Intergenerational risk of preterm birth in First Nations Australians: a population-based cohort study from the Northern Territory, Australia.

Background: PTB increases the risk of health problems such as chronic renal disease and diabetes in later life and adverse impacts are inversely correlated with gestational age at birth. Rates of PTB in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia are amongst the highest nationally and globally, with First Nations babies most affected. This study assessed the magnitude and potential drivers of intergenerational PTB recurrence in the NT.

Patterns of health workforce turnover and retention in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in remote communities of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, 2017-2019.

Background: Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) in Australia aim to optimise access to comprehensive and culturally safe primary health care (PHC) for Aboriginal populations. Central to quality service provision is the retention of staff. However, there is lack of published research reporting patterns of staff turnover and retention specific to ACCHSs.

Association between maternal mental health-related hospitalisation in the 5 years prior to or during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes: a population-based retrospective cohort data linkage study in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Background: Mental health conditions prior to or during pregnancy that are not addressed can have adverse consequences for pregnancy and birth outcomes. This study aimed to determine the extent to which women's mental health-related hospitalisation (MHrH) prior to or during pregnancy was associated with a risk of adverse birth outcomes.

Methods: We linked the perinatal data register for all births in the Northern Territory, Australia, from the year 1999 to 2017, to hospital admissions records to create a cohort of births to women aged 15-44 years with and without MHrH prior to or during pregnancy.

Predicting child development and school readiness, at age 5, for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in Australia's Northern Territory.

Background: Positive early development is critical in shaping children's lifelong health and wellbeing. Identifying children at risk of poor development is important in targeting early interventions to children and families most in need of support. We aimed to develop a predictive model that could inform early support for vulnerable children.

Incidence of Stroke in the Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Populations of Australia: A Data Linkage Study.

Background: Most estimates of stroke incidence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereinafter Aboriginal) Australians are confined to single regions and include small sample sizes. We aimed to measure and compare stroke incidence in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal residents across central and western Australia.

Methods: Whole-population multijurisdictional person-linked data from hospital and death datasets were used to identify stroke admissions and stroke-related deaths (2001-2015) in Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.

Complex early childhood experiences: Characteristics of Northern Territory children across health, education and child protection data.

Early identification of vulnerable children to protect them from harm and support them in achieving their long-term potential is a community priority. This is particularly important in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, where Aboriginal children are about 40% of all children, and for whom the trauma and disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal Australians has ongoing intergenerational impacts. Given that shared social determinants influence child outcomes across the domains of health, education and welfare, there is growing interest in collaborative interventions that simultaneously respond to outcomes in all domains.

Risk of kidney disease following a pregnancy complicated by diabetes: a longitudinal, population-based data-linkage study among Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this work was to investigate the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) following a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or pre-existing diabetes among Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia.

Methods: We undertook a longitudinal study of linked healthcare datasets. All Aboriginal women who gave birth between 2000 and 2016 were eligible for inclusion.

The extent of violence inflicted on adolescent Aboriginal girls in the Northern Territory.

Background: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are at very high risk of violence but there is little evidence about the age at which their higher exposure to violence commences. The aim of this study was to investigate violence inflicted on Aboriginal girls during childhood and adolescence, relative to Aboriginal boys and non-Aboriginal girls.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using de-identified administrative data for NT residents aged 0-17 years.

Prevalence and incidence of diabetes among Aboriginal people in remote communities of the Northern Territory, Australia: a retrospective, longitudinal data-linkage study.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and incidence of diabetes among Aboriginal peoples in remote communities of the Northern Territory (NT), Australia.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis of linked clinical and administrative data sets from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2019.

Setting: Remote health centres using the NT Government Primary Care Information System (51 out of a total of 84 remote health centres in the NT).

Learning from alcohol (policy) reforms in the Northern Territory (LEARNT): protocol for a mixed-methods study examining the impacts of the banned drinker register.

Introduction: The Banned Drinker Register (BDR) was reintroduced in the Northern Territory (NT) in September 2017. The BDR is a supply reduction measure and involves placing people who consume alcohol at harmful levels on a register prohibiting the purchase, possession and consumption of alcohol. The current study aims to evaluate the impacts of the reintroduction of the BDR, in the context of other major alcohol policy initiatives introduced across the NT such as Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors and a minimum unit price for alcohol of US$1.

Effects of turnover and stability of health staff on quality of care in remote communities of the Northern Territory, Australia: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between markers of staff employment stability and use of short-term healthcare workers with markers of quality of care. A secondary objective was to identify clinic-specific factors which may counter hypothesised reduced quality of care associated with lower stability, higher turnover or higher use of short-term staff.

