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Research
Epigenetic Science and Indigenous health: Key Issues and Considerations for Future ResearchEnvironmental epigenetics is a fast-growing field of scientific research attracting interest from key stakeholders in Indigenous health internationally, including researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and advocacy organisations. It is the study of how various external factors, including food, stress, and toxins, alter genetic expression, and could be biologically passed down to children (and potentially grandchildren).
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Moort dandjoo kaadadjiny: Growing up aboriginal kids strong in their culture and identityCommunity Elders in Boorloo (Perth) identified early childhood education (ECE) as a priority area for Aboriginal children’s research. This is due to a lower number of Aboriginal children attending ECE programs compared to non-Aboriginal children. Attending ECE programs sets children up for school success and is an indicator for positive life outcomes in later life. Therefore, we sought to co-design and implement a program that encourages Aboriginal children and families to attend ECE programs, known as Moort Dandjoo Kaadadjiny.
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Kaat koort: Study protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial of a multifactorial, multidisciplinary Aboriginal Health Practitioner-led Aboriginal dementia prevention interventionLimited available data indicate that dementia prevalence rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Aboriginal) peoples are 3–5 times higher than the overall Australian population. Effective, pragmatic and scalable interventions are urgently required to address this disproportionate burden of dementia in Aboriginal populations.
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Childhood Cancer Incidence and Survival in South Australia and the Northern Territory, 1990–2017, with Emphasis on Indigenous PeoplesReports of a rise in childhood cancer incidence in Australia and globally prompted the investigation of cancer incidence and survival in South Australia and the Northern Territory over a 28-year period, with emphasis on Indigenous peoples.

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Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort (Our Children, Our Heart) ProgramBrings the Aboriginal community(s) of Perth together with service providers & policy makers to improve outcomes for Aboriginal kids and their families.
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Indigenous Australian perspectives on the perinatal period: Social well-being, culture and early infant attachmentsAlthough social factors and culture are significant determinants of health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, little is known academically about key interpersonal and social experiences of this population during the perinatal period, or how early attachments are formed through culture. This study addressed this gap in the literature.
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Heads up on concussion: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' knowledge and understanding of mild traumatic brain injuryConcussion awareness and knowledge among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples residing in Perth, Western Australia and factors preventing presentation at a health service for assessment after such an injury.
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Non-communicable disease mortality in young people with a history of contact with the youth justice system in Queensland, Australia: a retrospective, population-based cohort studyYoung people who have had contact with the criminal justice system are at increased risk of early death, especially from injuries. However, deaths due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in this population remain poorly described. We aimed to estimate mortality due to NCDs in people with a history of involvement with the youth justice system, compare NCD mortality rates in this population with those in the general population, and characterise demographic and justice-related factors associated with deaths caused by NCDs in people with a history of contact with the youth justice system.
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Early onset of otitis media is a strong predictor of subsequent disease in urban Aboriginal infants: Djaalinj Waakinj cohort studyAustralian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children in rural/remote areas suffer high rates of persistent otitis media (OM) from early infancy. We aimed to determine the proportion of Aboriginal infants living in an urban area who have OM and investigate associated risk factors.
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Getting to the heart of the matter: a research partnership with Aboriginal women in South and Central AustraliaWithin the vast majority of qualitative health research involving Indigenous populations, Indigenous people have been marginalised from research conceptualisation and conduct. This reflects a lack of regard for Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing, has served to perpetuate deficit narratives of Indigenous peoples’ health and wellbeing, and contributes to failure in addressing inequities as a result of ongoing colonisation and institutionalised oppression and racism.