The Population Health and Wellbeing research theme undertakes large scale population studies, using statistical and epidemiological methods, to describe the impact of various factors and events on the lives of children and young people. Many of the research projects involve linkage of information on the same individual from multiple sources. The use of linked data allows a contextual understanding of the complex interactions of the many influences on the development of children and young people, an understanding that breaks down the administrative “silos’ of health, education and other social services. Many projects, based on analysis of “data”, are complemented by qualitative research that deepens the interpretation of information.

At the heart of most projects within the Population Health and Wellbeing stream is the CYDRP data repository which contains de-identified but linked information for all NT children and young people born from 1986 onwards.  The repository is regularly updated and the current edition, referred to as Extract 3, contains information from 23 datasets, across health, education, child protection and justice sectors.  The repository contains only de-identified information and is held on a secure server with restricted access. Extract 3 provides the capability for analysis of life-course development to young adulthood, as well as assessment of the influence of characteristics of mothers and siblings on outcomes for a child. Discussions have commenced for the development of Extract 4 which is planned to be available in the second half of 2024.

Separate to research that utilises the CYDRP data repository there is also capability for stand-alone linkage studies and for more general population and service-related research and evaluation. Examples of the wider engagement of CCDE researchers in linkage studies include the ‘Impacts of Banned Drinkers Register Re-introduction in Northern Territory’ study and collaboration with health workforce studies. 

  • Children and Youth Development Research Partnership (CYDRP), a collaboration between Menzies and seven NT Government departments: 
    • Department of the Attorney-General and Justice 
    • Department of Education 
    • NT Health 
    • Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities
    • NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services, 
    • Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet
    • Department of Treasury and Finance
  • NT Government, Reform Management Office
  • NT Government, Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities
  • NT Government, Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet
  • NHMRC Targeted Calls for Research
     
Current Projects:

Child and Youth Development Research Partnership (CYDRP), 2017-2024
This collaborative research partnership between CCDE and the NT Government supports the ongoing maintenance and development of the CYDRP data repository and selected research projects. Completed CYDRP funded research projects have included a project to understand the association between early child maltreatment and youth offending; and a recently completed project on school retention through the middle school years. The initial program (2017-2019) was extended for a further five years to 2024.

Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities grant, 2018-2023
This grant supports a body of research to inform child and family services in the Northern Territory, with a particular focus on improving outcomes through prevention and early intervention. Completed projects include a study of the increased risk of self-harm among young people with a record of child abuse or neglect and a recent study on long term trends in the prevalence of offending among young people. A current project is exploring opportunities for early intervention in middle childhood for children in contact with multiple services. These studies have all utilised the CYDRP data repository.

Against the odds: Understanding the factors influencing wellbeing among Indigenous youth in the Northern Territory, 2019-2024
This mixed methods study, funded by the NHMRC, is exploring the positive pathways for the development of NT Aboriginal youth using the linked administrative data held within the CYDRP data repository (Stage 1) along with interviews with community and professional stakeholders including Aboriginal youth (Stage 2).

Patterns of mobility among primary school children in the Northern Territory, 2022-2023
There is high mobility of NT school-aged children, which presents challenges in the delivery of education, including: a students’ capacity to progress academically; teachers’ capacity to teach; disruption to the school and classroom; and, a flow on impact for other students.  This study has analysed the multiple records available in the CYDRP data repository, for each child, to describe patterns of mobility for children through their primary school years and the characteristics of clusters of children with similar patterns of mobility. This linkage project has been funded by the NT Department of Education.

Impacts of Banned Drinkers Register Re-introduction in Northern Territory
This project aims to investigate the impact of the re-introduction of the Banned Drinker Register in the Northern Territory, where rates of alcohol-related harm are more than twenty times that seen in other Australian states. An interdisciplinary team will use qualitative and quantitative methods across urban and remote locations to answer complex questions about policy impact.

