Reports and Findings (Published Research)

Corrigendum to “Developmental trajectories of socio-emotional outcomes of children and young people in out-of-home care – Insights from data of Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS)”

Yalemzewod Assefa Gelaw PhD, MPH, BSc Honorary Research Associate Yalemzewod.Gelaw@thekids.org.au Honorary Research Associate Dr Yalemzewod Gelaw joined The Kids Research Institute Australia in 2021 as a research officer on the Malaria Atlas Project

Exploring preferences for interventions to increase active school transportation among children and adolescents in Australia

The observed decline in children's active school transport (AST) across numerous countries over recent decades necessitates targeted, multi-level interventions to reverse this trend. However, data on young people's preferred AST interventions is lacking. This study aimed to explore children's preferences for AST interventions and assess differences between AST users and non-users among primary and secondary school students.

Scalability and scaling-up strategy of a physical activity policy intervention in Australian childcare centres

There is an urgent need for scalable interventions to promote physical activity in early childhood. An early childhood education and care physical activity policy intervention with implementation support strategies (Play Active) has been proposed for scale-up in Australia.

Characterizing the Nature of Alexithymia in Autistic Adults: Validation of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire

Alexithymia—a trait characterized by difficulties in emotion processing—is of high interest in the autism field. However, the lack of validated alexithymia measures for autistic individuals limits progress. This study aimed to address this gap by examining the psychometric properties of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) across autistic and non-autistic samples. Using the PAQ, we investigated how alexithymia manifests in autistic individuals and its links with poor mental health outcomes (anxiety).

Association of preoperative nocturnal hypoxaemia nadir and fentanyl ventilatory sensitivity in children with obstructive sleep apnoea undergoing general anaesthesia

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has been thought to increase the risk of respiratory depression from opioids. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether preoperative hypoxaemia by sleep study pulse oximetry imparts greater opioid sensitivity.

Giving Voice to Rural and Regional Boys and Young Men and Supporting Parents to Prevent Tech-Based Abuse of Girls and Young Women

This project addresses the growing issue of technology-facilitated abuse against women and girls, particularly in regional Western Australian communities where risks are heightened, and access to support is limited.

Combatting the Normalisation of Sports Gambling and Aggressive Marketing Tactics that Compromise the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Australian Youth

Sports gambling has become increasingly normalised among young people, with the proliferation of sponsorship deals and a 300% rise in the number of gambling advertisements in the past 7 years.

How Australian Fathers Shape the Trajectory of their Children's Wellbeing

Fathers play a critical role in children’s development, yet remain under-represented in research and associated policy outcomes, leaving critical gaps in our understanding of the role and long-term impact of father involvement.

FIFO Families

Through a partnership with PLS, this research will aim to understand the impact of FIFO work arrangements on the mental health and wellbeing of the whole FIFO family.

Bridging the gap: unveiling key links between autism and anxiety symptoms in autistic children and youth using a network analysis in pooled data from four countries

Autistic children experience significantly higher rates of anxiety compared to nonautistic children. The precise relations between autism characteristics and anxiety symptoms remain unclear in this population. Previous work has explored associations at the domain level, which involve examining broad categories or clusters of symptoms, rather than the relationships between specific symptoms and/or individual characteristics. We addressed this gap by taking a network approach to understand the shared structure of autism characteristics and anxiety symptoms.