Indigenous QFC study
The Indigenous Queensland Family Cohort (I-QFC) study was a prospective longitudinal feasibility study designed to follow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in Queensland from pregnancy through six months postpartum.
The study began in 2021 at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in Brisbane, Australia.
Families where the bub was identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander were able to join.
Data was collected at 24, 28, and 36 weeks during pregnancy, after birth and at six weeks postpartum.
Culturally appropriate engagement
Families were approached between 18 and 24 weeks’ pregnant by an Indigenous researcher as well as a non-Indigenous research midwife. This was to ensure culturally appropriate engagement was present from the beginning and throughout the study.
Following the conclusion of the study in 2025, 103 Indigenous families were recruited into the IQFC study.
The Indigenous Queensland Family Cohort (I-QFC) study provided valuable insight of how Indigenous families engage with research, further shaping the Indigenous Steering Committee approach in co-designing the Strong Families Study (SFS).
