Jan M Nicholson
Biographic Data
| ID | 168497 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jan M Nicholson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jan M |
| FAMILY NAME | Nicholson |
| SIGNATURE | NICHOLSON J M |
| AFFILIATIONS | La Trobe University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0305-0017 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 60 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 235 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 60 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1973 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
“I Became a Dad, and It Wasn’t Just All About Work Anymore”: A Qualitative Study of Australian Fathers’ Work-Family Balance
Despite fathers’ increased involvement in parenting and the introduction of family-friendly workplace policies in Australia (i.e., flexible work, parental leave), fathers’ employment patterns have been resistant to change and work-family conflict remains prevalent. This study explored fathers’ perceptions and experiences of work-family balance, workplace policies and wellbeing, including before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured in…
Catalyzing collective action in evidence‐based parenting support: A model for effective research alliances
Disruption and inequity in work, family and mental health: A longitudinal study of Australian mothers before and during the Covid-19 pandemic
These results indicate that large-scale, social upheaval during COVID-19 was most disruptive for mothers with fewer resources (personal, relational and job-related) and greater caregiving responsibilities. Increased challenges negotiating work and family commitments were associated with poorer mental health. The findings reinforce the need for integration between social and public health policy, particularly in times of widespread crisis
An early parenting intervention focused on enriched parent–child interactions improves effortful control in the early years of school
This study examined long-term mediating effects of the smalltalk parenting intervention on children's effortful control at school age (7.5 years; 2016–2018). In 2010–2012, parents (96% female) of toddlers (N = 1201; aged 12–36 months; 52% female) were randomly assigned to either: standard playgroup, smalltalk playgroup (group-only), or smalltalk playgroup with additional home coaching (smalltalk plus). Multi-informant data indicated that smalltal…
They Take the Fear out of Failing: Children's and Parents’ Experiences of the Risky Kids Program in Australia
Risky Kids is an Australian community‐based program that seeks to build resilience in children and adolescents by teaching ‘risk intelligence’ through parkour, ninja, and free‐running skills, underpinned by psychological approaches. The aim of this study was to explore children's and parents’ experiences of the Risky Kids program. We interviewed 18 children aged 6–13 years and held three focus groups with 15 parents and caregivers across three si…
Categorical and dimensional approaches to the developmental relationship between ADHD and irritability
BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and irritability commonly co-occur, and follow similar developmental trajectories from childhood to adolescence. Understanding of the developmental relationship between these co-occurrences is limited. This study provides a longitudinal assessment of how ADHD diagnostic status and symptom patterns predict change in irritability. METHODS: A community sample of 337 participants (45.2% ADHD…
Family Bonds with Pets and Mental Health during Covid-19 in Australia: A Complex Picture
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to the health-promoting features of human-animal relationships, particularly for families with children. Despite this, the World Health Organization's (1986) Ottawa Charter remains human-centric. Given the reciprocal health impacts of human-animal relationships, this paper aims to (i) describe perceived pet-related benefits, worries, and family activities; and to (ii) examine differences in perceived bene…
Social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Aboriginal controlled social housing
This trial was retrospectively registered with the ISRCTN Register on the 12/7/21 with the study ID:ISRCTN33665735
Stranger danger’, ‘abduction risks’ and ‘fear’: Media coverage of children's independent mobility and parental attitudes
The media plays a powerful role in shaping health‐related attitudes and behaviours. We investigated media reports about children's independent mobility (CIM) and associations with parental attitudes towards CIM. CIM‐related media reports (newspaper, online, television) during a 3‐month period were extracted from two databases. Concurrent parental attitudes were collected via telephone interview from 1779 parents of children aged 9–15 years. Media…
Do neighbourhoods influence how parents and children interact? Direct observations of parent–child interactions within a large Australian study
Does place matter in the implementation of an evidence‐based program policy in an Australian place‐based initiative for children
Policy-mandated requirements for use of evidence-based programs (EBP) in place-based initiatives are becoming more common. Little attention has been paid to the geographic aspects of uneven market development and urbanicity in implementing EBPs in large place-based initiatives. The aim of this study was to explore geographic variation in knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of service providers who implemented an EBP policy in Australia's larges…
Service Provider Attitudes toward Evidence-Based Programs in an Australian Place-Based Initiative: Examining Organisational Roles and Evidence-Supportive Environments
Companionship and Worries in Uncertain Times: Australian Parents' Experiences of Children and Pets During Covid-19
