Differences in growth among remote and town-dwelling Aboriginal children in the Kimberley region of Western Australia

This paper documents the growth of Aboriginal children in remote communitie s and gazetted towns of the Kimberley region in the far north of Western Au stralia over the past 20 years. The study's specific aim was to compare the height and weight growth of children in different environments from birth to five years of age. From 1979 to 1983, children living in towns were sign ificantly taller and heavier than their counterparts in remote communities. From 1984 to 1988 and thereafter, there were no significant differences in the growth patterns of children in towns and remote communities. Overall, weight-for-age and height-for-age of children in remote communities has imp roved since the 1970s relative to their town-dwelling counterparts. These c hanges in growth shed light on the quality of the social and physical envir onment over the past 20 years and may assist with the development of future programs for child health.