Tag: child and youth health
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Eight ANZJPH articles that made headlines in 2025
Hollie Harwood Each year over 1.1 million readers visit and download articles from the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (ANZJPH). While our journal citations measure impact, they don’t capture one of ANZJPH’s unique strengths – the way that our evidence-based articles influence policy and practice, support advocacy,…
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Pushing back against public health threats in Aotearoa New Zealand
Luke Garland and Cadence Kaumoana The Public Health Association of New Zealand (PHANZ) has released four policy position statements, reaffirming our commitment to a fairer, healthier Aotearoa New Zealand. These statements reflect PHANZ’s vision of Hauora mō te katoa – oranga mō te ao (“Good health for all – health equity in…
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Ahead of proposed social media ban for young Australians, are there other protections?
Rebecca Raeside, Melody Taba Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, recently addressed the National Press Club outlining how their office will be implementing the Social Media Minimum Age Bill when it now comes into effect this December (delayed from October). The legislation prevents under 16-year-olds from having social media accounts,…
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Young people, men missing out on vital preconception care
Zahra Ali Padhani and Zohra Lassi When you hear ‘maternal health’, an image of a pregnant woman or new mother may spring to mind. But maternal health doesn’t begin at conception – it encompasses the choices people make about their health in the lead up to pregnancy too. Much attention…
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Launching the Health Hive – for young minds to thrive
The Health Hive is a newly launched online space that equips young people with the skills to meaningfully contribute to research. Emma Soo, Kay Connor, Megan Keller, Jasmeh Kaur, and Julian Vaz, supported by Allyson Todd, Putu Novi Arfirsta Dharmayani, and Dr Stephanie Partridge Research helps us solve mysteries and…
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When it comes to youth mental health, listen to voices that matter
Matilda Houlihan, Kylie Maidment, Stephen Carbone, Lachlan Kent, Thea Orr, and members of the Prevention United Youth Advisory Group (YAG) – Alannah Sander, Chuan Huang Hii, Emily Howells, Isaac Yau, Jasmine Toronis, Katherine Georghiou, Lauren Jackson, Sumeyye Nur Gungor, Wesley Chen, and Zinzan Hunt-Rosacker Prevention United today released the results…
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We shouldn’t lock up young offenders with neurodisability
Dr Fiona Robards and Professor Elizabeth Jane Elliott Barely a month goes by without news of children and adolescents who are imprisoned and being mistreated in youth detention. A new parliamentary inquiry is shining a light on this mistreatment. It’s investigating if youth detention facilities are complying with children’s human rights conventions, and…
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The adolescent social media ban alone won’t work. Here’s what will
Mariah Issa, Imogen Croucher, Allyson Todd, Dr Stephanie Partridge, Rebecca Raeside Adolescence is a time where young people are forming their identity, and are susceptible to environmental, commercial, and social influences. With the rise of ‘wellness’ influencers on Instagram and TikTok, and a bombardment of marketing tactics from large companies,…
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Early interventions crucial for children’s mental health: Prof Sharon Goldfeld
PHAA The inaugural Preventive Mental Health Symposium, which happens in Melbourne and online on 12 March, marks the first time experts from the mental health and public health sectors get together to discuss ways to protect and promote mental wellbeing. It’s hosted by the Public Health Association of Australia, in…
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Proceed with caution, parents – zero alcohol drinks are not risk-free
Mr Nathan Harrison and Dr Ashlea Bartram You might have noticed that there are more and more zero-alcohol drinks appearing on shelves in Australia. Non-alcoholic beers, wines and spirits (containing <0.5% alcohol), are designed to look and taste like the alcoholic versions of the brands they are modelled on and…
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Cyberbullying among adolescents a major issue for mental health
Chenai F Dunduru and Dr Fahad Hanna Content warning: this article contains discussions of suicide. The relationship between cyberbullying and suicidality is a major public health issue that has captured the attention of researchers across the globe. In Australia, over half of all young people have experienced cyberbullying, which can…
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Fracking in 2023? Our children’s health must come first.
Dr Louise Woodward, Paediatrician, Northern Territory Fracking makes our kids sick. It pollutes the air we breathe, the food we grow and the water we need to survive. It’s also driving harmful climate change. “First, do no harm” is a defining principle in medicine. A simple phrase to make doctors…
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Next steps to helping children thrive with an expanded South Australian School Breakfast Program
Dr Alanna Sincovich, Senior Research Officer Telethon Kids Institute, Executive Committee PHAA SA Branch; Ms Mary Brushe, Study Manager Telethon Kids Institute, Vice President PHAA SA Branch. In the recently launched 2023-24 South Australian State Budget, the Premier announced an additional $6.5 million of funding to expand the state’s School…
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Putting sleep on the public health agenda
Public Health Association of Australia Researchers and the Public Health Association of Australia joined forces on 19 July 2023 to highlight the importance of sleep to population health. New research published in our official journal, The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (ANZJPH), highlighted concerning results when it…
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The first sleep health program for First Nations adolescents could change lives
Yaqoot Fatima, The University of Queensland; Azhar Potia, The University of Queensland; James Ward, The University of Queensland, and Mina Kinghorn, The University of Queensland Adolescence is a sensitive life stage when emerging independence, changing social roles, excessive screen time, academic pressures, and significant biological changes can lead to emotional…
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On World No Tobacco Day, read an expert’s perspective on e-cigarettes
Editor’s note: Today, Wednesday 31 May, marks World No Tobacco Day. Yesterday, Associate Professor Michelle Jongenelis spoke before the Health and Environment Committee on their inquiry into reducing rates of e-cigarette use in Queensland. Read her opening statement below. Associate Professor Michelle Jongenelis Thank you for the opportunity to appear…
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‘An important step forward’: If passed, a new ACT Bill will help protect the human rights of intersex children
PHAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Special Interest Group On March 22, 2023, the ACT government introduced the Variation in Sex Characteristics (Restricted Medical Treatment) Bill 2023. This legislation will be an Australian first and will take action to prevent unnecessary medical interventions on intersex children, protecting and promoting their human…
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Vital for human survival: trees
Dr Rosalie Schultz, PHAA Environment and Ecology Special Interest Group member “Imagine if trees gave off Wifi signals. We would be planting so many trees and we’d probably save the planet too. Too bad they only produce the oxygen we breathe.” (Mudabbir Khalid in the Huffington Post, 2014). …
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How can I help my teen quit vaping?
