Background: Despite multiple risk factors for neurodevelopmental vulnerability, few studies have assessed neurodevelopmental performance of Australian Aboriginal children. An important risk factor for neurodevelopmental vulnerability is prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), which places children at risk for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Aims: This study assesses neurodevelopment outcomes in a population of Australian Aboriginal children with and without PAE.
Methods And Procedures: Children born in 2002/2003, and living in the Fitzroy Valley, Western Australia between April 2010 and November 2011, were eligible (N=134). Sociodemographic and antenatal data, including PAE, were collected by interview with 127/134 (95%) consenting parents/caregivers. Maternal/child medical records were reviewed. Neurodevelopment was assessed by clinicians blinded to PAE in 108/134 (81%) children and diagnoses on the FASD spectrum were assigned.
Outcomes And Results: Neurodevelopmental disorder was documented in 34/108 children (314.8 per 1000). Any diagnosis on the FASD spectrum was made in 21/108 (194.4 per 1000) children (95% CI=131.0-279.0).
Conclusions And Implications: Neurodevelopmental impairment with or without PAE is highly prevalent among children in the Fitzroy Valley. Rates of diagnoses on the FASD spectrum are among the highest worldwide. Early intervention services are needed to support developmentally vulnerable children in remote communities.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2017.04.001 | DOI Listing |
Women Birth
January 2025
Rhodanthe Lipsett Indigenous Midwifery Trust, Australia; Australian Catholic University, Australia. Electronic address:
Background: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander midwives are underrepresented within the midwifery workforce and is likely compounded by lower graduate rates. This review is a part of the Midwifery Futures Project. It explores the experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander midwives and midwifery students to illuminate issues impacting work and study and uncover successful strategies towards addressing current disparities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAust J Rural Health
February 2025
Australian Research Center for Population Oral Health, Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Aim: Irregularities with sleep patterns and behaviours are commonly observed in Australia, but there is lack of information regarding sleep patterns among Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander adults. This study explores sleep patterns in Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander adults, comparing it with non-Indigenous Australian adults in addition to investigating any potential effects on daytime behaviour.
Methods: A total of 730 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples aged 18 years and above were included in the study.
Tob Control
December 2024
National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
The eradication of the commercial tobacco industry is a crucial goal for health and well-being, particularly from a public health and health justice perspective. The term 'eradication' is applied in epidemiology to mean the process and outcome of elimination of the-commercial tobacco industry as a human-made-agent of disease and death. In this commentary, we outline why the eradication of the tobacco industry is necessary, urgent and realistic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth Promot J Austr
January 2025
Health Behaviour Research Collaborative, School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
Issue Addressed: Smoking rates have been steadily declining among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Examining the factors associated with not smoking in young people is crucial for understanding the motivations and influences that lead individuals to adopt healthy behaviours.
Methods: Secondary analysis was undertaken of data collected as part of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) 2014-15 (n = 1456).
Expert Rev Mol Diagn
December 2024
Flinders University International Centre for Point-of-Care Testing, College of Medicine and Public Health, South Australia, Australia.
Introduction: Decentralized molecular testing for infectious disease diagnosis at the point-of-care (POC) is critical to address inequities in access to timely, informed health care. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the demand, development and adoption of POC tests for infectious diseases globally. This has provided opportunities to maximize the individual benefits and public health impact of POC testing, particularly in remote and resource-limited primary care settings.
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