Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36803458›Full record

ArticleBMC primary care2023

Counting what counts: a systematic scoping review of instruments used in primary healthcare services to measure the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth.

Vicki Saunders, Janya McCalman, Sena Tsey, Deborah Askew, Sandy Campbell, Crystal Jongen, Candace Angelo, Geoff Spurling, Yvonne Cadet-James

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in BMC primary care, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Evaluating the Tidda Talk Program: A Culturally Relevant Approach to Assessing Social and Emotional Wellbeing in Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Vicki SaundersJawun Research Centre, Central Queensland University, Cnr Shields and Aplin St, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia. v.saunders@cqu.edu.au.
Janya McCalmanJawun Research Centre, Central Queensland University, Cnr Shields and Aplin St, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia.
Sena TseyJawun Research Centre, Central Queensland University, Cnr Shields and Aplin St, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia.
Deborah AskewGeneral Practice Clinical Unit and School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Level 2, Public Health Building, 288 Herston Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia.
Sandy CampbellMolly Wardaguga Research Centre, Charles Darwin University, Level 11, 410 Ann St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
Crystal JongenJawun Research Centre, Central Queensland University, Cnr Shields and Aplin St, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia.
Candace AngeloAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Public Health, Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building, Fisher Road, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Geoff SpurlingGeneral Practice Clinical Unit and School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Level 2, Public Health Building, 288 Herston Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia.
Yvonne Cadet-JamesYvonne Cadet-James, Apunipima Cape York Health Council, 186 McCoombe St, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia.

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council 1170882
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrimary healthcare services have principal responsibility for providing child and youth wellbeing and mental health services, but have lacked appropriate measurement instruments to assess the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth or to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and services designed to meet their needs. This review assesses the availability and characteristics of measurement instruments that have been applied in primary healthcare services in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States (CANZUS countries) to assess the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth.

methodsFifteen databases and 12 websites were searched in December 2017 and again in October 2021. Pre-defined search terms pertained to Indigenous children and youth, CANZUS country names, and wellbeing or mental health measures. PRISMA guidelines were followed, with eligibility criteria guiding screening of titles and abstracts, and selected full-text papers. Results are presented based on the characteristics of documented measurement instruments assessed according to five desirability criteria: development for Indigenous youth populations, adherence to relational strength-based constructs, administration by child and or youth self-report, reliability and validity, and usefulness for identifying wellbeing or risk levels.

resultsTwenty-one publications were found that described the development and or use by primary healthcare services of 14 measurement instruments, employed across 30 applications. Four of the 14 measurement instruments were developed specifically for Indigenous youth populations, four focused solely on strength-based wellbeing concepts but none included all Indigenous wellbeing domains.

conclusionThere is a diversity of measurement instruments available, but few fit our desirability criteria. Although it is possible that we missed relevant papers and reports, this review clearly supports the need for further research to develop, refine or adapt instruments cross-culturally to measure the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth.

Indexed as

Mental Health ServicesPopulation GroupsAdolescentChildHumansMental HealthPrimary Health CareReproducibility of ResultsUnited StatesAdolescenceAssessmentMeasureMental healthScreeningWellness

Identifiers

PMID36803458
PMCPMC9936129

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.