Companion animals (pets), especially cats and dogs, have featured regularly in the media and public discourse during the global COVID-19 pandemic, including increased demand for pet adoption and more time spent with existing pets. This qualitative study aimed to describe the experiences of Australian parents with a child under 18 years and a cat or dog. Within a broader survey, parents were asked open-ended questions about the benefits and challe…
Evaluation of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander strengths based coaching program: A study protocol
This trial was retrospectively registered with the ISRCTN Register on the 12/7/21 with the study ID: ISRCTN33665735
Does flexible work 'work' in Australia? A survey of employed mothers' and fathers' work, family and health
Workplace flexibility is perceived to benefit parents yet evidence of \nthe effectiveness of formal work arrangements in promoting \nparents’ health is mixed, and few have evaluated informal \nflexibility. This study investigates Australian mothers’ and fathers’ \nuse of formal (employer-provided) and informal (self-directed) \nwork arrangements and associations with work-family conflict and \nhealth outcomes (psychological distress, occupational…
Vocabulary Development and Trajectories of Behavioral and Emotional Difficulties Via Academic Ability and Peer Problems
This study investigates associations between trajectories of children's vocabulary development and subsequent behavioral and emotional difficulties via two potential mediating mechanisms; literacy and peer problems. Nationally representative data from 4,983 Australian children were used to examine trajectories of receptive vocabulary (4–5, 6–7, and 8–9 years) and hyperactivity-inattention, conduct problems and emotional symptoms (8–9, 10–11, 12–1…
Comparison of Early Feeding Practices in Mother–Father Dyads and Possible Generalization of an Efficacious Maternal Intervention to Fathers’ Feeding Practices: A Secondary Analysis
To compare feeding practices within mother-father dyads and explore whether outcomes of an efficacious intervention for mothers generalised to fathers' feeding practices. The NOURISH RCT evaluated an early feeding intervention that promoted positive feeding practices to support development of healthy eating habits and growth. The intervention was delivered to first-time mothers via 2 × 12 week modules commencing when children were 4 and 14 months…
Measuring educational attainment in longitudinal research: Challenges and recommendations
Demographic data, such as highest level of education attained, are often assumed to be relatively free from measurement error. As part of an evaluation of an early childhood parenting intervention, 654 parents reported their highest level of education via telephone interview at baseline and self-directed questionnaire at follow-up 5.7 years later. At follow-up, 14% reported a lower level of education compared to baseline, indicating measurement e…
Selective attrition in longitudinal studies: Effective processes for Facebook tracing
Participant attrition is a significant challenge for longitudinal studies, particularly those involving disadvantaged populations. We attempted to re-engage n = 990 families in a five-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial of an early childhood parenting intervention. Tracing was attempted for n = 90/990 (9.1%) uncontactable participants. Evidence for the identification of a matching Facebook profile was classified as strong, moderate or…
Feasibility and acceptability of an online acceptance and commitment therapy group for parents caring for a child with cerebral palsy
This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of a videoconferencing group psychotherapy intervention for parents of children living with cerebral palsy. A six-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention called Take a Breath was provided. Participants were 26 parents of children aged 12 months to nine years, with severe cerebral palsy. Parents responded to questionnaires at three time-points; baseline, pre-intervention, a…
Student–teacher relationship quality in children with and without ADHD: A cross-sectional community based study
Is Self-Employment a Good Option? Gender, Parents and the Work-Family Interface
Exploring the effect of the ‘Growing Together’ parenting education kit on early parenting - study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
ANZCTRN12615000270516 - Retrospectively registered (23/03/2015); trial started on 16 March 2015
Ethical Considerations in Using Social Media to Engage Research Participants: Perspectives of Australian Researchers and Ethics Committee Members
Researchers increasingly use social media (SM) to recruit, retain, and trace participants, yet empirical literature investigating the ethics of engaging participants via SM is lacking. We conducted a survey of 401 Australian researchers and human research ethics committee (HREC) members to examine their experience, attitudes, and ethical concerns toward engaging participants via SM. Data revealed that researchers and HREC members share similar co…
It’s not black and white”: Public health researchers’ and ethics committees’ perceptions of engaging research participants online
Purpose The internet offers an opportunity for researchers to engage participants in research in a cost-effective and timely manner. Yet the use of the internet as a research tool (internet research) comes with a range of ethical concerns, and the rapidly changing online environment poses challenges for both researchers and ethics committees. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the key ethical issues of using the internet to recruit, retain…
Parents' transitions into and out of work-family conflict and children's mental health: Longitudinal influence via family functioning
