Dr Katherine Thurber
BA (Psych & Global Health); MPhil (Epidemiology); PhD (Epidemiology)
Fellow
ANU College of Health and Medicine
Research interests
- Health equity
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing
- Social and cultural determinants of health
- Social epidemiology
- Longitudinal studies
Biography
Katie is an NHMRC Early Career Fellow (2019-2023) with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health. She previously completed her MPhil and PhD in Epidemiology at ANU. Her driving ambition is to conduct policy-relevant research to support health improvement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other populations experiencing health inequities. She conducts research across community- and policy-identified priority areas, including racism, tobacco control, and family and community safety. She employs community-engaged, mixed-methods, and strength-based research approaches.
Katie has experience in the design and analysis of large-scale and longitudinal studies. She has led collaborations analysing data from current largest cohort studies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adults, including the Longitudinal Study Indigenous Children (LSIC), the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH), and the 45 and Up Study, and is involved in development of Mayi Kuwayu: The National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing.
Publications
- Barrett, E, Maddox, R, Thandrayen, J et al. 2022, 'Clearing the air: underestimation of youth smoking prevalence associated with proxy-reporting compared to youth self-report', BMC Medical Research Methodology, vol. 22, no. 1.
- Guo, S, O'Connor, M, Mensah, F et al. 2021, 'Measuring Positive Childhood Experiences: Testing the Structural and Predictive Validity of the Health Outcomes From Positive Experiences (HOPE) Framework', Academic Pediatrics, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 942-951.
- Brinckley, M, Calabria, B, Walker, J et al. 2021, 'Reliability, validity, and clinical utility of a culturally modified Kessler scale (MK-K5) in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population', BMC Public Health, vol. 21, no. 1, p. 15.
- Riley, T, Lovett, R, Banks, E et al. 2021, 'Markers of chronic disease risk in a cohort of Aboriginal children: findings from the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH)', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 45, no. 6, pp. 637-642.
- Cohen, R, Maddox, R, Sedgwick, M et al. 2021, 'Tobacco related attitudes and behaviours in relation to exposure to the tackling indigenous smoking program: Evidence from the Mayi Kuwayu study', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 20, pp. 1-17.
- Thurber, K, Banks, E, Joshy, G et al. 2021, 'Tobacco smoking and mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults in Australia', International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 942-954.
- Thurber, K, Colonna, E, Jones, R et al. 2021, 'Prevalence of Everyday Discrimination and Relation with Wellbeing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Adults in Australia', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 12.
- Thurber, K, Barrett, E, Agostino, J et al. 2021, 'Risk of severe illness from COVID-19 among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults: the construct of "vulnerable populations" obscures the root causes of health inequities', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 45, no. 6, pp. 658-663.
- Thurber, K, Thandrayen, J, Maddox, R et al. 2021, 'Reflection on modern methods: statistical, policy and ethical implications of using age-standardized health indicators to quantify inequities', International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 324.
- Thurber, K, Walker, J, Batterham, P et al. 2021, 'Developing and validating measures of self-reported everyday and healthcare discrimination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults', International Journal for Equity in Health, vol. 20, 14.
- Maddox, R, Thurber, K, Calma, T et al. 2020, 'Deadly news: the downward trend continues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking 2004-2019', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 44, no. 6, pp. 449-450.
- Thurber, K, Thandrayen, J, Banks, E et al. 2020, 'Strengths-based approaches for quantitative data analysis: A case study using the australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children', Social Science and Medicine, vol. 12.
- Wright, A, Thurber, K, Yap, M et al. 2020, 'Who responds? An examination of response rates to a national postal survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, 2018-2019', BMC Medical Research Methodology, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. -.
- Heris, C, Thurber, K, Wright, D et al. 2020, 'Staying smoke-free: Factors associated with nonsmoking among urban Aboriginal adolescents in the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH)', Health Promotion Journal of Australia, vol. 32, no. S2, pp. 185-196.
- Thurber, K, Colonna, E, Wells, S et al. 2020, 'Data for action: The Family and Community Safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (FaCtS) Study', Australian Aboriginal Studies, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 1-10.
- Cuevas, A, Chen, R, Slopen, N et al 2020, 'Assessing the Role of Health Behaviors, Socioeconomic Status, and Cumulative Stress for Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Obesity', Obesity, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 161-170.
- Heris, C, Thurber, K, Wright, D et al. 2020, 'Staying smoke-free: factors associated with non-smoking among urban Aboriginal adolescents in the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH)', Health Promotion Journal of Australia, vol. 32, no. S2, pp. 185-196.
