Hospitalisation rates and rate ratios for all-cause pneumonia, bronchiolitis and other acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in the period 1996–2000 and 2001–2005
| ALRI diagnosis | 1996–2000 | 2001–2005 | p Value for IRR ratio | ||||
| Rate/1000 child-years (n) | IRR (95% CI)* | Rate/1000 child-years (n) | IRR (95% CI)* | ||||
| Aboriginal | Non-Aboriginal | Aboriginal | Non-Aboriginal | ||||
| All-cause pneumonia | |||||||
| <1 month | 38.5 (27) | 9.4 (89) | 4.1 (2.6 to 6.4) | 20.2 (15) | 5.0 (47) | 4.1 (2.1 to 7.4) | 1.00 |
| 1–5 months | 58.2 (193) | 3.8 (169) | 15.5 (12.5 to 19.1) | 45.2 (166) | 3.8 (176) | 12.0 (9.7 to 14.9) | 0.10 |
| 6–11 months | 84.9 (302) | 5.8 (284) | 14.6 (12.3 to 17.2) | 61.1 (268) | 6.2 (345) | 9.9 (8.4 to 11.6) | <0.001 |
| 12–23 months | 64.0 (371)† | 8.3 (668)† | 7.7 (6.4 to 9.3) | 42.3 (369) | 8.5 (946) | 4.9 (4.4 to 5.6) | <0.001 |
| 24–35 months | 43.6 (177)‡ | 5.6 (322)‡ | 7.7 (6.4 to 9.3) | 24.6 (215) | 5.6 (625) | 4.4 (3.8 to 5.2) | <0.001 |
| Bronchiolitis | |||||||
| <1 month | 86.9 (61) | 30.2 (286) | 2.8 (2.1 to 3.8) | 78.3 (58) | 27.6 (260) | 2.8 (2.1 to 3.8) | 1.00 |
| 1–5 months | 228.7 (759) | 48.1 (2160) | 4.8 (4.4 to 5.2) | 202.1 (743) | 43.2 (2019) | 4.7 (4.3 to 5.1) | 0.72 |
| 6–11 months | 147.2 (524) | 23.0 (1119) | 6.4 (5.8 to 7.1) | 129.0 (566) | 25.0 (1391) | 5.2 (4.7 to 5.7) | 0.003 |
| 12–23 months | 31.7 (184)† | 5.9 (472)† | 5.4 (4.5 to 6.4) | 32.4 (283) | 6.3 (700) | 5.2 (4.5 to 5.9) | 0.73 |
| 24–35 months | 7.9 (32)‡ | 1.2 (67)‡ | 6.7 (4.3 to 10.4) | 5.3 (46) | 1.1 (120) | 4.9 (3.4 to 7.0) | 0.28 |
| All other ALRIs§ | |||||||
| <1 month | 21.4 (15) | 4.1 (39) | 5.2 (2.6 to 9.6) | 17.5 (13) | 4.9 (46) | 3.6 (1.8 to 6.7) | 0.41 |
| 1–5 months | 54.5 (181) | 6.1 (274) | 8.9 (7.4 to 10.8) | 51.4 (189) | 6.0 (281) | 8.6 (7.1 to 10.3) | 0.80 |
| 6–11 months | 52.8 (188) | 5.2 (255) | 10.1 (8.3 to 12.2) | 58.4 (256) | 6.6 (366) | 8.9 (7.5 to 10.5) | 0.32 |
| 12–23 months | 32.2 (187)† | 5.5 (445)† | 5.8 (4.8 to 6.9) | 49.1 (428) | 7.2 (798) | 6.9 (6.1 to 7.7) | 0.10 |
| 24–35 months | 17.7 (72)‡ | 4.1 (232)‡ | 4.4 (3.3 to 5.7) | 23.8 (208) | 4.7 (523) | 5.1 (4.3 to 6.0) | 0.34 |
↵* Incidence rate ratio = ratio of Aboriginal to non-Aboriginal hospitalisation rates.
↵† Data for 12–23 month age group available from 1997–2000.
↵‡ Data for 24–35 month age group available from 1998–2000.
↵§ Includes whooping cough, influenza, bronchitis and unspecified acute lower respiratory infection.