The Kids in Communities Study: national investigation of community level effects on children's developmental outcomes. This project (a cross-disciplinary collaboration) will investigate community level factors influencing early childhood developmental outcomes using a mixed methods approach in up to 10 communities across Australia. This will result in a potential set of measures or indicators that reflect communities that are good for children.
Social practices of oral health in Australian preschool children. The aim of the study is to explore "social practices" of oral health in Australian (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) preschool children. We use this emerging theory to move away from focusing on individuals and individual behaviour (and blame) to identify and map social practices: actions, materials and meanings families attribute to
child’s oral health. Expected project outcomes include identifying practices promoting or underminin ....Social practices of oral health in Australian preschool children. The aim of the study is to explore "social practices" of oral health in Australian (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) preschool children. We use this emerging theory to move away from focusing on individuals and individual behaviour (and blame) to identify and map social practices: actions, materials and meanings families attribute to
child’s oral health. Expected project outcomes include identifying practices promoting or undermining children’s oral health that can inform upstream and downstream policy directions and practices to improve health outcomes. This offers a new approach to "wicked" problems such as oral health where extensive
effort has not reduced morbidity and cost despite rhetoric that oral health is preventable.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. Our vision is for Australian children to be healthy, educated and connected. This Centre will integrate child health, education, and digital and social connectedness, innovating across disciplines to meet Australia’s ongoing challenges of supporting young children growing up in a rapidly changing digital age. The Centre’s world-leading team investigates children’s digital practices through three interconnected research programs supported by a longi ....ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. Our vision is for Australian children to be healthy, educated and connected. This Centre will integrate child health, education, and digital and social connectedness, innovating across disciplines to meet Australia’s ongoing challenges of supporting young children growing up in a rapidly changing digital age. The Centre’s world-leading team investigates children’s digital practices through three interconnected research programs supported by a longitudinal family cohort study and children’s technology laboratories. The Centre will address tensions in a contested field to inform government and non-government policy, technology innovation, and develop programs and guidelines for children, families, educators and technology developers. Read moreRead less
ARACY/ARC/NHMRC Research Network: Future Generation. Research across a range of disciplines is urgently needed to understand the complexity of pathways contributing to the healthy development of children and young people in modern societies like Australia and to develop effective strategies to improve them. Given our economic prosperity and the level of knowledge about human development, it is profoundly disappointing that many child and youth problems are increasing, creating a crisis in servi ....ARACY/ARC/NHMRC Research Network: Future Generation. Research across a range of disciplines is urgently needed to understand the complexity of pathways contributing to the healthy development of children and young people in modern societies like Australia and to develop effective strategies to improve them. Given our economic prosperity and the level of knowledge about human development, it is profoundly disappointing that many child and youth problems are increasing, creating a crisis in services. This application brings together a highly talented network of researchers to work collaboratively and innovatively with policy makers and those providing services, to enable both new knowledge and implementation of what we already know, to enhance children's futures.Read moreRead less
Predicting health, well-being, and educational success in emerging adults: An 8 year longitudinal study. This project will inform the community about factors that affect the psychological, physical, academic, and employment outcomes of emerging adults. It will improve our knowledge of why some young people do not reach their full potential. The project will provide a comprehensive assessment of factors associated with well-being across several domains. It will better equip and assist professiona ....Predicting health, well-being, and educational success in emerging adults: An 8 year longitudinal study. This project will inform the community about factors that affect the psychological, physical, academic, and employment outcomes of emerging adults. It will improve our knowledge of why some young people do not reach their full potential. The project will provide a comprehensive assessment of factors associated with well-being across several domains. It will better equip and assist professionals to identify early those youth at risk of having poor psychological, health, and employment prospects post-school. The project will inform the development of intervention programs for young people and maximise their overall adjustment and well-being several years later.Read moreRead less