- Priest, N, Thurber, K, Maddox, R et al. 2020, 'COVID-19 racism is making kids sick.'.
- Lovett, R, Brinckley, M, Phillips, B et al. 2020, 'In the beginning it was our people's law. What makes us well; to never be sick. Cohort profile of Mayi Kuwayu: the National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing', Australian Aboriginal Studies, vol. 2020, no. 2, pp. 8-30.
- Guthrie, J, Thurber, K, Lovett, R et al. 2020, 'The answers were there before white man come in': stories of strength and resilience for responding to violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities - Family Community Safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Study Report.
- Thurber, K, Walker, J, Maddox, R et al. 2020, A review of evidence on the prevalence of and trends in cigarette and e-cigarettes use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and adults.
- Colonna, E, Maddox, R, Cohen, R et al 2020, 'Review of tobacco use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples', Australian Indigenous Health Bulletin, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 1-62.
- Riley, T, Lovett, R, Thandrayen, J et al. 2020, 'Evaluating impacts of a One Health approach to companion animal health and management in a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory, Australia', Animals, vol. 10, no. 10, pp. 1-12.
- Thurber, K & Bell, K 2019, 'Editorial: Socio�-economic disadvantage and cardiovascular risk factors in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 211, no. 6, pp. 259-260.
- Thurber, K, Walker, J, Walter, M et al. 2019, Technical Report: Measuring Adult Mental Health, Psychological Distress, and Social and Emotional Wellbeing in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children.
- Thurber, K, Walker, J, Dunbar, T et al. 2019, Technical Report: Measuring Child Mental Health, Psychological Distress, and Social and Emotional Wellbeing in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children.
- Thurber, K, Joshy, G, Korda, R et al. 2018, 'Obesity and its association with sociodemographic factors, health behaviours and health status among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adults in New South Wales, Australia', Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, vol. 72, no. 6, pp. 491-498.
- Reyes, R, Ahn, R, Thurber, K et al. 2018, 'Urbanization and infectious diseases: general principles, historical perspectives, and contemporary challenges', in I.W. Fong (ed.), Challenges in Infectious Diseases, Springer New York, New York USA, pp. 123-146.
- Lovett, R, Thurber, K, Jones, R et al. 2018, 'Closing the gap in child mortality: ten years on'.
- Thurber, K, Long, J, Salmon, M et al. 2018, 'Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Indigenous Australian children aged 0–3 years and association with sociodemographic, life circumstances and health factors', Public Health Nutrition, vol. 23, no. 2.
- Cuevas, A, Chen, R, Thurber, K et al 2018, 'Psychosocial Stress and Overweight and Obesity: Findings From the Chicago Community Adult Health Study', Annals of Behavioral Medicine, vol. Online.
- Thurber, K, Joshy, G, Korda, R et al 2018, 'Obesity and its association with sociodemographic factors, health behaviours and health status among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adults in New South Wales, Australia', Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, vol. 72, pp. 491-498.
- Lokuge, K, Wallace, M, Subasinghe, K et al. 2018, 'Protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial evaluating the impact of a preschool-based capacity building intervention on intimate partner violence and substance misuse in Sri Lanka', BMC Public Health, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 1-9.
- Jones, R, Thurber, K, Chapman, J et al. 2018, 'Study protocol: Our Cultures Count, the Mayi Kuwayu Study, a national longitudinal study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing', BMJ Open, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 1-7.
- Salmon, M, Skelton, F, Thurber, K et al 2018, 'Intergenerational and early life influences on the well-being of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: overview and selected findings from Footprints in Time, the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children', Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, vol. 10, pp. 17-23.
- Ransome, Y, Thurber, K, Swen, M et al 2018, 'Social capital and HIV/AIDS in the United States: Knowledge, gaps, and future directions', SSM - Population Health, vol. 5, pp. 73-85.
- Jones, R, Thurber, K, Wright, A et al 2018, 'Associations between participation in a ranger program and health and wellbeing outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in central Australia: A proof of concept study', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 1-13.
- Thurber, K, Olsen PhD, A, Guthrie, J et al 2018, ''Telling our story. Creating our own history': Caregivers' reasons for participating in an Australian longitudinal study of Indigenous children, International Journal for Equity in Health, vol. 17, no. 143, pp. 15pp.
- Thurber, K 2017, 'They've got to do something about the supply': Improving food security is critical to Closing the Gap, pp. 32-33.
