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Parent–child book reading across early childhood and child vocabulary in the early school yearsThe current study investigated the extent to which low levels of joint attention in infancy and parent-child book reading across early childhood increase the...
Research
Breastfeeding Duration and Residential Isolation amid Aboriginal Children in Western AustraliaThe objective of this study was to examine the factors that impact on breastfeeding duration among Western Australia Aboriginal children. We hypothesised...
Research
Jurisdictional, socioeconomic and gender inequalities in child health and development:Early child development may have important consequences for inequalities in health and well-being. This paper explores population level patterns of child...
Research
Robustness, risk and responsivity in early language acquisitionLanguage is a robust developmental phenomenon, characterised by rapid and prodigious growth.
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Childhood obesity: what we have learnt from our failure to engage mothers in our interventionWith more than one in four Australian children overweight or obese, and the significant risks this poses for health problems like asthma, depression,...

The Human Development and Community Wellbeing Team conducts research across the lifespan from conception, childhood, and youth to adulthood and the social determinants that impact and influence outcomes. The team’s focus is on the broader life course of individuals and communities within the family, school, and online environments, and includes economic evaluation of programs and outcomes.
Research
Protective factors, risk factors, and intervention strategies in the prevention and reduction of crime among adolescents and young adults aged 12–24 years: A scoping review protocolEvidence indicates that criminal behaviour in youth is linked with a range of negative physical, mental, and social health consequences. Despite a global decrease over the last 30 years, youth crime remains prevalent.
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Fathers’ Self-Compassion and Child Attachment Quality: Testing a Sequential Indirect Effect via Emotion Regulation Difficulties, Loneliness and psychological distress in two paternal samplesSelf-compassion has emerged as a promising treatment target to promote healthy parent–child relationships, though mostly in maternal samples. The mechanisms through which self-compassion may optimise the father-child relationships are not yet well-established.
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The Impact of the No Jab No Play and No Jab No Pay Legislation in Australia: A Scoping ReviewAustralia has a long history of population-based immunisation programs including legislations. This paper reports on a review of evaluations of the impact of the federal No Jab No Pay (NJNPay) and state implemented No Jab No Play (NJNPlay) legislations on childhood immunisation coverage and related parental attitudes.
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Cumulative incidence of child protection system contacts among a cohort of Western Australian Aboriginal children born 2000 to 2013Reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal children in the child protection system is a key target for the Australian government. We aimed to provide more recent evidence on the population-level cumulative incidence of contacts for Aboriginal children with child protective services in Western Australia.