Faculty of Education - Research Publications
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ItemAssociations between Maternal Behaviors at 1 Year and Child Language at 2 Years in a Cohort of Women Experiencing Adversity(WILEY, 2018-01-01)Variations in parenting have been suggested as contributing to a higher prevalence of language difficulties in children experiencing economic, environmental, and social adversity. Within these cohorts, the contribution of responsive and intrusive parenting to child language has been investigated; specific responsive and intrusive behaviors encapsulated within these parenting styles have yet to be fully examined. Additionally, the role of the mother–child dynamic in moderating mother–child associations has also not been explored. This study aimed to augment current research by identifying specific responsive and intrusive maternal behaviors associated with child language in a cohort experiencing adversity, as well as exploring the role of the fluency and connectedness of mother–child conversation in moderating associations (n = 249). Specific behaviors and the fluency and connectedness of the mother–child interaction were coded from free‐play videos at child age 12 months. Child language measures were derived from transcripts of free play at 24 months. Linear regression models were used to examine maternal–child associations. The moderating role of fluency and connectedness was then explored. Maternal imitations were positively associated with the child's total words; successful redirectives were negatively associated with the child's mean length of turn. Both associations were moderated by the fluency and connectedness of the interaction.
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ItemThe feasibility and acceptability of a population-level antenatal risk factor survey: Cross-sectional pilot study(WILEY, 2017-06)AIM: Australian data on the prevalence and distribution of antenatal risk factors are scarce. This study aimed to investigate (i) the feasibility and acceptability of an antenatal risk factor survey collected in public settings and (ii) whether the survey risk factors co-occur with more sensitive risk factors that are privately asked by clinicians. METHODS: Design and setting: study-designed survey linked with clinician-collected risk factors. PARTICIPANTS: pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at two Victorian hospitals. MEASURES: (i) study-designed survey: young pregnancy, no support, poor/fair/good general health, anxious mood, not finishing high school, no income, long-term illness, living without another adult, not employed, never had a job and proxy poverty measures; (ii) Clinician-collected data: smoking, alcohol/marijuana/drug use, domestic violence, social issues, history of mental health problems and depression symptoms. ANALYSES: (i) feasibility and acceptability were assessed through survey completion. Each item was assessed for whether they discriminated risk; dichotomised into risk versus no risk; with a total count calculated. (ii) Co-occurrence was assessed by examining how the risk factor count agreed with clinician-collected items. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-six of 186 (89%) eligible women completed the survey; 139 of 166 (84%) consented to linking clinician-collected data. The high response and zero missing data demonstrated feasibility and acceptability. Of women with linked data, 92 of 139 (66%) had ≥1 survey risk factor and 30 of 139 (22%) had ≥3; 36 of 139 (26%) had at least one co-occurring clinician-collected risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: This survey provides a simple, rapid approach to gathering antenatal risk data publicly. It may be a helpful addition to clinicians' standard history collection.
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ItemAssociations between early maternal behaviours and child language at 36 months in a cohort experiencing adversity(WILEY, 2019-01)BACKGROUND: Variations in parenting, more specifically less responsive and more directive parenting, contribute to language difficulties for children experiencing adversity. Further investigation of associations between specific responsive and directive behaviours and child language is required to understand how behaviours shape language over time within different populations. As language is dyadic, further exploration of how mother-child interactions moderate associations is also important. AIMS: To investigate associations between specific responsive and directive maternal behaviours, the quality of mother-child interaction (fluency and connectedness) and child language in a cohort experiencing adversity. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Pregnant women experiencing adversity were recruited from maternity hospitals in Australia. At 12 months, videos of mother-infant free play were collected. Videos were coded for maternal behaviours and fluency and connectedness (n = 249). At 36 months, child language was measured using a standardized language test. Linear regression models were used to examine associations and the moderating role of fluency and connectedness was explored. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Responsive yes/no questions were positively associated with language scores. Unsuccessful redirectives were negatively associated with language scores. The moderation effect of fluency and connectedness was equivocal in the current data. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Findings reproduce and extend previous research highlighting key features of mother-child interactions associated with child language trajectories. Findings also augment knowledge of risk and protective factors related to language for children experiencing adversity and highlight where targeted interventions might be successful.
