Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), the first large-scale
longitudinal survey to focus on the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children,
aimed to identify what helps them ‘grow up strong’ in their communities. 38 From 1,239
Indigenous children aged 5–10 who participated in the survey, 40% of primary carers, 45% of
families and 14% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5–10 years reported
experiencing racial discrimination at some point in time, with 28–40% experiencing it
persistently. Repeated data collection over the life course of participants identified that
cumulative experiences of racial discrimination were linked to the development of sleep
difficulties, obesity, asthma, and mental health problems.39 Another longitudinal study found
differences in the prevalence of racial discrimination experienced by children aged 10–11 of
various groups, including children of Anglo/European background (8%), visible minority
background (18%) and Indigenous background (25%), and identified a correlation between these
early experiences and the worsening of socioemotional difficulties and an increased risk of
obesity over time.40
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