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.

Incidence of treated first-episode psychosis amongst Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth in the Top End of the Northern Territory, Australia.

Objectives: This study aims to estimate the incidence rate of first episode of psychosis (FEP) in the Top End of the Northern Territory (NT), exploring how rates vary by age, sex, Aboriginal status and remoteness.

Method: Youths (ages 15-24) presenting with FEP to the two specialist mental health services in the Top End were identified through audit of the electronic health records between 2014-2018. Population demographic data were collected from the 2016 Australian National Census.

Pathways to school success: Self-regulation and executive function, preschool attendance and early academic achievement of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in Australia's Northern Territory.

Background: With the pending implementation of the Closing the Gap 2020 recommendations, there is an urgent need to better understand the contributing factors of, and pathways to positive educational outcomes for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. This deeper understanding is particularly important in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, in which the majority of Aboriginal children lived in remote communities and have language backgrounds other than English (i.e.

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.

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.

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.

The Impact of Hearing Impairment on the Life Trajectories of Aboriginal Children in Remote Australia: Protocol for the Hearing Loss in Kids Project.

Background: Previous studies have reported a high prevalence of chronic otitis media (OM) and hearing impairment (HI) in Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. Children affected by these disorders are believed to be at increased risk for adverse outcomes in early childhood development, school attendance, academic performance, and child maltreatment and youth offending. However, to date, there have been no studies quantifying the association between HI and these outcomes in this population.

The impact of hearing impairment on Aboriginal children's school attendance in remote Northern Territory: a data linkage study.

Objective: To investigate the association between hearing impairment (HI) and Year 1 school attendance in Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia.

Methods: Observational cohort study (n=3,744) by analysing linked individual-level information for Aboriginal children from the NT Government school attendance records, NT Perinatal Register and Remote Hearing Assessment dataset, and community level data for relative remoteness, socioeconomic disadvantage and housing crowdedness.

Results: Children with unilateral hearing loss, mild HI and moderate or worse HI had significantly lower Year 1 attendance than those with normal hearing, attending 5.

Hearing and justice: The link between hearing impairment in early childhood and youth offending in Aboriginal children living in remote communities of the Northern Territory, Australia.

Background: High prevalence of chronic middle ear disease has persisted in Australian Aboriginal children, and the related hearing impairment (HI) has been implicated in a range of social outcomes. This study investigated the association between HI in early childhood and youth offending.

Method: This was a retrospective cohort study of 1533 Aboriginal children (born between 1996 and 2001) living in remote Northern Territory communities.

Lifetime and twelve-month prevalence of heavy-drinking in Singapore: results from a representative cross-sectional study.

Background: The study aimed to establish the prevalence of heavy drinking, evaluate correlations between heavy drinking and socio-demographic factors, physical and psychiatric conditions, and assess the impact of heavy drinking on quality of life and days of work-loss.

Methods: Data from a nationally-representative cross-sectional sample were used. The sample comprised 6616 community-dwelling Singaporeans & Singapore Permanent Residents.