Skin health of urban-living Aboriginal children attending a primary care Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation clinic.

Background and objectives: Despite increasing urbanisation, little is known about skin health for urban-living Aboriginal children and young people (CYP, aged <18 years). This study aimed to investigate the primary care burden and clinical characteristics of skin conditions in this cohort.

Method: A one-year retrospective cohort study of urban-living Aboriginal CYP presenting for general practitioner (GP) consultation at an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) was conducted.

Results: At least one dermatological diagnosis was made in 27% (253/939) of GP face-to-face consultations for the 585 urban-living Aboriginal CYP included. Infections and dermatitis accounted for 54% (152/284) and 18% (50/284) of all dermatological diagnoses, respectively. Bacterial skin infection (BSI) cumulative incidence was 13% (74/585; 95% CI 10-16%), with recurrent BSI affecting <1% (5/585; 95% CI 0.3-2%) and hospitalisation required in 1% (1/82; 95% CI 0.06-7%) of incident BSI cases.

Discussion: We present a culturally secure, multidisciplinary skin health assessment model within an urban ACCHO, where dermatological conditions account for a significant proportion of GP workload.