Indigenous Child Research Articles

Cross-cultural communication: Tools for working with families and children.

The ability to communicate effectively with patients and families is paramount for good patient care. This practice point reviews the importance of communicating effectively in cross-cultural encounters. The concept of cultural competence is introduced, along with the LEARN (Listen, Explain, Acknowledge, Recommend, Negotiate) model for cross-cultural communication. Three vignettes, one each in Indigenous, global, and newcomer child health, are used to illustrate challenges in cross-cultural communication and effective application of the LEARN model. Practical tips are provided for communicating across cultures.

Characterizing gestational weight gain in a cohort of Indigenous Australian women

Objectiveto determine the adequacy of gestational weight gain for a cohort of Indigenous Australian women and investigate whether it is associated with pre-pregnancy body mass index. Designanalysis of observational data collected from a longitudinal cohort study that follows Indigenous Australian women through pregnancy. Settingwomen recruited through antenatal clinics in regional and remote towns in NSW, Australia to the Gomeroi gaaynggal program. Participants110 pregnant women who either identified as being an Indigenous Australian or as carrying an Indigenous child. Measurements and findingsmeasurements included weight and height, self-reported pre-pregnancy weight and smoking status, parity and health conditions that may contribute to gestational weight gain, such as hypertensive or diabetic disorders. Compared to the 2009 Institute of Medicine recommendations for gestational weight gain and based on prepregnancy body mass index, the rate of adequate gestational weight gain in this cohort was very low (15%). 32% of women had inadequate weight gain and 54% had excessive weight gain. The highest rate of excessive gestational weight gain was found in overweight women (74%), with rates of 48% and 50% found in healthy and obese (all classes) categories, respectively. Parity (coefficient 4.5, p<0.01) and hypertension (coefficient 4.8, p = 0.04) were found to be significantly associated with gestational weight gain in mixed model linear regression. Conclusionsfew women gained adequate gestational weight gain in this study. Culturally acceptable ways of addressing this issue are needed for this group of women, as inadequate and excessive rates of gestational weight gain have health implications for women and their offspring. Implications for practicea systematic approach to addressing gestational weight gain within antenatal care is required, including asking about diet and exercise, for all women identifying as Indigenous Australian.

Understanding the structure and processes of primary health care for young indigenous children

INTRODUCTION Primary health care organisations need to continuously reform to more effectively address current health challenges, particularly for vulnerable populations. There is growing evidence that optimal health service structures are essential for producing positive outcomes. AIM To determine if there is an association between process of care indicators (PoCIs) for important young indigenous child health and social issues and: (i) primary health-care service and child characteristics; and (ii) organisational health service structures. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of 1554 clinical child health audits and associated system assessments from 74 primary care services from 2012 to 2014. Composite PoCIs were developed for social and emotional wellbeing, child neurodevelopment and anaemia. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models were fitted, clustering for health services. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were derived. RESULTS Overall, 32.0% (449) of records had a social and emotional wellbeing PoCI, 56.6% (791) had an anaemia PoCI and 49.3% (430) had a child neurodevelopment PoCI. Children aged 12-23 months were significantly more likely to receive all PoCIs compared to children aged 24-59 months. For every one point increase in assessment scores for team structure and function (aOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.27) and care planning (aOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.29) items, there was a 14% greater odds of a child having an anaemia PoCI. Social and emotional wellbeing and child neurodevelopment PoCIs were not associated with system assessment scores. DISCUSSION Ensuring young indigenous children aged 24-59 months are receiving quality care for important social and health indicators is a priority. Processes of care and organisational systems in primary care services are important for the optimal management of anaemia in indigenous children.

Psychomotor development from 0 to 4 years in indigenous children. A sistematic literature search

The objective of this study was to evaluate published articles regarding the development of indigenous children aged 0 to four years. Systematic literature search. Parti cipants: Primary studies with populations of indigenous children aged 0 to four years. Type of studies: Primary studies with qualitative or quantitative methodologies published in the last ten years until November 2015. Databases: MEDLINE, Digital Library of the University of Girona: CERCADOR, EMBASE, Scielo. sensitive and specific. Free terms, MeSH, and Boolean. Nine articles remain for analysis. There are six central subjects related to intracultural patterns of expected development in indigenous childhood: 1) physical, 2) language, 3) socio-cognitive, 4) emo tional, 5) teaching-learning, 6) psychosocial, which reveal the existence of categories of sociocultural and spiritual contents. There is no defined period of time associated with the education. Learning is through observation and participation. Development is understood as a whole, intertwining the social, cultural, natural and spiritual. Spirituality and nature are at the center. Time as a goal to gain skills does not have a cultural function to demonstrate the acquisition of the inherent va lues to the culture. To base the assessment of development exclusively on psychomotor development as monitoring guide is insufficient to assess the integrality and complexity of the advances, abilities, and skills of indigenous children.