What matters for working fathers? Job characteristics, work-family conflict and enrichment, and fathers' postpartum mental health in an Australian cohort
Do working mothers raise couch potato kids? Maternal employment and children's lifestyle behaviours and weight in early childhood
The Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ-28): A parsimonious version validated for longitudinal use from 2 to 5 years
Associations between infant temperament and early feeding practices. A cross-sectional study of Australian mother-infant dyads from the Nourish randomised controlled trial
Fathers at Work: Work–Family Conflict, Work–Family Enrichment and Parenting in an Australian Cohort
Contemporary fathering is characterized by the combined responsibilities of employment and parenting. Relationships between work-family conflict, work-family enrichment, and fathering behaviors have not been widely investigated. Secondary data from fathers of 4- to 5-year-old children participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were analyzed ( N = 2,679). Results revealed that higher work-family conflict was associated with irr…
Impact of Music Therapy to Promote Positive Parenting and Child Development
The effectiveness of a 10-week group music therapy program for marginalized parents and their children aged 0-5 years was examined. Musical activities were used to promote positive parent-child relationships and children's behavioral, communicative and social development. Participants were 358 parents and children from families facing social disadvantage, young parents or parents of a child with a disability. Significant improvements were found f…
Change and stability in work-family conflict and mothers' and fathers' mental health: Longitudinal evidence from an Australian cohort
Dads at the dinner table. A cross-sectional study of Australian fathers’ child feeding perceptions and practices
Maternal Work-Family Conflict and Psychological Distress: Reciprocal Relationships Over 8 Years
The relationships between employed mothers' work-family conflict and psychological distress are unlikely to be static or one way. Using longitudinal data, the authors investigated reciprocal effects between work-family conflict and psychological distress across 8 years of the family life cycle. They modeled cross-lagged structural equations over 5 biennial waves of data, in 4 overlapping samples of Australian mothers reentering work between child…
Adolescent Depression and Time Spent with Parents and Siblings
Worries, ‘weirdos’, neighborhoods and knowing people: A qualitative study with children and parents regarding children's independent mobility
Child mental health after parental separation: The impact of resident/non-resident parenting, parent mental health, conflict and socioeconomics
Children of separated parents are consistently shown to have greater likelihood of poor mental health than children of intact families. Explanations to date have focused on the impacts of parental conflict, and the role of resident mothers, neglecting the potential importance of non-resident fathers. Using recent data from the longitudinal study of Australian children, this study: (1) compares the mental health of children from intact families wi…
Selective attrition in longitudinal studies: Effective processes for Facebook tracing
Participant attrition is a significant challenge for longitudinal studies, particularly those involving disadvantaged populations. We attempted to re-engage n = 990 families in a five-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial of an early childhood parenting intervention. Tracing was attempted for n = 90/990 (9.1%) uncontactable participants. Evidence for the identification of a matching Facebook profile was classified as strong, moderate or…
Fathers' Postnatal Mental Health and Child Well-Being at Age Five: The Mediating Role of Parenting Behavior
Fathers' postnatal mental health is associated with emotional and behavioral outcomes for children in early childhood. The aim of this study was to examine whether parenting behavior mediated the relationship between fathers' postnatal psychological distress and emotional-behavioral outcomes for children at age 5. The sample consisted of 2,025 fathers participating in Growing Up In Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Data co…
Supporting the transition of disabled students from university to practice placement
A modified action research project was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of a pre-placement procedure in facilitating eight disabled physiotherapy students' transitions from university to practice. Feedback was gathered from the students, practice educators, visiting and academic tutors via questionnaire. Thematic analysis identified four main themes: 'Procedure'; 'Student in Control'; 'Communication'; and 'Disclosure'. The procedure was g…
Impact of missing data strategies in studies of parental employment and health: Missing items, missing waves, and missing mothers
Socioeconomic inequality profiles in physical and developmental health from 0–7 years: Australian National Study
BACKGROUND: Early and persistent exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage impairs children's health and wellbeing. However, it is unclear at what age health inequalities emerge or whether these relationships vary across ages and outcomes. We address these issues using cross-sectional Australian population data on the physical and developmental health of children at ages 0-1, 2-3, 4-5 and 6-7 years. METHODS: 10 physical and developmental health outc…
It’s not black and white”: Public health researchers’ and ethics committees’ perceptions of engaging research participants online
