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Inequitable pregnancy care experiences and outcomes disproportionately affect refugee background women in Australia. Culturally safe care is essential for achieving health equity, however, cultural safety can only be determined by the person receiving care. To our knowledge, women of refugee background in Australia are yet to be asked what culturally safe pregnancy care is to them. Specifically, this study aimed to explore what culturally safe pregnancy care is to Karen women (from Burma) of refugee background. A photovoice study founded on community-based participatory research principles was undertaken with a Karen community of refugee background living in Victoria, Australia. A community advisory group was established, guiding study design and conduct. Five S'gaw Karen-speaking women with experience of pregnancy care in Australia were invited to take photos within their community. Participants shared their photos and stories with each other in four online discussion groups. Reflexive thematic analysis guided by a critical constructionist lens developed three themes: Building foundations for belonging; cultivating reciprocal curiosity; and storytelling as an expression of self and shared power. These themes sit within the overarching theme When I can be my whole authentic self, I feel safe and know that I belong. When Karen women can embrace their cultural and spiritual identity without fear of discrimination, including racism, culturally safe pregnancy care is possible. This study contributes to the design and delivery of maternity services by providing insights that can enhance equitable and culturally safe pregnancy care for Karen women of refugee background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractStable, affordable and safe housing is a key determinant of health and wellbeing. Evidence from an Australian population-based cohort of 344 Aboriginal mothers and children aged 5-9 years shows that tenure type, financial difficulties and women’s experience of partner violence are key drivers to housing stability. Stable housing was defined as moving house ≤ two times in the previous five years. Women had higher odds of stable housing if they had not reported partner violence in the last year (Adj. OR = 2.2, 95%CI 1.1–4.3) and reported fewer financial difficulties (Adj. OR= 2.2, 95%CI 0.9–5.4). Women in private rental had lower odds of stable housing (Adj. OR = 0.4, 95%CI 0.2–0.7) compared to women in government subsidised rental housing. Understanding factors that support housing stability is crucial to ensure the best outcomes for young Aboriginal children and families at a critical period in the life course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social functioning of children with experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) between caregivers in early childhood has received less attention than emotional–behavioral outcomes. Drawing on data from 1507 ten‐year‐old Australian‐born children and their mothers participating in a community‐based longitudinal study, this study examined the associations between IPV exposure during infancy and social development during middle childhood. IPV during the first 12 months of life was associated with lower social skills, higher peer problems, and peer victimization at age 10 years, while accounting for concurrent IPV. This study provides evidence for the long‐term impacts of early‐life IPV exposure on children's social functioning, and the importance of prevention and early intervention programs focused on social development following experiences of IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on data from a prospective pregnancy cohort (N = 1,507), this study examines the relationship between exposure to physical and emotional intimate partner violence (IPV) across the first 10 years of motherhood and women's mental and physical health. A measure of IPV (Composite Abuse Scale) was included at 1, 4, and 10 years postpartum. Past year and prior experiences of IPV were associated with mental and physical health issues at 10 years, both for mothers who had experienced combined IPV and emotional IPV alone. Awareness of the health issues associated with different types of IPV can assist in tailoring responses for women who experience IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Methods Results Conclusions While COVID‐19 no longer presents a global health emergency, the indirect (non‐infection) impacts of the pandemic may exacerbate health inequalities in years to come. We examined the socio‐economic distribution of the impacts of the pandemic on the psychosocial and economic well‐being of children, young people and their families.The CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS) was conducted in seven existing longitudinal cohorts, together involving n = 3072 participants aged 0–19 years. Online surveys were conducted from May 2020–April 2021, during periods of low infection but stringent public health measures in Victoria, Australia. Analysed CRISIS domains included: COVID‐19‐related worries, mood state, economic difficulties and positive life changes. Social disadvantage of each sample was characterised by pre‐pandemic maternal education, unemployment, income and neighbourhood disadvantage, avoiding cross‐sectional data limitations. The proportion of children experiencing each type of pandemic impact was estimated within each cohort.Substantial socio‐economic disparities were observed. COVID‐19‐related worries were 22 percentage points higher in the most (24.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 19.4–29.1) versus least (2.9%, 95% CI 1–4.7) disadvantaged cohorts. Similar patterns were noted for negative mood state (19.4%, 95% CI 15–23.9 vs. 3.6%, 95% CI 1.6–5.6), economic difficulties (18.5%, 95% CI 14.2–22.9 vs. 5.7%, 95% CI 3.3–8.1) and lower levels of positive life changes (63.7%, 95% CI 58.3–69.1 vs. 83.2%, 95% CI 78.9–87.4).Indirect consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic showed significant disparities across populations experiencing different socio‐economic conditions. The pandemic offers a unique opportunity to rethink and redesign policies and services to achieve greater equity now and better preparedness for global crises in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing recognition of the critical role that refugee fathers have in helping their children and families adjust to starting life in a new country, and the contribution of their mental and physical health to settlement and family health outcomes. The aims of this systematic review were to summarize and critically appraise the quality of research reporting on estimates of mental and physical health conditions among refugee fathers. Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify peer-reviewed studies reporting on the mental and/or physical health of refugee fathers of children aged 0–18 years, who had settled in a host country. Study details and estimates of mental and/or physical health conditions were extracted, and a critical appraisal of study quality conducted. Ten studies reporting estimates of post-traumatic stress (2–86%) and general psychological distress, anxiety, depression, stress and prolonged grief (25–50%) were identified. Only one study reported on physical health. Study quality and variability in recruitment, samples, data collection methods and outcomes across studies made it difficult to estimate the overall prevalence of mental and physical health difficulties. Despite marked heterogeneity across studies, this review highlights that mental health difficulties among refugee fathers are common, identifying them as a specific cohort of socially and culturally diverse fathers at risk of poor health. The findings underscore the need for health and social policy and service delivery specifically focussed on promoting the mental health of refugee fathers and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There is a lack of longitudinal population-based research comparing women's experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the Mothers' and Young People's Study, the prevalence of physical and emotional IPV in the first year of the pandemic is compared with earlier waves of data., Design: A prospective pregnancy cohort of first-time mothers in Melbourne, Australia was followed up over the first decade of motherhood, with a quick response study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. 422 women completed the primary exposure measure (IPV; Composite Abuse Scale) in the 1st, 4th and 10th year postpartum and the additional pandemic survey (June 2020-April 2021)., Outcome Measures: Depressive symptoms; anxiety symptoms; IPV disclosure to a doctor, friends or family, or someone else., Results: Maternal report of emotional IPV alone was higher during the pandemic (14.4%, 95% CI 11.4% to 18.2%) than in the 10th (9.5%, 95% CI 7.0% to 12.7%), 4th (9.2%, 95% CI 6.8% to 12.4%) and 1st year after the birth of their first child (5.9%, 95% CI 4.0% to 8.6%). Conversely, physical IPV was lowest during the pandemic (3.1%, 95% CI 1.8% to 5.0%). Of women experiencing IPV during the pandemic: 29.7% were reporting IPV for the first time, 52.7% reported concurrent depressive symptoms and just 6.8% had told their doctor., Conclusions: Findings suggest that the spike in IPV-related crime statistics following the onset of the pandemic (typically incidents of physical violence) is the tip of the iceberg for women's IPV experiences. There is a need to increase the capacity of health practitioners to recognise emotional as well as physical IPV, and IPV ought to be considered where women present with mental health problems., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)