Honoring the Eighth Generation: Indigenous Childhood and Indigenous Children at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

This article examines the foundations of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights's approach and content relating to Indigenous childhoods and to Indigenous children's rights. Through an examination of existing content, I position these practices at the forefront of new scholarly literature on children and Indigenous rights. Our exhibits engage with childhood on both conceptual and experiential levels within broader Indigenous understandings about the rights of people and communities. In doing so, our exhibits connect with the public in a new way that moves intersectionality beyond only the realm of academia and works towards building reconciliation.

Development and initial validation of the Retrospective Indigenous Childhood Enrichment scale (RICE).

294 Aboriginal Australian people (60-92 years), living in urban or regional areas of NSW, completed the RICE scale as part of a longer face-to-face interview. Additional data was collected on their formal education, childhood environment, and childhood trauma (Study 1). Test-retest, inter-method and inter-rater reliability were assessed in a convenience sample of a further 38 participants by re-administration of the RICE scale at two time points, approximately 14 days apart (M = 14.11, SD = 6.78) (Study 2). Factor analyses reduced the scale from 21 items to 18 and identified three factors: (1) Traditional, (2) Intellectual, and (3) Community. Higher scores on the RICE scale were related to higher years of formal education and lower scores on a childhood trauma questionnaire. The RICE scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.79), and excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.95, 95% CI 0.90-0.97) and inter-rater reliability (0.99, CI 95% 0.997-0.999). The RICE is, to our knowledge, the first standardized measure that assesses the level of childhood environmental stimulation in older Aboriginal Australians. This could provide an important supplementary measure, in addition to formal education, to investigate cognitive reserve and dementia risk in this population and enhance understanding of the links between childhood experiences and late-life cognitive decline.

Maternal alcohol use disorder and child school attendance outcomes for non-Indigenous and Indigenous children in Western Australia: a population cohort record linkage study

ObjectivesExamine the relationship between maternal alcohol use disorder and child school attendance outcomes for non-Indigenous and Indigenous children in Western Australia.DesignPopulation cohort study.SettingRoutinely collected linked administrative health, education and child...

Perspectives on the complexity of Indigenous child health.

Perspectives on the complexity of Indigenous child health.

Factors that influence evidence-based program sustainment for family support providers in child protection services in disadvantaged communities

This paper evaluates program, workplace and process factors associated with implementation and sustainment of an evidence-based parenting support program (EBP) in disadvantaged communities. Correlation analyses and binary logistic regressions were used to assess the associations between key implementation support factors and program implementation (at 18 months) and sustainment (at 36 months) post training with (N=35) Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family support providers using the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program in Indigenous child protection agencies. This study demonstrated that for implementation at 18 months, there was a trend for implementing providers to report higher levels of partnership support, perceived program benefit, workplace support and workplace cohesion. However, the only significant relationship was with partnership support (r=.31 p<0.05), and regression analysis indicated that none of the variables were significant predictors of program implementation. For sustained implementation at 36 months, no relationship was found between sustainment and program characteristics, workplace characteristics, supervision and peer support or sustainability planning. Supportive coaching was the only significant correlate (r=0.46, p<0.01) and predictor [OR=15.63, 95% CI (1.98–123.68), p=0.009] in the program sustainment model. Overall, these findings suggest the need for further exploration of program and workplace variables and provide evidence to consider incorporating partnership support and supportive coaching in real world implementation models to improve the likelihood of EBP implementation and sustainment in Indigenous communities.

Interventions Aimed at the Prevention of Childhood Injuries in the Indigenous Populations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand in the Last 20 Years: A Systematic Review.