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ItemTrends in the prevalence and distribution of teacher-identified special health-care needs across three successive population cohorts(WILEY, 2019-03)AIM: Some children's special health-care needs (SHCN) are formalised at the start of schooling (established SHCN), but a larger proportion start with difficulties that are milder or not yet diagnosed (emerging SHCN). This study explores whether: (i) the prevalence of teacher-identified SHCN (both overall and according to type of needs) and (ii) distribution across disadvantaged communities have changed over three successive population cohorts of Australian children. METHODS: We draw on repeated cross-sectional data from the Australian Early Development Census, a teacher-reported checklist completed on full populations of Australian school entrants in 2009, 2012 and 2015. It includes a measure of SHCN, as well as demographic information. RESULTS: The proportion of children with emerging and established needs was mostly stable from 2009 to 2015 (emerging needs: 17.1-18.9%; established needs: 4.4-4.9%). Change over time was observed in the prevalence of some specific types of impairment. Speech impairment rose by 14.7% for children with emerging needs, and emotional problems rose by 13.7% for children with established needs. Children living in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods had higher odds of SHCN in all years (e.g. emerging needs relative risk ratio 1.65 (99% confidence interval 1.55-1.75) in 2015; established needs relative risk ratio 1.88 (99% confidence interval 1.71-2.06) in 2015). CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of children starting school each year have SHCN. The types of SHCN that children present with increasingly reflect complex difficulties that require input from both the health and education sectors. Effective responses also need to consider the added impact of disadvantage.
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ItemPredictive validity of verbal and non-verbal communication and mother-child turn-taking at 12 months on language outcomes at 24 and 36 months in a cohort of infants experiencing adversity: a preliminary study(WILEY, 2018-09)BACKGROUND: Parent-reported measures of early communication have limitations for use with infants experiencing adversity. Observational measures of early non-verbal and verbal communicative behaviours and mother-child turn-taking may provide a complementary method of capturing early communication skills for these children. AIMS: To explore the predictive validity of verbal and non-verbal behaviours and mother-child conversational turn-taking (fluency and connectedness) at child age 12 months in relation to language measures at 24 and 36 months in a cohort of infants experiencing adversity. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Pregnant women experiencing adversity were recruited from maternity hospitals in Australia. At 12 months, 190 infants were videoed during mother-child free-play. Verbal and non-verbal communicative behaviours and fluency and connectedness were measured from the 12-month videos. Predictive validity of 12-month behaviours was calculated in relation to mean length of utterance and number of unique words at 24 months and Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Preschool-Second Edition (CELF-P2) Core Language scores at 36 months. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: All 12-month behaviours had adequate specificity but poor sensitivity when compared with other predictive validity studies using published early language measures. However, in adjusted regression models, fluency and connectedness and verbal behaviours at 12 months predicted unique words at 24 months. Fluency and connectedness also predicted CELF-P2 scores at 36 months. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Findings reconfirm the difficulty in early identification of children at risk of later language difficulties. All 12-month measures were more accurate at identifying those children who will have better language than those children who will not. As fluency and connectedness was the only measure to predict 24- and 36-month language in adjusted regression models, it may be an important factor to consider when measuring early language skills for infants experiencing adversity. Future research could combine observational measures of early communication and fluency and connectedness with other predictors of language to try to increase prediction accuracy.
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ItemPredictors of learning outcomes for children with and without chronic illness: An Australian longitudinal study(WILEY, 2018-11)BACKGROUND: Chronically ill children are at increased risk of poor learning outcomes. Knowledge of the predictors of learning outcomes for this group of people is important to inform the development of education supports that stand the best chance of being effective. This study explored the child, family, and school risk and protective factors during the child's transition to elementary school (aged 6-7 years) that were associated with learning outcomes when children were aged 10-11 years for both children with and without a chronic illness. METHODS: Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were used. Predictor variables were entered into separate multivariate regression models for children with and without a chronic illness. RESULTS: The strongest predictors of learning outcomes were the child's approach to learning, a consistent parenting style, and family socioeconomic position and were common for both children with and without a chronic illness but strongest for children with a chronic illness. CONCLUSION: A child's approach to learning and a consistent parenting style during the period of the child's transition to elementary school are important and potentially modifiable factors that are predictive of academic performance in later childhood. These factors are particularly relevant for children with a chronic illness, their parents/caregivers, teachers both hospital and school based, and pediatricians and can be used to inform interventions.