iMATCH: Independent mobility, active travel and children's health. Policy interventions are used across Australia to improve children's independent mobility, to increase children's physical activity levels and social interaction, and to generate more sustainable travel behaviour, particularly for the journey to school. iMATCH provides a holistic and inter-disciplinary evaluation of policy interventions than is undertaken for most evaluations of school travel and children's travel behaviour polic ....iMATCH: Independent mobility, active travel and children's health. Policy interventions are used across Australia to improve children's independent mobility, to increase children's physical activity levels and social interaction, and to generate more sustainable travel behaviour, particularly for the journey to school. iMATCH provides a holistic and inter-disciplinary evaluation of policy interventions than is undertaken for most evaluations of school travel and children's travel behaviour policies and programs. By controlling for the influence of the built and social environment, the project will provide the necessary support to justify these policy interventions and to identify key improvements for their delivery, supporting more sustainable and healthy lifestyles for Australia's children.Read moreRead less
Promoting Child and Carer Wellbeing and Placement Stability in Kinship Care. Kinship care is the fastest growing out-of-home care placement in Australia, yet least supported. This project aims to implement and evaluate an attachment and trauma-based program for kinship carers, explore its suitability for cultural adaptation for Indigenous families and co-design practical resources to promote program sustainability and trauma-informed practice. This project is Australia’s first randomised trial o ....Promoting Child and Carer Wellbeing and Placement Stability in Kinship Care. Kinship care is the fastest growing out-of-home care placement in Australia, yet least supported. This project aims to implement and evaluate an attachment and trauma-based program for kinship carers, explore its suitability for cultural adaptation for Indigenous families and co-design practical resources to promote program sustainability and trauma-informed practice. This project is Australia’s first randomised trial of a tailored program for kinship carers and expects to generate vital knowledge on evidence-based support. Via implementing an innovative program for kinship carers in statutory child protection, this project should build capacity for research-based practice and benefit family wellbeing and placement outcomes in kinship care.Read moreRead less
Assistive technologies for Autism support. Growing numbers of children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, leading to a massive financial burden on educational, medical and social service systems. This project aims to construct technological solutions to ease this cost with software frameworks for both children and parents. These novel tools and techniques address key issues: personalisation of early intervention, extension of interventions in alternate contexts, and parental support th ....Assistive technologies for Autism support. Growing numbers of children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, leading to a massive financial burden on educational, medical and social service systems. This project aims to construct technological solutions to ease this cost with software frameworks for both children and parents. These novel tools and techniques address key issues: personalisation of early intervention, extension of interventions in alternate contexts, and parental support through analysis of social media. The outcomes aim to include algorithms and prototype applications for flexible early intervention and support for parents and carers, including evaluation of the developed tools in real-world settings.Read moreRead less
Selling The Punt: An interdisciplinary analysis of the extent and impact of sports wagering marketing strategies in Australia. Sports wagering is the fastest growing segment of the gambling market in Australia. Despite widespread concern about the impact of marketing strategies on the risky consumption of wagering products by young men and adolescents, research and policy has failed to keep up with this rapidly growing industry. This study will provide: detailed information about the range of ma ....Selling The Punt: An interdisciplinary analysis of the extent and impact of sports wagering marketing strategies in Australia. Sports wagering is the fastest growing segment of the gambling market in Australia. Despite widespread concern about the impact of marketing strategies on the risky consumption of wagering products by young men and adolescents, research and policy has failed to keep up with this rapidly growing industry. This study will provide: detailed information about the range of marketing strategies used to sell sports wagering in Australia; important qualitative insights into the impact of these marketing strategies on gambling behaviours; and, recommendations for a comprehensive public health approach to help counter the potential long and short term risks associated with sports wagering marketing.Read moreRead less
Changing children’s chances: Exploring pathways to developmental inequities. This project aims to investigate the causes of health and developmental inequities between Australian children. Inequities are increasingly observed in Australian children’s physical health, social and emotional wellbeing, and academic learning. Such inequities are unjust, unnecessary and potentially preventable. This project aims to understand the pathways leading to these inequities by examining the many contexts in w ....Changing children’s chances: Exploring pathways to developmental inequities. This project aims to investigate the causes of health and developmental inequities between Australian children. Inequities are increasingly observed in Australian children’s physical health, social and emotional wellbeing, and academic learning. Such inequities are unjust, unnecessary and potentially preventable. This project aims to understand the pathways leading to these inequities by examining the many contexts in which children and their families live and grow. Through a series of innovative analyses using existing data, the project aims to identify potentially modifiable factors at the child, family, school, and community level that contribute to developmental inequities. Understanding of the most promising leverage points for interventions to reduce inequities for Australian children could be used to inform policy.Read moreRead less