Michelle Jongenelis, The University of Melbourne You’re driving your teen home from school when they open up to you about their vaping. What started off as an occasional puff of an e-cigarette has turned into something more serious. “I was curious and just wanted to try it,” they say. “All…
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My kids are behind with their vaccines. How do they catch up?
Holly Seale, UNSW Sydney; Abela Mahimbo, University of Technology Sydney, and Jane E Frawley, University of Technology Sydney The vast majority of Australian children are up-to-date with their vaccines. But vaccination rates have dipped slightly over the past few years. Fewer health checks, reduced access to routine health care during…
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Prioritising Adolescent Health: Working with Young People to Build a Healthier and More Inclusive Future
By Allyson Todd, Rebecca Raeside and Dr Stephanie Partridge, from the Engagement and Co-design Research Hub at The University of Sydney The theme for this year’s International Adolescent Health Week #IAHW23 (19-25 March) is working with and for young people to build a healthier and more inclusive future. Adolescents are…
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NSW politicians and candidate debate public health issues at PHAA NSW event
Image L-R: Hon Brad Hazzard MP, Adj Prof Terry Slevin, Cate Faehrmann MLC, A/Prof Kate McBride, Victoria Davidson, Ryan Park MP, and Prof Annemarie Hennessy. Image credit: Catriona Bonfiglioli/PHAA NSW Shelby Craig, Jainoor Rana, and Elspeth Hickey (PHAA Interns) An estimated 200 people attended PHAA NSW Branch’s Pre-Election…
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My teen’s vaping. What should I say? 3 expert tips on how to approach ‘the talk’
Joshua Trigg, Flinders University and Billie Bonevski, Flinders University You’ve dropped your daughter off at her friend’s house and while cleaning the car, you find what looks like a USB drive on the passenger seat. It’s a disposable vape. You’ve seen the news. Vapes or e-cigarettes are harmful yet…
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Children at greater risk of harm online if industry-drafted safety standards adopted
Dr Fiona Robards, PHAA Child and Youth Health Special Interest Group Co-Convenor Children should be shielded from online harms such as pro-terror content, child sexual exploitation material, and unethical marketing. Yet new draft Online Safety Codes, if formally registered by the eSafety Commissioner, threaten to water down protections and…
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Successes and challenges related to ending the HIV pandemic
Nwogo. I.Ekeji, Ph.D., MPH, PHAA member Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has thus far infected over 79.3 million people globally, leaving an estimated 40.1 million dead. In 2021, just over 38 million people were estimated to be living with HIV globally, of which 85% were aware of their HIV-positive status and…
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Locking up kids has serious mental health impacts and contributes to further reoffending
Summer May Finlay, University of Wollongong; Ee Pin Chang, The University of Western Australia; Jemma Collova, The University of Western Australia, and Pat Dudgeon, The University of Western Australia This article contains information on violence experienced by First Nations young people in the Australian carceral system. There are mentions of…
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It’s Anti-Poverty Week: Here are 5 ways Australia can halve child poverty by 2030
Dr Matthew ‘Tepi’ Mclaughlin (Telethon Kids Institute, the University of Western Australia); Professor Karen Thorpe, Professor Cameron Parsell, Professor Janeen Baxter, Associate Professor Wojtek Tomaszewski (The University of Queensland); Associate Professor Marian Vidal-Fernandez (University of Sydney); Professor Guyonne Kalb, Dr Barbara Broadway (University of Melbourne). Shockingly, in 2022, more…
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Reflections on the Population Health Congress 2022
Alanna Sincovich and Elise Rivera – PHAA Child and Youth Health Special Interest Group (SIG) In the third and final edition of the 2022 Child and Youth Health SIG Series, we hear from two PhD candidates, Alanna Sincovich and Elise Rivera, who attended the Population Health Congress held on the…
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Cars have taken over our neighbourhoods. Kid-friendly superblocks are a way for residents to reclaim their streets
Matthew Mclaughlin, The University of Western Australia; Hayley Christian, The University of Western Australia; Jasper Schipperijn, University of Southern Denmark, and Trevor Shilton, Curtin University You might remember your time as a child playing outdoors with friends and walking to school. These activities had tremendous benefits for our health and…
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‘Who are we?’ Highlights from the Opening Plenary of Population Health Congress 2022
Melanie Parker, PHAA Renowned researchers, public health chiefs, population health students and professionals, and prominent politicians from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand attended last week’s Population Health Congress 2022. Hosted in hybrid format by the Public Health Association of Australia, Australian Health Promotion Association, Australasian Epidemiological Association, and Australasian…