The Gudaga Study is a unique study of Aboriginal children in an urban environment on the eastern seaboard of Australia. Children were recruited at birth and have been followed up at 6-monthly intervals to age 5 years. This research aims to describe the health, early learning and service context of these urban Aboriginal children from 5 to 9 years. Detailed longitudinal data on Aboriginal children's early life experiences have not previously been collected in an urban setting.
The Contribution Of Home Language Exposure To Intergenerational Transmission Of Inequality
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,281,706.00
Summary
The amount of language stimulation from parent to child could be the key driver behind intergenerational inequality. Children learn language through social interaction and this study will significantly enhance our current understanding of exposure to language in the child's home environment. The study will demonstrate how inequalities in the early years have far reaching consequences for later health and development.
How Language Develops, What Goes Wrong, And Why It Matters: Following The Early Language In Victoria Study To Age 13
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$857,242.00
Summary
One in five children start school with low language. Little is known about the long term effects on developmental, educational attainment and other outcomes later in life. In this landmark study we will track the children's language, literacy and wellbeing from ages 8 to 12 years. We will capture the children's ability as they finish their primary school education and prior to the crucial transfer to high school.
Prevention Of Adverse Child Behavioural Development Following Maternal Depression In Pregnancy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$761,937.00
Summary
There is good evidence that if a woman is depressed while pregnant, her child is substantially more likely to have later emotional or behavioural problems. We will evaluate whether child outcomes following maternal depression in pregnancy can be improved by antenatal depression treatment. Our objective is to protect fetal and child development from the adverse developmental outcomes associated with untreated depression.
Closing The Gap: Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting For Families Of Aboriginal Infants In An Urban Community
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,244,402.00
Summary
The study aims to determine whether a sustained structured nurse home visiting (SSNVH) program is effective for Aboriginal families. In the context of increased government investment in home visiting programs for Indigenous children, this study will help to answer three critical questions: (1) Does SSNHV result in improved outcomes for Aboriginal infants? (2) Is SSNHV equally effective for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants?(3) What are the issues in adaptation and implementation?
Learning Clubs To Improve Women’s Health And Infant’s Health And Development In Vietnam: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Low-cost, Evidence-informed, Structured Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,372,748.00
Summary
Poor physical and mental health among women in resource-constrained settings and the flow-on consequences for their infants are international priorities. No intervention to improve early childhood development in these settings has addressed more than two (of eight) major risk factors. Our aim is to establish in a cluster RCT in rural Vietnam the impact of a comprehensive, integrated, low-cost, accessible, universal program addressing all eight risks, for women’s health and infant development.
Seeding Success: Identifying Factors That Contribute To Positive Early Childhood Health And Development In Aboriginal Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$692,845.00
Summary
This study will identify the key drivers of positive early childhood health and development in Aboriginal children, and the features of local communities and early childhood service provision that make a tangible difference, using a large population-based cohort of children in NSW. We will apply novel methods for using linked population data that can be used to inform program planning and evaluation nationally, and will advance theory, research and practice to "seed success" for Aboriginal child ....This study will identify the key drivers of positive early childhood health and development in Aboriginal children, and the features of local communities and early childhood service provision that make a tangible difference, using a large population-based cohort of children in NSW. We will apply novel methods for using linked population data that can be used to inform program planning and evaluation nationally, and will advance theory, research and practice to "seed success" for Aboriginal children.Read moreRead less
The Alert Program: An Evidence Based Treatment Program For Aboriginal Children Living With FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,196,940.00
Summary
This study will research the effectiveness of the Alert Program to improve self-regulation and executive functioning skills in primary school aged children in the Fitzroy Valley, a vast area located within the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The project also aims to document a sustainable and culturally appropriate method of implementing a theraputic intervention that supports the improvement of skills in children living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders within these communities.
Gene-environment Interactions In The Aetiology Of Myopia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$671,285.00
Summary
The rapid rise in the prevalence of shortsightedness poses a major public health challenge. The Sydney Myopia Study has collected a large database on environmental risk factors, and has documented a major protective effect of children spending more time outdoors. Other studies suggest that myopia has a major genetic component. This study will collect DNA samples from over 4000 participants in the Sydney Myopia Study, and through genome-wide scanning, will look for gene-environment interactions.
Mapping The Specific Pathways To Early-onset Mental Health Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,287,730.00
Summary
The foundations of mental health versus disorder are laid early. Individual differences in vulnerability can be identified early in the child's emotionality, social attention, impulsivity, and quality of parenting. This study examines how these systems emerge to coalesce into the major forms of psychopathology in the first 5 years of life.The results will identify critical variables in the early prevention of psychiatric disorders.