- Thurber, K, Dobbins, T, Neeman, T et al. 2017, 'Body Mass Index trajectories of Indigenous Australian children, and relation to screen-time, diet, and demographic factors', Obesity, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 747-756.
- Lokuge, K, Thurber, K, Calabria, B et al. 2017, 'Indigenous health program evaluation design and methods in Australia: a systematic review of the evidence', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 480-482.
- Lovett, R, Thurber, K & Maddox, R 2017, 'The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking epidemic: what stage are we at, and what does it mean?', Public Health Research & Practice, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. e2741733.
- Thurber, K, Burgess, L, Falster, K et al 2017, 'Relation of child, caregiver, and environmental characteristics to childhood injury in an urban Aboriginal cohort in New South Wales, Australia', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 157-165.
- Lovett, R, Thurber, K & Maddox, R 2017, 'The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking epidemic: what stage are we at, and what does it mean?', Public Health Research & Practice, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. e2741733 (6pp).
- Lovett, R, Thurber, K, Wright, A et al 2017, 'Deadly progress: changes in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult daily smoking, 2004-2015', Public Health Research & Practice, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 1-8pp.
- Lovett, R & Thurber, K 2017, 'Health Conditions and Health Service Utilisation among Children in LSIC', in Maggie Walter, Karen L. Martin, Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews (ed.), Indigenous Children Growing Up Strong: A Longitudinal Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families, Palgrave Macmillan Ltd, UK, pp. 209-231pp.
- Lieven, C, Thurber, K, Levin, E et al 2012, 'Ordering of neuronal apoptosis signaling: a superoxide burst precedes mitochondrial cytochrome c release in a growth factor deprivation model', Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 591-599.
- MacQueen, R, Biven, A, Lovett, R et al 2012, Review of the need to expand drug and alcohol rehabilitation services in the ACT: Consumer feedback study.
- Thurber, K, Banwell, C, Neeman, T et al. 2017, 'Understanding barriers to fruit and vegetable intake in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children: a mixed-methods approach', Public Health Nutrition, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 832-847.
- Banks, E, Crouch, S, Korda, R et al 2016, 'Absolute risk of cardiovascular disease events, and blood pressure-and lipid-lowering therapy in Australia', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 204, no. 8, pp. 320-320.
- Lokuge, K, Verputten, M, Ajakali, M et al 2016, 'Health Services for Gender-Based Violence: Medecins Sans Frontieres Experience Caring for Survivors in Urban Papua New Guinea', PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science), vol. 11, no. 6, pp. e0156813.
- Thurber, K, Dobbins, T, Kirk, M et al 2015, 'Early life predictors of increased body mass index among indigenous Australian children', PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science), vol. 10, no. 6.
- Thurber, K, Banks, E & Banwell, C 2015, 'Cohort Profile: Footprints in Time, the Australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children', International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 789-800.
- Thurber, K, Bagheri, N & Banwell, C 2014, 'Social determinants of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children', Family Matters, vol. 2014, no. 95, pp. 51-61.
- Thurber, K, Banks, E & Banwell, C 2014, 'Approaches to maximising the accuracy of anthropometric data on children: review and empirical evaluation using the Australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children', Public Health Research & Practice, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. e2511407.
- Thurber, K 2013, 'On the right track: Body mass index of children in Footprints in Time', in (ed.), Footprints in Time Key Summary Report from Wave 4, Australian Government Department of Social Services, Canberra, ACT., pp. 50-58pp.
- Lokuge, K, Shah, T, Pintaldi, G et al 2013, 'Mental health services for children exposed to armed conflict: Medecins Sans Fronteres' experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territory', Paediatrics and International Child Health (Online), vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 259-272.
Projects and Grants
Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.
- Tackling Indigenous Smoking - National Program Evaluation and Regional Grants Impact and Outcomes Assessment (Health 22-23/E22-83847) (Secondary Investigator)
- Proposal to provide national reporting on cultural indicators from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Implementation Plan to the Department of Health (Secondary Investigator)
- Housing Conditions and Early Child Development Research Project (Secondary Investigator)
- Generating fine-grained evidence to drive Indigenous health policy (Primary Investigator)
- Tackling Indigenous smoking - Regional grants Impact and Outcomes Assessment (Secondary Investigator)
- Stunting and gastrointestinal infections in infants in Timor-Leste: A pilot study (Secondary Investigator)
- Mental health measures in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) (Secondary Investigator)
- Discourse, Data and Deficit- Deconstructing the 'Indigenous Health' paradigm and its effects on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (Secondary Investigator)
- Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities Study (Secondary Investigator)
