Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41120156›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2025

Outcomes following a behaviour change intervention within hospitals to improve birth registrations and hospital utilisation for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander infants: a quasi-experimental and cohort study.

K McAuley, Natalie Ann Strobel, Daniel Christensen, Karen Margaret Edmond, Peter Jacoby, Daniel McAullay

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

K McAuleyTe Whatu Ora Health New Zealand Southern, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
Natalie Ann StrobelKurongkurl Katitjin, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia n.strobel@ecu.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2962-5704
Daniel ChristensenKurongkurl Katitjin, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Karen Margaret EdmondKing's College London, London, England, UK.
Peter JacobyTelethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5092-7697
Daniel McAullayKurongkurl Katitjin, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe primary objective was to determine whether a behaviour change intervention delivered to hospital staff would (1) improve the proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) babies being registered and (2) reduce hospital admissions and emergency presentations for babies <6 months old. The secondary objective was an observational analysis to determine factors that might influence the proportion of registered Aboriginal births in Western Australia (WA).

designQuasi-experimental design and cohort study.

settingFive tertiary birthing hospitals in WA.

participantsThe intervention was delivered to health service providers who were in the five tertiary birthing hospitals. Outcome data were collected on Aboriginal babies born between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2018 who were delivered within these hospitals. Babies in the control group (n=226) were born 6 months before the intervention and intervention babies (n=232) were born 6 months following the intervention. For the secondary objective, there were 4573 babies included in the analysis.

interventionsA behaviour change intervention delivered to hospital staff in five hospitals. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were the proportion of babies who were registered and whether a baby had been admitted to hospital or an emergency department by 3 and 6 months old. The secondary outcome was to determine factors that might influence the proportion of registered Aboriginal births in WA (cohort study).

resultsThere was evidence of a 38% reduction in emergency presentations within 6 months for babies born to hospitals 6 months following the staff training (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.91), and little evidence of improvements in birth registrations, hospital admissions within 3 or 6 months of birth or emergency department presentations within 3 months of birth. Of the 4573 babies included in the cohort study, 3769 (82.4%) babies had their births registered and 804 (17.6%) babies did not. Factors that were associated with not having a birth registered included low birth weight babies with a 34% decrease in odds of having a registered birth compared with those with a normal birth weight (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.66, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.86). Timing of first antenatal visit was associated with reduced odds of having a birth registered if this occurred in the second (aOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.93) or third trimester (aOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.77) compared with the first trimester.

conclusionsOur study identifies the complexities surrounding birth registrations and improved hospital utilisation for Aboriginal babies, the importance of targeted interventions and ongoing efforts needed to address this issue comprehensively. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12615000976583.

Indexed as

Health Services, IndigenousHospitalizationRegistriesAustralian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeoplesCohort StudiesEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMalePregnancyWestern AustraliaCommunity child healthEPIDEMIOLOGYHealth ServicesHospitalization

Identifiers

PMID41120156
PMCPMC12542530

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.