Characteristics of children aged 4–17 years participating in phase I of the SEARCH programme*
| Variable | Class | Male N=532 (53%) | Female N=473 (47%) | Total N=1005 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child's age (in years) | Mean (SD) | 9 (3) | 9 (4) | 9 (3) |
| Carer's age (in years) | Mean (SD) | 36.1 (8.7) | 35.8 (8.6) | 36.0 (8.7) |
| Carer's gender | Male | 52 (10) | 34 (7.4) | 86 (8.9) |
| Female | 462 (90) | 423 (93) | 885 (91) | |
| Carer's relationship to child | Parent | 437 (83) | 399 (85) | 836 (84) |
| Other relative | 53 (10) | 28 (5.9) | 81 (8.1) | |
| Foster/other | 37 (7.0) | 44 (9.3) | 81 (8.1) | |
| Carer's employment status | Employed | 140 (28) | 126 (28 | 266 (28) |
| Studying | 24 (4.8) | 12 (2.7) | 36 (3.8) | |
| Home duties | 272 (54) | 253 (57) | 525 (55) | |
| Retired | 7 (1.4) | 1 (0.2) | 8 (0.8) | |
| Unable to work | 20 (4.0) | 28 (6.3) | 48 (5.1) | |
| Unemployed | 39 (7.8) | 25 (5.6) | 64 (6.8) | |
| Carer's qualifications | None | 249 (51) | 209 (49) | 458 (50) |
| Trade/certificate/diploma/other | 202 (41) | 192 (45 | 394 (43) | |
| Bachelor/postgraduate | 36 (7.4) | 28 (6.5) | 64 (7.0) | |
| Number of homes previously lived in | <4 | 291 (62) | 272 (65) | 563 (63) |
| 4 or more | 182 (38) | 145 (35) | 327 (37) |
*Numbers may not add up to the total sample size due to missing data.
SEARCH, Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health.