The research partnership involves a collaboratively developed program of policy relevant research that uses individual-level linked data to investigate the causal pathways through which individual- and community-level factors in early life influence outcomes.

Key research questions include:

  • Which early life factors are most critical in shaping children’s development in health, learning and behaviour?
  • How many children have been, or are exposed to, such factors?
  • What associated factors mitigate or accentuate their effects over time?
  • Can critical points in development be identified where preventive interventions are likely to have maximum leverage in leading to better health and wellbeing outcomes?
  • Can these findings inform health economic modelling of the potential costs and benefits of policy, service and program strategies addressing the most critical early life determinants?
Chief investigator:
  • Professor Sven Silburn
Project manager:
Contact information:

For more information about the project, please email.

Project dates:

The project was undertaken between 2014-2018.

Funders:
  • NT Government through the Child Development and Education Research Partnership
  • NHMRC Partnership Grant.
Collaborators:
  • Professor Sven Silburn, Menzies 
  • Professor John Lynch, University of Adelaide
  • Professor Steven Guthridge, Menzies 
  • Professor Richard Midford , Menzies / Charles Darwin University
  • A/Professor Julie Brimblecombe, Menzies
  • Dr Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews, Macquarie. University
  • Dr Stefanie Schurer, University of Sydney
  • Dr Peter Shaw, Charles Darwin University
  1. Cobb-Clark, D., Kettlewell, N., Schurer, S., & Silburn, S. (2017). The effect of quarantining welfare on school attendance in Indigenous communities. Life Course Centre Working Paper Series 2017-22.
  2. Doyle, M., Schurer, S., Silburn, S. (2017). Do Welfare Restrictions Improve Child Health? Estimating the Causal Impact of Income Management in the Northern Territory. Life Course Centre Working Paper Series 2017-23.
  3. 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 https://childdetentionnt.royalcommission.gov.au/NT-public-hearings/Pages/Hearings/2017/19-June-2017-Exhibits.aspx
  4. McEwen, E.C., Guthridge, S.L., H,e V.Y.F., et al. (2017). What birthweight percentile is associated with optimal perinatal mortality and childhood education outcomes? American Journal of Obstetric Gynaecology; pii: S0002-9378(17)32339-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.11.574
  5. Silburn, S., Guthridge, S., McKenzie, J. et al. (eds)(2018). Early Pathways to School Learning: Lessons from the Northern Territory Data-Linkage Study. Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research.
  6. McHugh. L., Andrews. R., Leckning, B., et al. (2019). Baseline incidence of adverse birth outcomes and infant influenza and pertussis hospitalisations prior to introduction of influenza and pertussis vaccination in pregnancy. Epidemiology & Infections, 147, e233, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268819001171.
  7. Guthridge, S., Li, L., Silburn, S., Li, S., McKenzie, J., & Lynch, J. (2016). Early influences on developmental outcomes among children, at age 5, in Australia’s Northern Territory. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 35, 124-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2015.12.008
  8. Guthridge, S., Li, L., Silburn, S., Li, S. Q., McKenzie, J., & Lynch, J. (2015). Impact of perinatal health and socio-demographic factors on school education outcomes: A population study of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in the Northern Territory. Journal of paediatrics and child health, 51(8), 778–786. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.12852