Purpose The internet offers an opportunity for researchers to engage participants in research in a cost-effective and timely manner. Yet the use of the internet as a research tool (internet research) comes with a range of ethical concerns, and the rapidly changing online environment poses challenges for both researchers and ethics committees. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the key ethical issues of using the internet to recruit, retain…
Television Viewing by School-Age Children: Associations with Physical Activity, Snack Food Consumption and Unhealthy Weight
Student–teacher relationship quality in children with and without ADHD: A cross-sectional community based study
Ethical Considerations in Using Social Media to Engage Research Participants: Perspectives of Australian Researchers and Ethics Committee Members
Researchers increasingly use social media (SM) to recruit, retain, and trace participants, yet empirical literature investigating the ethics of engaging participants via SM is lacking. We conducted a survey of 401 Australian researchers and human research ethics committee (HREC) members to examine their experience, attitudes, and ethical concerns toward engaging participants via SM. Data revealed that researchers and HREC members share similar co…
Early childhood profiles of sleep problems and self-regulation predict later school adjustment
BackgroundChildren's sleep problems and self-regulation problems have been independently associated with poorer adjustment to school, but there has been limited exploration of longitudinal early childhood profiles that include both indicators.AimsThis study explores the normative developmental pathway for sleep problems and self-regulation across early childhood and investigates whether departure from the normative pathway is associated with late…
Companionship and Worries in Uncertain Times: Australian Parents' Experiences of Children and Pets During Covid-19
Companion animals (pets), especially cats and dogs, have featured regularly in the media and public discourse during the global COVID-19 pandemic, including increased demand for pet adoption and more time spent with existing pets. This qualitative study aimed to describe the experiences of Australian parents with a child under 18 years and a cat or dog. Within a broader survey, parents were asked open-ended questions about the benefits and challe…
Is Self-Employment a Good Option? Gender, Parents and the Work-Family Interface
Procedures and Perceptions of Authority: The Gold Rush Camps of Australia, Canada and the United States
Randomized Controlled Trial of Behavioral Family Intervention for the Treatment of Child Behavior Problems in Stepfamilies
Examined the efficacy of behavioral family intervention (BFI) for the treatment of child oppositional and conduct behavior problems in stepfamilies. Forty-two stepfamilies were randomly assigned to wait list control, therapist-directed BFI, or self-directed BFI. No significant differences were obtained for self-directed vs. therapist-directed BFI. Families receiving BFI reported significantly greater reductions from pre- to post-intervention in c…
Patient recall versus physician documentation in report of smoking cessation counselling performed in the inpatient setting
Physicians document counselling in the hospital at a lower rate than patients report it, and the correlation between reports is very low, making an accurate assessment of true rates of counselling difficult. While it is important to increase physician documentation, it is even more important to increase patient recall, as this is the only report that predicts a quit attempt
Relationship Between the Parenting Styles of Biological Parents and Stepparents and the Adjustment of Young Adult Stepchildren
This article examines the adjustment of 136 young adult stepchildren and exposure to parent and stepparent warmth, control, and parenting style (authoritative, authoritarian, supportive, or disengaged). Parental warmth was found to be consistently associated with adult children's adjustment, while parental control, and the individual parenting styles of parents and stepparents were largely unrelated to adjustment. Young adults whose parent and st…
Impact of Music Therapy to Promote Positive Parenting and Child Development
The effectiveness of a 10-week group music therapy program for marginalized parents and their children aged 0-5 years was examined. Musical activities were used to promote positive parent-child relationships and children's behavioral, communicative and social development. Participants were 358 parents and children from families facing social disadvantage, young parents or parents of a child with a disability. Significant improvements were found f…
The Nourish randomised control trial: Positive feeding practices and food preferences in early childhood - a primary prevention program for childhood obesity
ACTRN12608000056392
Do working mothers raise couch potato kids? Maternal employment and children's lifestyle behaviours and weight in early childhood
The Role of Practitioner Self-Efficacy, Training, Program and Workplace Factors on the Implementation of an Evidence-Based Parenting Intervention in Primary Care
Adolescent Depression and Time Spent with Parents and Siblings
Television Viewing by School-Age Children: Associations with Physical Activity, Snack Food Consumption and Unhealthy Weight
Child mental health after parental separation: The impact of resident/non-resident parenting, parent mental health, conflict and socioeconomics
Children of separated parents tend to have poorer mental health than children of intact families. Explanations to date have tended to focus on resident mothers, neglecting the potential importance of non-resident fathers. Using recent data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, and independent teacher-reports of child mental health, this study 1) compares the mental health of children with resident and non-resident fathers and 2) exp…
How parents' income, time and job quality affect children's health and development
