Research

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Child health Primary care Respiratory disease
Volume 224 - Published ahead of Issue 10

Barriers and Facilitators to Timely Detection and Optimal Management of Chronic Wet Cough in Aboriginal Children Across Australia From the Perspectives of Carers of Aboriginal Children: A Qualitative Study

Authors:  Gloria T. Y. Lau, Pam Laird, Robyn Aitken, Melanie Barwick, Liam Bedford, Emily R. Bowden, Jamie Everingham, Angela Fuery, Reece Griffin, Neha Jain, Mina Kinghorn, Renae Knapp, Gabrielle B. McCallum, Peter Morris, Richard Norman, Peter C. Richmond, Aarti Saiganesh, Slade Sibosado, Cameron Taylor, Maree Toombs, Roz Walker, Joan Wilson, Anne B. Chang, André Schultz

Correspondence: andre.schultz@health.wa.gov.au

Med J Aust 2026 || doi: 10.5694/mja2.70313
Published online: 1 October 2026
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Abstract

Objective 

To identify barriers and facilitators to the timely detection and optimal management of chronic wet cough (CWC) in children from the perspectives of carers, across multiple, diverse First Nations Australian communities.

Study Type

Qualitative participatory action research study.

Setting and Participants

Eight Australian communities across three states and territories. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 167 parents and carers of Aboriginal children were conducted between May 2021 and July 2023.

Main Outcome Measures

Barriers to and facilitators of detection and management of CWC in Aboriginal children in a primary care setting.

Results

Key barriers identified included inadequate health promotion, the common perception that CWC is normal and high turnover among health staff, leading to mistrust of newly onboarded health staff. The overarching facilitator identified was knowledge dissemination through health promotion, delivered in person by Aboriginal health staff using culturally secure resources, supplemented by posters placed in the community and the use of radio and social media. Individual communities expressed varied preferences regarding specific health promotion methods and designs. Communities valued staff who had spent considerable time within the community, allowing for the development of trust and rapport.

Conclusion

The barriers and facilitators to detecting and managing CWC in children were generally consistent across the settings we studied. Implementation approaches to facilitate care require tailoring to local settings. Further, to reduce identified barriers for the detection and management of CWC in children, the incorrect perception that CWC is normal must be addressed and the potential harms of staff turnover need to be recognised.

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