Globally, Indigenous children are found to be at a significantly higher risk of injury compared to non-Indigenous children. It has been suggested that mainstream injury prevention strategies are ineffective within Indigenous communities. The aim of this review is to identify existing interventions aimed at preventing injury in Indigenous children in the hope that it guides future strategies. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no prior systematic reviews exist looking at interventions specifically aimed at preventing injury in Indigenous child populations in the three chosen countries. Electronic databases were systematically searched for relevant childhood interventions aimed at the prevention of injuries in Indigenous populations based in Canada, Australia and New Zealand from 1996 to 2016. A manual search of the reference lists of relevant articles and a manual search of relevant websites were also completed. After 191 records were screened, six interventions were identified meeting the criteria for inclusion. Eligible papers underwent a quality appraisal using adapted assessment checklists and key information was extracted. Findings were then synthesized using a narrative approach. The interventions mainly promoted child safety through activities focusing on education and awareness. Only three of the six studies measured changes in injury hospitalization rates, all but one evaluation reporting a significant decrease. Studies which measured awareness all demonstrated positive changes. Results suggest that interventions delivered in a culturally appropriate manner acted as a main success factor. Barriers identified as hindering intervention success included lack of cohesion within the intervention due to staff turnover and lack of experienced staff with Indigenous knowledge. This review revealed a limited amount of evaluated interventions for the prevention of Indigenous childhood injuries. Conclusive evidence of the effectiveness of existing interventions is lacking due to the predominantly small-scale evaluations of pilot interventions. Future research is needed to provide more rigorous evidence of the mechanisms driving the successful implementation, delivery and uptake of such strategies tailored to Indigenous children.

Delivering an empowerment intervention to a remote Indigenous child safety workforce: Its economic cost from an agency perspective

BackgroundThe Family Wellbeing (FWB) program applies culturally appropriate community led empowerment training to enhance the personal development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in life skills. This study sought to estimate the economic cost required to deliver the FWB program to a child safety workforce in remote Australian communities. MethodThis study was designed as a retrospective cost description taken from the perspective of a non-government child safety agency. The target population were child protection residential care workers aged 24 or older, who worked in safe houses in five remote Indigenous communities and a regional office during the study year (2013). Resource utilization included direct costs (personnel and administrative) and indirect or opportunity costs of participants, regarded as absence from work. ResultsThe total cost of delivering the FWB program for 66 participants was $182,588 ($2766 per participant), with 45% ($82,995) of costs classified as indirect (i.e., opportunity cost of participants time). Training cost could be further mitigated (∼30%) if offered on-site, in the community. The costs for offering the FWB program to a remotely located workforce were high, but not substantial when compared to the recruitment cost required to substitute a worker in remote settings. ConclusionAn investment of $2766 per participant created an opportunity to improve social and emotional wellbeing of remotely located workforce. This cost study provided policy relevant information by identifying the resources required to transfer the FWB program to other remote locations. It also can be used to support future comparative cost and outcome analyses and add to the evidence base around the cost-effectiveness of empowerment programs.

Family-centred interventions by primary healthcare services for Indigenous early childhood wellbeing in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States: a systematic scoping review

BackgroundPrimary healthcare services in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States have embraced the concept of family-centred care as a promising approach to supporting and caring for the health of young Indigenous children and their families. This scoping review assesses the quality of the evidence base and identifies the published literature on family- centred interventions for Indigenous early childhood wellbeing.MethodsFourteen electronic databases, grey literature sources and the reference lists of Indigenous maternal and child health reviews were searched to identify relevant publications from 2000 to 2015. Studies were included if the intervention was: 1) focussed on Indigenous children aged from conception to 5 years from the abovementioned countries; 2) led by a primary healthcare service; 3) described or evaluated; and 4) scored greater than 50% against a validated scale for family-centredness. The study characteristics were extracted and quality rated. Reported aims, strategies, enablers and outcomes of family-centredcare were identified using grounded theory methods.ResultsEighteen studies (reported in 25 publications) were included. Three were randomised controlled studies; most were qualitative and exploratory in design. More than half of the publications were published from 2012 to 2015. The overarching aim of interventions was to promote healthy families. Six key strategies were to: support family behaviours and self- care, increase maternal knowledge, strengthen links with the clinic, build the Indigenous workforce, promote cultural/ community connectedness and advocate for social determinants of health. Four enablers were: competent and compassionate program deliverers, flexibility of access, continuity and integration of healthcare, and culturally supportive care. Health outcomes were reported for Indigenous children (nutritional status; emotional/behavioural; and prevention of injury and illness); parents/caregivers (depression and substance abuse; and parenting knowledge, confidence and skills); health services (satisfaction; access, utilization and cost) and community/cultural revitalisation.Discussion and conclusionThe evidence for family-centred interventions is in the early stages of development, but suggests promise for generating diverse healthcare outcomes for Indigenous children and their parents/caregivers, as well as satisfaction with and utilisation of healthcare, and community/cultural revitalisation. Further research pertaining to the role of fathers in family-centred care, and the effects and costs of interventions is needed.