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ItemClassroom Promotion of Oral Language (CPOL): protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial of a school-based intervention to improve children's literacy outcomes at grade 3, oral language and mental health(BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2017-11)INTRODUCTION: Oral language and literacy competence are major influences on children's developmental pathways and life success. Children who do not develop the necessary language and literacy skills in the early years of school then go on to face long-term difficulties. Improving teacher effectiveness may be a critical step in lifting oral language and literacy outcomes. The Classroom Promotion of Oral Language trial aims to determine whether a specifically designed teacher professional learning programme focusing on promoting oral language can lead to improved teacher knowledge and practice, and advance outcomes in oral language and literacy for early years school children, compared with usual practice. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a two-arm cluster multisite randomised controlled trial conducted within Catholic and Government primary schools across Victoria, Australia. The intervention comprises 4 days of face-to-face professional learning for teachers and ongoing implementation support via a specific worker. The primary outcome is reading ability of the students at grade 3, and the secondary outcomes are teacher knowledge and practice, student mental health, reading comprehension and language ability at grade 1; and literacy, writing and numeracy at grade 3. Economic evaluation will compare the incremental costs of the intervention to the measured primary and secondary outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial was approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee #CF13/2634-2013001403 and later transferred to the University of Melbourne #1545540. The investigators (including Government and Catholic partners) will communicate trial results to stakeholders, collaborators and participating schools and teachers via appropriate presentations and publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN77681972; Pre-results.
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ItemThe Impact of Policy Modifiable Factors on Inequalities in Rates of Child Dental Caries in Australia(MDPI, 2019-06-01)Background: Poor oral health in childhood can lead to adverse impacts later in life. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and population distribution of childhood dental caries in Australia and investigate factors that might ameliorate inequalities. Methods: Data from the nationally representative birth cohort Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (N = 5107), using questions assessing: The experience of dental caries during each biennial follow-up period (2-3 years to 10-11 years), socioeconomic position (SEP), and policy modifiable oral health factors. Results: The odds of dental caries were higher for children with lowest vs. highest SEP (adjusted OR (adjOR) 1.92, 95% CI 1.49-2.46), and lower where water was fluoridated to recommended levels (adjOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.43-0.64). There was no evidence of an association between caries experience and either reported sugary diet or tooth brushing. When SEP and fluoridation were considered in conjunction, compared to the highest SEP group with water fluoridation children in the lowest SEP with fluoridation had adjOR 1.54 for caries, (95% CI 1.14-2.07), and children in the lowest SEP without fluoridation had adjOR 4.06 (95% CI 2.88-5.42). For patterns of service use: The highest SEP group reported a greater percentage of service use in the absence of caries. Conclusions: Dental caries appears prevalent and is socially distributed in Australia. Policy efforts should consider how to ensure that children with dental caries receive adequate prevention and early care with equitable uptake.
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ItemTesting of a synthetic phonics-based targeted reading intervention for students with reading difficulties in Year 1: protocol for an efficacy randomised controlled trial(BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2018-01)INTRODUCTION: Literacy is fundamental for educational achievement, and in the longer term contributes substantially to a range of life skills. Literacy difficulties during the early years of school are associated with long-term impacts on academic success, with differences in academic achievement sustained through children's schooling. Therefore, addressing literacy difficulties during the early years of school is essential in reducing the risk of children progressing onto negative academic, psychosocial and vocational trajectories. This trial will determine whether a phonics-based reading intervention can improve the reading comprehension of students identified as low-progress readers in the second year of primary school. METHODS/DESIGN: We recruited 236 students fromnine schools after screening for reading difficulties in the second year of primary school (Year 1). Schools in Sydney and Central Coast of New South Wales will be invited to participate via an opt-out consent process. All children identified as being in the bottom 25th percentile using the Wheldall Assessment of Reading Lists will be eligible for the trial. These children will be randomised into either 'usual teaching' or 'intervention' groups. Trained school support teachers will deliver the MiniLit intervention. Intervention: In groups of four, children will complete a daily 1-hour lesson with their MiniLit teacher over 20 school weeks. Follow-up: Immediately after intervention completion and 6 months later using child face-to-face assessments. Primary outcome: Reading comprehension at 6 months after intervention completion. The study will have an embedded process and cost-effectiveness evaluation. DISCUSSION: The Building Better Readers trial will be the first efficacy randomised controlled trial comparing usual teaching with a phonics-based reading intervention for children with reading difficulties in Year 1 of primary school in Australia. The randomised design will limit the effect of bias on outcomes seen in other studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12617000179336.
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ItemDriving Precision Policy Responses to Child Health and Developmental Inequities(Mary Ann Liebert, 2019-01-01)The growing evidence base on the extent of and opportunities to reduce inequities in children's health and development still lacks the specificity to inform clear policy decisions. A new phase of research is needed that builds on contemporary directions in precision medicine to develop precision policy making; with the aim to redress child inequities. This would include identifying effective interventions and their ideal time point(s), duration, and intensity to maximize impact. Drawing on existing data sources and innovations in epidemiology and biostatistics would be key. The economic and social gains that could be achieved from reducing child inequities are immense.