The advent of the Global Financial Crisis reminds us that modern epidemiological research has consistently demonstrated links between the socio‐economic circumstances of families and children's health and development. Drawing on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, this article firstly examines the evidence for intergenerational transmission of socio‐economic disadvantage from parents to young children. It then examines parent…
Socioeconomic inequality profiles in physical and developmental health from 0–7 years: Australian National Study
BACKGROUND: Early and persistent exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage impairs children's health and wellbeing. However, it is unclear at what age health inequalities emerge or whether these relationships vary across ages and outcomes. We address these issues using cross-sectional Australian population data on the physical and developmental health of children at ages 0-1, 2-3, 4-5 and 6-7 years. METHODS: 10 physical and developmental health outc…
Strengthening the social environment for Australian children: A reply to Parkinson
We thank Professor Parkinson for his response (Parkinson, 2013) to our paper published in the Journal of Family Studies (Lucas, Nicholson, & Erbas, 2013) and the opportunity to expand upon the position presented in our discussion. Parkinson argues that it was inappropriate for us to cite his report For Kids’ Sake: Repairing the social environment for Australian children and young people (FKS) (Parkinson, 2011) as supporting claims that two biolog…
Strengthening the social environment for Australian children - a Reply to Parkinson
Child mental health after parental separation: The impact of resident/non-resident parenting, parent mental health, conflict and socioeconomics
Children of separated parents are consistently shown to have greater likelihood of poor mental health than children of intact families. Explanations to date have focused on the impacts of parental conflict, and the role of resident mothers, neglecting the potential importance of non-resident fathers. Using recent data from the longitudinal study of Australian children, this study: (1) compares the mental health of children from intact families wi…
Supporting the transition of disabled students from university to practice placement
A modified action research project was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of a pre-placement procedure in facilitating eight disabled physiotherapy students' transitions from university to practice. Feedback was gathered from the students, practice educators, visiting and academic tutors via questionnaire. Thematic analysis identified four main themes: 'Procedure'; 'Student in Control'; 'Communication'; and 'Disclosure'. The procedure was g…
Associations between infant temperament and early feeding practices. A cross-sectional study of Australian mother-infant dyads from the Nourish randomised controlled trial
Leave Duration After Childbirth: Impacts on Maternal Mental Health, Parenting, and Couple Relationships in Australian Two-Parent Families
In this article, we use longitudinal data on Australian two-parent families to assess the impact of mothers' leave duration after childbirth on their subsequent mental health, quality of parenting, and couple relationships. We found that 2 to 3 years after the birth, psychological distress was significantly less likely among mothers who took >13 weeks paid leave or >26 to 52 weeks leave in total. However, those who took >26 weeks in total were mo…
Association between maternal depressive symptoms in the early post‐natal period and responsiveness in feeding at child age 2 years
Maternal depression is a known risk factor for poor outcomes for children. Pathways to these poor outcomes relate to reduced maternal responsiveness or sensitivity to the child. Impaired responsiveness potentially impacts the feeding relationship and thus may be a risk factor for inappropriate feeding practices. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationships between self‐reported maternal post‐natal depressive symptoms at chi…
Bi-directional longitudinal associations between overweight and health-related quality of life from 4–11years. Longitudinal study of Australian children
Dads at the dinner table. A cross-sectional study of Australian fathers’ child feeding perceptions and practices
Heightened Maternal Separation Anxiety in the Postpartum: The Role of Socioeconomic Disadvantage
Maternal separation anxiety (MSA) refers to feelings of anxiety elicited in a mother during separation from her infant. The role of social and structural disadvantage in the etiology of high MSA has been overlooked. Secondary analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children ( N = 3,897) revealed that compared to socioeconomically advantaged women, women of low socioeconomic position had a fourfold increased odds of reporting hi…
Fathers' Postnatal Mental Health and Child Well-Being at Age Five: The Mediating Role of Parenting Behavior
Fathers' postnatal mental health is associated with emotional and behavioral outcomes for children in early childhood. The aim of this study was to examine whether parenting behavior mediated the relationship between fathers' postnatal psychological distress and emotional-behavioral outcomes for children at age 5. The sample consisted of 2,025 fathers participating in Growing Up In Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Data co…
Exposure to Inter-Parental Conflict Across 10 Years of Childhood: Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Psychology (52 works) · Medicine (40 works) · Developmental psychology (33 works) · Psychiatry (27 works) · Clinical Psychology (17 works) · Mental health (16 works) · Sociology (16 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (14 works) · Demography (14 works) · Longitudinal study (13 works)