The attrition of indigenous and non-indigenous child sexual abuse cases in two Australian jurisdictions.

Indigenous children are significantly more likely to be victims of sexual abuse than non-Indigenous children. To investigate justice outcomes for Indigenous children, we aimed in this study to compare Indigenous versus non-Indigenous cases of suspected child sexual abuse as they proceed through the criminal justice system in 2 Australian jurisdictions. In Study 1, case progression of the 2 groups was compared at the following 5 stages: Forensic disclosure (child disclosed to police in a forensic interview), case is charged, case is proceeded by public prosecutors, case goes to court, and conviction. The results revealed that in both jurisdictions, Indigenous children were less likely than non-Indigenous children to make an allegation of abuse and to have the case proceeded by public prosecutors. These findings suggest that it was more difficult for Indigenous cases of suspected child sexual abuse to proceed through the criminal justice system. A second study investigated which case characteristics predicted forensic disclosure. Previous disclosure by the child and the availability of a corroborating witness were significant predictors of a case having evidence in the form of a forensic disclosure, in both jurisdictions. In conclusion, cases for Indigenous children were less likely to have evidence in the form of a forensic disclosure than non-Indigenous children, and community related variables significantly predicted abuse allegations, in both cohorts. If an Indigenous child did not make an allegation of abuse within the community, the child was unlikely to make an allegation of abuse to police.

‘Yarning up with Koori kids’ – hearing the voices of Australian urban Indigenous children about their health and well-being

ABSTRACTObjective: Australian Indigenous children experience some of the most substantial health inequalities globally. In this context, research regarding their health and well-being has overemphasised physical illnesses with limited exploration of a diverse range of dimensions and determinants, particularly those based on Indigenous holistic understandings of health and well-being. This deficit-based approach has thus missed many strengths and assets of Indigenous children. This research aimed to gain insight into the perspectives of Indigenous children about their health and well-being in an urban setting in Australia. It joins a limited international literature examining views and experiences of non-majority children.Design: Participatory and qualitative child-friendly research methods were utilised. The project was developed in partnership with Indigenous community organisations and members. Photo-elicitation activities and focus groups were conducted with 31 Indigenous children aged 8–12 years. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, combining focus group and interview data.Results: It was evident an urban Indigenous child perspective of health and well-being includes rich understandings of the interconnectedness of physical, social-emotional and cultural dimensions of holism, as well as the integral importance of family and community relationships. The study also found that specific worries regarding loss of loved ones and racism were highly salient in Indigenous children’s lives.Conclusion: The overwhelming conclusion to be drawn from this research is that Indigenous children in urban areas need ongoing recognition of both their agency and resilience in the face of adversity, within a wider context of historical and contemporary racialisation and racism.

Updates in Global, Indigenous, and Cross-Cultural Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: The Legacy of Dr. John F. McDermott, Jr.

Updates in Global, Indigenous, and Cross-Cultural Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: The Legacy of Dr. John F. McDermott, Jr.

Relational approaches to fostering health equity for Indigenous children through early childhood intervention

ABSTRACTThis paper reports on key findings of a critical qualitative inquiry undertaken with an Indigenous early child development (ECD) program in Canada, known as the Aboriginal Infant Development Program (AIDP). In depth, semi-structured interviews were used to obtain the perspectives of: Indigenous caregivers and Elders, AIDP workers, and administrative leaders. The findings centre on: (1) a relational perspective of family wellbeing that emphasises the inseparability between child health inequities and the impact of structural social factors on families’ lives, and (2) how AIDP workers’ enact relational accountability to families by: (a) fostering cultural connections; (b) creating networks of belonging and support; (c) responding to caregivers’ self-identified priorities; (d) mitigating racism in healthcare encounters, and (e) deferring an ‘ECD agenda’. Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, these findings illustrate relational approaches to early intervention, characterised by a broader and socially responsive scope of practice and the deferral of a normative ‘ECD agenda’. This study has relevance in a variety of international contexts and to a broad range of disciplines and programs that serve families and children impacted by structural inequities.

