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Research
Socioeconomic disparities in the mental health of Indigenous children in Western AustraliaThe burden of mental health problems among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is a major public health problem in Australia.
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The association between playgroup participation, learning competence and social-emotional wellbeing for children aged four-five years in AustraliaThis study provides evidence that continued participation in playgroups is associated with better outcomes for children from disadvantaged families.
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Socioeconomic disparities in physical health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Western AustraliaWe sought to provide insights by examining socio-economic disparities in physical health outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in WA.

Focus Area
Brain and BehaviourThe Brain and Behaviour research theme consists of five programs: Child Health Analytics, Development and Disability, Healthy Behaviours and Environments, Mental Health and Youth, Population Health.
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Investigating the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Facebook Delivered, Parent Mediated, Physical Activity Intervention for Children with Developmental Coordination DisorderChildren with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) experience difficulties performing fundamental movement skills, resulting in reduced physical activity (PA). Given low PA can impact mental and physical health, improving PA in DCD appears imperative. This study investigates the feasibility of a Facebook delivered, parent mediated, PA intervention for children with DCD.
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A study protocol for community implementation of a new mental health monitoring system spanning early childhood to young adulthoodFindings from longitudinal research, globally, repeatedly emphasise the importance of a taking an early life course approach to mental health promotion; one that invests in the formative years of development, from early childhood to young adulthood, just prior to the transition to parenthood for most. While population monitoring systems have been developed for this period, they are typically designed for use within discrete stages.
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Accuracy of self-reported private health insurance coverageStudies on health insurance coverage often rely on measures self-reported by respondents, but the accuracy of such measures has not been thoroughly validated. This paper is the first to use linked Australian National Health Survey and administrative population tax data to explore the accuracy of self-reported private health insurance (PHI) coverage in survey data.
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The effects of birth spacing on early childhood development in high-income nations: A systematic reviewThis study aimed to systematically review the literature on the associations between birth spacing and developmental outcomes in early childhood (3–10 years of age). Studies examining the associations between interpregnancy intervals and child development outcomes during and beyond the perinatal period have not been systematically reviewed.
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Associations between the human immune system and gut microbiome with neurodevelopment in the first 5 years of life: A systematic scoping reviewThe aim of this review was to map the literature assessing associations between maternal or infant immune or gut microbiome biomarkers and child neurodevelopmental outcomes within the first 5 years of life. We conducted a PRISMA-ScR compliant review of peer-reviewed, English-language journal articles.
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The neglect of a child with intellectual disability as reported in Australian news media: A Foucauldian discourse analysisPeople with intellectual disability experience a high risk of being neglected and family members are often identified as the perpetrators. Analysing the media provides insight into public narratives about social problems. A search of Australian newspapers published between 2016 and 2021 identified 27 articles that predominately reported on a single case of familial neglect of an individual with intellectual disability.