status (SES) and poorer housing contribute to potential hazards in the home environment. This study sought to establish whether the prevalence of observed hazards in and around the home was differentially distributed by SES, in order to identify opportunities for injury prevention. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional, random sample survey of primary school children from 32 schools in Brisbane. Interviews and house audits were conducted between July 2000 and April 2003 to collect information on SES (income, employment and education) and previously identified household hazards. RESULTS: There was evidence of a relationship between prevalence of household environmental hazards and household SES; however, the magnitude and direction of this relationship appeared to be hazard-specific. Household income was related to play equipment characteristics, with higher SES groups being more likely to be exposed to risk. All three SES indicators were associated with differences in the home safety characteristics, with the lower SES groups more likely to be exposed to risk. CONCLUSION: The differential distribution of environmental risk factors by SES of household may help explain the SES differential in the burden of injury and provides opportunities for focusing efforts to address the problem.

Adolescent↗