Completed Projects:

Developmental pathways to child health and wellbeing in the NT, 2014 – 2017
This research partnership involves a collaboratively developed program of policy relevant research that utilised data-linkage analysis to investigate the population dynamics and causal pathways through which individual- and community-level factors in early life influence outcomes in key areas of policy concern. This program of research established what is now referred to as Extract 1 of the CYDRP data repository, which was the template for the ongoing body of research supported under the CYDRP program. 

Hearing Loss in Kids Study (HeLoKids), 2018-2019
The program of research utilised linked data in the CYDRP data repository to describe the effects of diagnosed hearing loss on children’s developmental trajectories. The program was funded by the Australian Government Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. The series of studies have reported the impact of hearing loss on early child development, child abuse and neglect, school attendance, academic performance and youth offending.

Story of Our Children and Young People 2019 and 2021 
The “Story” reports key indicators of child and youth wellbeing, at NT regional level, along with stories of positive change and cultural stories of wellbeing. The Story was a key action out of the NT Government’s early childhood strategy and was developed with the support of an independent Editorial Committee. The Story provides a platform for tracking progress over time, with updates every two years. The first Story was delivered in 2019, and in 2021 the second story (the 2021 Story) extended the availability of information with the development of an online data platform with the capacity for users to develop tables and graphs of locally relevant information. The data platform is available on the Northern Territory Government website.

Development of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Prevention and Health Promotion Resources for New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services (2015 – 2017)
This project, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, develop and implement a flexible module package of FASD Prevention and Health Promotion Resources (FPHPR) to reduce the impacts of FASD on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and young children.
 

Current publications:

  • Leckning B, Borschmann R, Guthridge S, Silburn SR, Robinson GW (2022). Suicides in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people following hospital admission for suicidal ideation and self-harm: A retrospective cohort study from Australia’s Northern Territory. ANZP 2022 1-10 doi: 10.1177/00048674221099822
  • He VY, Nutton G, Graham A, Hirschausen L, Su JY. (2021) 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. PloS One. 2021 Nov 11;16(11): e0259857.
  • https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259857
  • Leckning B, He VY, Condon JR, Hirvonen T, Milroy H, Guthridge S (2021). 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. Child Abuse Negl; 2021; 113:104931 doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.104931
  • He VY, Leckning B, Malvaso C, Williams T, Liddle L, Guthridge S. (2021). Opportunities for prevention: A data-linkage study to inform a public health response to youth offending in the Northern Territory, Australia. BMC Public Health 2021;21:1600. doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11645-4
  • He VY, Guthridge SL, Su JY, Howard D, Stothers K, Leach A. (2020). The link between hearing impairment and child maltreatment among Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory of Australia: Is there opportunity for a public health approach in child protection? BMC Public Health; 2020; 20:49 doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-8456-8
  • Leckning B, Borschmann R, Guthridge S, Bradley P, Silburn S, Robinson G (2020). Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal emergency department presentations involving suicide-related thoughts and behaviours: characteristics and discharge arrangements.  Crisis; 2020; 41(6)459-468. doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000675
  • Su JY, Guthridge S, He V, Howard D, Leach A. (2020). The impact of hearing impairment on early childhood development in Australian Aboriginal children: a data linkage study. J Paediatr Child Health 2020; 56:1597-1606 doi:10.1111/jpc.15044
  • Su JY, Guthridge S, He V, Howard D, Leach A (2020) The impact of hearing impairment on early academic achievement in Northern Territory Aboriginal children: a data linkage study. BMC Public Health; 2020; 20:1521.  doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09620-6
  • Su JY, He VY, Guthridge SL, Silburn S. (2020).  The impact of hearing impairment on the life trajectories of Aboriginal children in remote Australia: protocol for the hearing loss in kids study JMIR Res Protoc 2020;9(1): e15464 doi: 10.2196/15464
  • Su JY, Guthridge S, He V, Howard D, Leach A. (2019). The impact of hearing impairment on Aboriginal children's school attendance in remote Northern Territory: a data linkage study.  Aust NZ J Public Health. 2019;43:544-500 doi; 10.1111/1753-6405.12948
  • He VY, Su JY, Guthridge SL, Malvaso CG, Howard, Williams T, Leach A. (2019) 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. Health Justice; 2019; 16 doi: 10.1186/s40352-019-0097-6
  • Leckning B, Robinson G, Guthridge S, He V. (2019). Exploring risk profiles of young people with self-harm hospital admissions in the Northern Territory. Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research.
  • He V, Guthridge S, Leckning S. (2019). From Birth to Five: A multiagency data-linkage study to inform a public health response to child protection in the Northern Territory. Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research.
  • He V, Guthridge S, Leckning S. (2019). Protection and Justice: A study of the crossover of Northern Territory children between two services. Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research.
  • McHugh L, Andrews RM, Leckning B, Snelling, T, Binks MJ. (2019). Baseline incidence of adverse birth outcomes and infant influenza and pertussis hospitalisations prior to the introduction of influenza and pertussis vaccination in pregnancy: a data linkage study of 78 382 mother-infant pairs, Northern Territory, Australia, 1994-2015. Epidemiology and Infection, 147, e233. doi:10.1017/S0950268819001171.
  • Cobb-Clark D, Kettlewell N, Schurer S, Silburn S. (2017). The effect of quarantining welfare on school attendance in Indigenous communities. (pp. 1-54). (LCC Working Paper Series: 2017-22). Life Course Centre.
  • Doyle M, Schurer S, Silburn S. (2017). Do welfare restrictions improve child health? Estimating the causal impact of income management in the Northern Territory. (pp. 1-72). (LCC Working Paper Series: 2017-23). Life Course Centre.
  • Guthridge S, He V, Silburn S.  (2017). ‘A statistical overview of children’s involvement with the NT child protection system’, Royal Commission into Protection and Detention of Northern Territory Children Exh 512.00 2017
  • McEwen EC, Guthridge SL, He VYF, et al. (2017) What birthweight percentile is associated with optimal perinatal mortality and childhood education outcomes? American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 218(2), S7121-S724. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2017.11.574.
  • Guthridge S, Li L, Silburn, S, et al.  (2016). Early influences on developmental outcomes among children, at age 5, in Australia’s Northern Territory." Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 35, 124-134.
  • Guthridge S, Li L, Silburn S, Li SQ, McKenzie J, Lynch J. (2015). The impact of perinatal health and socio-demographic factors on educational outcomes: a population study of children attending government schools in the Northern Territory. J Paediatr Child Health; 51(8),778-86.
  • Silburn, S.R., McKenzie, J., Guthridge, S., & Li, Q.S. (2014). Unpacking educational inequality in the Northern Territory. Australian Council for Education Research Conference Proceedings.

Earlier publications:

  • Silburn S. (2017). Strengthening the Foundations of Learning: Investing in Early Childhood Development. In A Lian, K Yew Lie & P Kell (Eds) Challenges in Global Learning: international contexts and cross-disciplinary responses. Newcastle-on-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing 192-213
  • D'Aprano A, Silburn S, Johnston V, Bailie R, Mensah F, Oberklaid F, Robinson G. (2016). Challenges in monitoring the development of young children in remote Aboriginal health services: clinical audit findings and recommendations for improving practice. Rural and Remote Health, 16, 3852
  • Simpson S, D'Aprano A, Tayler C, Toon Khoo S, Highfold R. (2016). Validation of a culturally adapted developmental screening tool for Australian Aboriginal children: Early findings and next steps. Early Human Development, 103:91-95.
  • Robinson G, Silburn SR, Arney F. (2011). A population approach to early childhood services: Implementation for outcomes. Early Childhood Series No. 3. 2011. Northern Territory Government, Darwin.
  • Robinson G, Silburn SR,  Arney F. (2011). The value of investment in the early years: Balancing the costs of childhood services. Early Childhood Series No. 4. 2011. Northern Territory Government, Darwin.
  • Silburn SR, Robinson G, Arney F, Johnstone K, McGuinness K. (2011). Early Childhood Development in the NT: Issues to be addressed. Early Childhood Series No. 1. 2011. Northern Territory Government, Darwin.
  • Silburn SR, Nutton G, Arney F, Moss B. (2011). The first five years: Starting early. Early Childhood Series No. 2. 2011. Northern Territory Government, Darwin.
  • Silburn SR, Nutton G, McKenzie JW, Landrigan M. (2011). Early years English language acquisition and instructional approaches for Aboriginal students with home languages other than English: A systematic review. Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research.
  • Robinson G, Rivalland J, Tyler W, Lea T. (2009). The National Accelerated Literacy Program in the Northern Territory, 2004-2008, Implementation and Outcomes: Final Evaluation Report, Volume 1, School for Social and Policy Research, Institute of Advanced Studies, Charles Darwin University, Darwin
  • Robinson G, Rivalland J, Tyler W, Lea T (2009). The National Accelerated Literacy Program in the Northern Territory, 2004-2008, Implementation and Outcomes: Final Evaluation Report. Volume 2, Appendices, School for Social and Policy Research, Institute of Advanced Studies, Charles Darwin University, Darwin.
  • Silburn S, Brinkman S, Ferguson-Hill S, Styles I, Walker R, Shepherd C. (2009). The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) Indigenous Adaption Study, Curtin University of Technology and Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Perth.
  • Silburn S, Zubrick S, Lawrence D. (2006). The intergenerational effects of forced separation on the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people. Family Matters, (75).
     
Research briefs 

Overview

Early development and education series

  1. Pathways to school success: self-regulation and executive function
  2. The impact of hearing impairment on childhood development and education

Welfare and justice series 

  1. Public health response to youth justice
Publications

Early child development and education 

  1. The impact of hearing impairment on Aboriginal children's school attendance in remote Northern Territory: a data linkage study. (2019)
  2. The impact of hearing impairment on early childhood development in Australian Aboriginal children (2020).
  3. The impact of hearing impairment on early academic achievement in Northern Territory Aboriginal children. (2020)
  4. 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 (2021)
  5. Complex early childhood experiences: characteristics of Northern Territory children across education, health and child protection data (2023)
  6. Transitional pathways through middle school for First Nations students in the Northern Territory of Australia (2023)

Welfare and justice 

  1. 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 (2019)
  2. From Birth to Five: A multiagency data-linkage study to inform a public health response to child protection in the Northern Territory. (2019)
  3. Protection and Justice: A study of the crossover of Northern Territory children between two services. (2019)
  4. The link between hearing impairment and child maltreatment among Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory of Australia: Is there opportunity for a public health approach in child protection? (2020)
  5. 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 (2021)
  6. Opportunities for prevention: A data-linkage study to inform a public health response to youth offending in the Northern Territory, Australia. (2021) 
  7. Patterns of alleged offending among young people in the Northern Territory of Australia (2023)

Health

  1. Baseline incidence of adverse birth outcomes and infant influenza and pertussis hospitalisations prior to the introduction of influenza and pertussis vaccination in pregnancy: a data linkage study of 78 382 mother-infant pairs, (2019)
  2. Exploring risk profiles of young people with self-harm hospital admissions in the Northern Territory. (2019)
  3. The impact of hearing impairment on the life trajectories of Aboriginal children in remote Australia: protocol for the hearing loss in kids study. (2020)
  4. Patterns of child protection service involvement by Aboriginal children associated with a higher risk of self-harm in adolescence. (2021)
  5. The extent of violence inflicted on adolescent Aboriginal girls in the Northern Territory (2022)
  6. Mental health-related hospitalisations associated with patterns of child protection and youth justice involvement during adolescence (2023)