Design: Retrospective cohort study (Northern Territory (NT) Department of Health Primary Care Information Systems).

Opportunities for prevention: a data-linkage study to inform a public health response to youth offending in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated a strong link between child maltreatment and subsequent youth offending, leading to calls for early intervention initiatives. However, there have been few whole-population studies into the dimensions of statutory child maltreatment responses that can inform these programs. The aim of this study was to investigate the sex-specific association between level and timing of child protection system (CPS) contact and youth offending.

Understanding and responding to the cost and health impact of short-term health staffing in remote and rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health services: a mixed methods study protocol.

Introduction: Access to high-quality primary healthcare is limited for remote residents in Australia. Increasingly, remote health services are reliant on short-term or 'fly-in, fly-out/drive-in, drive-out' health workforce to deliver primary healthcare. A key strategy to achieving health service access equity, particularly evident in remote Australia, has been the development of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs).

Diabetes during pregnancy and birthweight trends among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory of Australia over 30 years.

Background: Early-life risk factors, including maternal hyperglycaemia and birthweight, are thought to contribute to the high burden of cardiometabolic disease experienced by Indigenous populations. We examined rates of pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and extremes of birthweight over three decades in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of the NT Perinatal Data Collection from 1987 to 2016, including all births >20 weeks gestation, stratified by maternal Aboriginal identification.

Patterns of child protection service involvement by Aboriginal children associated with a higher risk of self-harm in adolescence: A retrospective population cohort study using linked administrative data.

Background: A history of child maltreatment is known to elevate the risk of self-harm in adolescence. However, this link has not been investigated for Aboriginal children who experience a greater burden of both.

Objective: Identify patterns of involvement with child protection services by Aboriginal children associated with a higher risk of self-harm in adolescence.

Acute myocardial infarction incidence and survival in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations: an observational study in the Northern Territory of Australia, 1992-2014.

Objectives: To examine long-term trends in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) incidence and survival among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting, Participants: All first AMI hospital cases and deaths due to ischaemic heart disease in the Northern Territory of Australia (NT), 1992-2014.

The impact of hearing impairment on early academic achievement in Aboriginal children living in remote Australia: a data linkage study.

Background: The prevalence of otitis media (OM) and related hearing loss has remained persistently high among some groups of Australian Aboriginal children who are also reported to have poor academic outcomes. The general literature remains inconclusive about the association between OM-related hearing loss and academic performance in primary school. This study aimed to investigate this association in Aboriginal children living in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia.

SAFety, Effectiveness of care and Resource use among Australian Hospitals (SAFER Hospitals): a protocol for a population-wide cohort study of outcomes of hospital care.

Introduction: Despite global concerns about the safety and quality of health care, population-wide studies of hospital outcomes are uncommon. The SAFety, Effectiveness of care and Resource use among Australian Hospitals (SAFER Hospitals) study seeks to estimate the incidence of serious adverse events, mortality, unplanned rehospitalisations and direct costs following hospital encounters using nationwide data, and to assess the variation and trends in these outcomes.

Methods And Analysis: SAFER Hospitals is a cohort study with retrospective and prospective components.

Impact of hearing impairment on early childhood development in Australian Aboriginal children: A data linkage study.

Aim: To investigate the association between hearing impairment (HI) and measures of early childhood development in Aboriginal children at age 5 years.

Methods: An observational cohort study (n = 1037) of children aged 4.0-7.

The link between hearing impairment and child maltreatment among Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory of Australia: is there an opportunity for a public health approach in child protection?

Background: International studies provide evidence of an association between child disabilities, including hearing impairment (HI), and child maltreatment. There are high prevalences of ear disease with associated HI, and child maltreatment among Australian Aboriginal children, but the link between HI and child maltreatment is unknown. This study investigates the association between HI and child maltreatment for Aboriginal children living in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia.

Performance of cardiovascular risk prediction equations in Indigenous Australians.

Objective: To assess the performance of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk equations in Indigenous Australians.

Methods: We conducted an individual participant meta-analysis using longitudinal data of 3618 Indigenous Australians (55% women) aged 30-74 years without CVD from population-based cohorts of the Cardiovascular Risk in IndigenouS People(CRISP) consortium. Predicted risk was calculated using: 1991 and 2008 Framingham Heart Study (FHS), the Pooled Cohorts (PC), GloboRisk and the Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association (CARPA) modification of the FHS equation.