Table 1. Characteristics of families participating in waves 1 and 2 of the Aboriginal Families Study.
| Wave 1(n=344) | Wave 2(n=246) | |
| n (%) | n (%) | |
| Mothers’ age at birth of study child | ||
| 15–19 years | 55 (16.0) | 36 (14.6) |
| 20–24 years | 140 (40.7) | 99 (40.2) |
| 25–29 years | 91 (26.5) | 67 (27.2) |
| 30–35 years | 33 (9.6) | 27 (11.0) |
| > 35 years | 25 (7.3) | 17 (6.9) |
| Mothers’ Indigenous status | ||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 319 (92.7) | 226 (91.9) |
| Not Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander* | 25 (7.3) | 20 (8.1) |
| Birth weight of study child | ||
| <2500 g | 49 (15.0) | 31 (13.4) |
| ≥2500 g | 278 (85.0) | 201 (86.6) |
| Gestation at birth of study child | ||
| ≥37 weeks | 278 (86.9) | 198 (86.1) |
| <37 weeks | 42 (13.1) | 32 (13.9) |
| Study child born small for gestational age | ||
| ≥10th percentile | 240 (79.7) | 174 (80.9) |
| <10th percentile | 61 (20.3) | 41 (19.1) |
| Mothers’ place of residence at wave 1 | ||
| Metropolitan area | 134 (39.0) | 99 (40.2) |
| Regional | 123 (35.8) | 90 (36.6) |
| Remote | 87 (25.3) | 57 (23.2) |
| Mothers’ highest educational qualification at wave 1 | ||
| University degree | 22 (6.4) | 19 (7.7) |
| Diploma/certificate | 155 (45.1) | 119 (48.4) |
| Year 12 | 33 (9.6) | 23 (9.3) |
| Less than year 12 | 134 (39.0) | 85 (34.6) |
| Mothers’ participation in paid employment at wave 1 | ||
| Full-time job | 60 (17.4) | 50 (20.3) |
| Part-time job | 39 (11.3) | 32 (13.0) |
| Not in paid employment | 245 (71.2) | 164 (66.7) |
| Stressful events/social health issues during pregnancy | ||
| None | 45 (13.1) | 30 (12.2) |
| 1–2 | 105 (30.6) | 77 (31.3) |
| 3 or more | 193 (56.3) | 139 (56.5) |
| Total | 344 (100.0) | 246 (100.0) |
*
Non-Aboriginal mothers are mothers of Aboriginal children.