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Table 1 Primary and secondary explanatory variables and how these map to the study conceptual framework ( http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/10/147 )

From: Impact of housing improvement and the socio-physical environment on the mental health of children’s carers: a cohort study in Australian Aboriginal communities

Primary explanatory variables1

Household infrastructure function. Two measures: Number of HLP components required for healthy living practices failed; Overall Surveyor Function Score

Secondary explanatory variables

Carer socio-demographic

Child health and health behaviour and hygiene

Carer socioeconomic status

and financial stress 3

Psychosocial and health

Community of residence2

Child Health 4

Carer highest level of schooling

Other people from tribal group live in community2

Carer socio-demographic 3

Number of illnesses in carer’s children in past two weeks

Frequency of visits to traditional land3

• sex

Carer labour force status

Number of people get help from if has serious worries2,3

• age

Carer self-reported health7

• cohabitation with spouse

Health behaviour, hygiene and day care

Household material wealth

Carer Negative Life Events 2,3

• Worried about someone sick/disabled

Carer relationship to householder

Householder holds important position in community

• Know someone who had a bad accident

Time that carer has lived in the house

Broom, mop and bucket in house4

• Death of family member or close friend

Carer mobility between communities (lived in other community for more than 4 weeks)

Soap in bathroom, kitchen5

Number of children cared for

Household hygienic condition (surveyor condition score)6

Financial security

• Member of family in jail or sent to jail

• aged less than one year

• Ran out of money in last 2 weeks

• aged 1–3 years

Number of children in day-care3

• Too many people living in one house

• aged 4–7 years

• Ran out of money in last year

• aged 8 to 15 years

• Worried about divorce/separation

Number of adults in house

• Number of things did to get money if ran out

• Not able to get a job

• Raise $2000 in a week for emergency

• Lost their job/sacked

• Alcohol or drug problems

• Seeing fights and people beaten up

• Someone being abused or victim of violent crime

• Trouble with police

• Gambling problems

• Racism

  1. Community level influences: crowding, general condition of housing stock, community environmental conditions and infrastructure, availability of community facilities, community safety (community level concerns based on data items from the Negative Life Events Scale: concerns about fights or violence, abuse or trouble with the police).
  2. Variables mapped to conceptual framework ( http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/10/147 ).
  3. 1Facilities for Healthy Living Practices; 2Community and Neighbourhood Influences; 3Household Composition and Process; 4Child Health; 5Software; 6Condition of Household Environment; 7Carer Health.
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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