&lt;b&gt;Crianças indígenas: o papel dos jogos, das brincadeiras e da imitação na aprendizagem e no desenvolvimento

Este texto, resulta de pesquisas realizadas pelo projeto Observatório da Educação Escolar Indígena/UEM-PR, financiado pela CAPES/SECADI/INEP, trata de alguns elementos que compõem a infância e a educação indígena, evidenciando aspectos históricos e destacando as brincadeiras, os jogos, sua importância e suas funções nas vivências familiares e na comunidade como elementos de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento. Reflete acerca de relatos produzidos por etnógrafos que tiveram contato com grupos indígenas do sul do Brasil, em meados do século XIX e início do século XX, e seus registros relativos à infância indígena junto aos grupos familiares, bem como apresenta alguns estudos recentes sobre a infância indígena, especialmente entre as etnias Kaingang, Guarani e Xetá.

Childhood and Colonialism in Canadian History

AbstractThis article examines the ways in which settler colonialism has shaped the scholarly literature on the history of childhood in post‐Confederation Canada. The first wave of scholarship on the history of young people in Canada, shaped by the disavowal and “social forgetting” of settler colonialism, focused on issues like the welfare state and child migration. Using the frameworks and methods of social history, these works ignored Indigenous childhoods and failed to consider non‐Indigenous Canadians as settlers. This approach became untenable after the publication of a number of studies of Indigenous children's experiences in day, industrial, and residential schools, and the remainder of the article considers the still uneven ways in which historians of childhood in Canada have discussed Indigenous and settler childhoods and engaged with the concepts of whiteness and settler colonialism.

Journal Name Change - CAYC Journal of Childhood Studies

&lt;p class="p1"&gt;&lt;span class="s1"&gt;Dear members of the CAYC community,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="p2"&gt;We would like to share with you exciting news about the CAYC journal.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="p2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Journal Name Change&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="p2"&gt;In April 2016, the CAYC Board decided unanimously to change the name of the journal. Formerly titled &lt;em&gt;Canadian Children: Journal of The Canadian Association for Young Children&lt;/em&gt;, the journal is now called: &lt;em&gt;The Canadian Association for Young Children Journal of Childhood Studies.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="p2"&gt;The new title reflects contemporary changes in the conception of childhoods and its growing relation to a wider array of fields of studies and practices. This change also responds to, and opens up, questions about identities and belonging in light of the transient nature of contemporary childhoods, and the necessity to actively respond to histories, present and future, of Indigenous childhoods.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="p2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increase in Number of Issues&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="p2"&gt;Over the past couple of years, with the support of a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the journal has grown in its scope, depth, and accessibility. Our goal is to publish four issues per year (an increase of two issues per year). To this end, we regularly put out calls for papers from researchers and practitioners. The &lt;em&gt;Journal of Childhood Studies&lt;/em&gt; invites papers that explore childhoods through theory, research, and practice across diverse disciplines.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="p2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Free Access&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="p2"&gt;As one of the leading journals on the topic of childhood on the Canadian landscape, CAYC has committed to making The &lt;em&gt;Journal of Childhood Studies &lt;/em&gt;freely accessible online. In its new format, local and international early childhood practitioners, students, and researchers can access the journal on a regular to basis learn about and respond to alternative approaches and conceptualizations of childhood and its related practices. &lt;/p&gt;

Genocide or Ethnic Cleansing? Are These Our Only Choices?

Gary Clayton Anderson has boldly instigated a conversation on the nature of Indian-white conflict in the American West—in a nutshell he asks, was it genocide or ethnic cleansing? Anderson answers this emphatically: ethnic cleansing, which he defines as “forced dislocation with the intent to take away lands of a particular ethnic, religious, or cultural group.” He argues that we should not label what happened in the West in the late nineteenth century as genocide because relatively low numbers of Indians were killed and there was no official intent to eliminate Indians. His most intriguing argument is that government officials engaged in one crime against humanity—ethnic cleansing through forced deportation and confinement to reservations—to actually prevent the more heinous crime of genocide. Anderson’s formulation of Indian-white conflict in the West as an either/or choice strikes me as an oversimplification of what is actually a both/and phenomenon. Scholars such as Brendan C. Lindsay and Benjamin Madley have shown—pretty incontrovertibly—that it is entirely appropriate to use the term genocide to represent what happened in California in the late nineteenth century.1 Anderson has shown that ethnic cleansing may be a more accurate term for what transpired in other instances.2 In this brief commentary, I intend to critique both genocide and ethnic cleansing as limiting concepts and discuss alternative means of understanding a broader history of Indian-white conflict that puts women and children at the center rather than at the periphery of our historical inquiry. I have researched, written, and spoken about Indigenous child removal in the American West, Australia, and Canada for nearly twenty years, and I am often asked whether the practice should …