Research Fellow

Dr Nan Hu

PhD (Epidemiology), MSc (Statistics), BSc (Mathematics)

Medicine & Health
School of Clinical Medicine

My research interests mainly center around epidemiological studies of children and adolescents with mental health difficulties or disorders and their health service use across health and social sectors.

I have engaged in research for children and adolescents hospitalised with mental health disorders and deliberate self-harm behaviours, and children who have a contact with child protection services. I have also research interests for children and adolescents with a mental health disorder who have juvenile justice contacts.

I am academic training in Mathematics and Statistics. I am interested in the application of multilevel regression analysis, trajectory analysis, and structural equation modelling in the research areas aforementioned. 

I have used routinely collected administrative records including electronic medical records to undertake most of my studies.

  • Journal articles | 2023
    Amarasena L; Samir N; Sealy L; Hu N; Rostami MR; Isaacs D; Gunasekera H; Young H; Agrawal R; Levitt D; Francis JR; Coleman J; Mares S; Larcombe P; Cherian S; Raman S; Lingam R; Zwi K, 2023, 'Offshore detention: cross-sectional analysis of the health of children and young people seeking asylum in Australia', Archives of Disease in Childhood, 108, pp. 185 - 191, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2022-324442
    Journal articles | 2023
    David-Wilathgamuwa S; Hu N; Meyers T; O'Loughlin R; Lingam R, 2023, 'Socioemotional and behavioural difficulties in children with chronic physical conditions: Analysis of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children', Archives of Disease in Childhood, 108, pp. 569 - 575, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2022-325069
    Journal articles | 2023
    John JR; Khan JR; Lin PI; Jonnagaddala J; Hu N; Belcher J; Liaw ST; Lingam R; Eapen V, 2023, 'A nationwide study of COVID-19 impact on mental health-related presentations among children and adolescents to primary care practices in Australia', Psychiatry Research, 326, pp. 115332, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115332
    Journal articles | 2023
    Southcombe F; Vivekanandarajah S; Krstic S; Lin F; Chay P; Williams M; Khan JR; Hu N; Eapen V; Dennis S; Denney-Wilson E; Lingam R, 2023, 'More than just body mass index: Using the Edmonton obesity staging system for pediatrics to define obesity severity in a multi-ethnic Australian pediatric clinical cohort', Obesity Science and Practice, 9, pp. 285 - 295, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/osp4.648
    Journal articles | 2022
    Hodgins M; Ostojic K; Hu N; Lawson KD; Samir N; Webster A; Rogers H; Henry A; Murphy E; Lingam R; Raman S; Mendoza Diaz A; Dadich A; Eapen V; Rimes T; Woolfenden S, 2022, 'Study protocol for a real-world evaluation of an integrated child and family health hub for migrant and refugee women', BMJ Open, 12, pp. e061002, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061002
    Journal articles | 2022
    Homaira N; Binks M; Walker G; Larter N; Clark K; Campbell M; McHugh L; Briggs N; Nyiro J; Stelzer-Braid S; Hu N; Macartney K; Snelling T; Omer SB; Rawlinson W; Andrews R; Jaffe A, 2022, 'Transplacental transfer of RSV antibody in Australian First Nations infants', Journal of Medical Virology, 94, pp. 782 - 786, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmv.27383
    Journal articles | 2022
    Hu N; Fardell J; Wakefield CE; Marshall GM; Bell JC; Nassar N; Lingam R, 2022, 'School academic performance of children hospitalised with a chronic condition', Archives of disease in childhood, 107, pp. 289 - 296, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2020-321285
    Journal articles | 2022
    Hu N; Nassar N; Shrapnel J; Perkes I; Hodgins M; O'Leary F; Trudgett C; Eapen V; Woolfenden S; Knight K; Lingam R, 2022, 'The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric health service use within one year after the first pandemic outbreak in New South Wales Australia – a time series analysis', The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, 19, pp. 100311, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100311
    Journal articles | 2022
    Li D; Yu YY; Hu N; Zhang M; Liu L; Fan LM; Ruan SS; Wang F, 2022, 'A Color-Picture Version of Boston Naming Test Outperformed the Black-and-White Version in Discriminating Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer's Disease', Frontiers in Neurology, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.884460
    Journal articles | 2022
    Mimmo L; Harrison R; Travaglia J; Hu N; Woolfenden S, 2022, 'Inequities in quality and safety outcomes for hospitalized children with intellectual disability', Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 64, pp. 314 - 322, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.15066
    Journal articles | 2022
    Saravanos GL; Hu N; Homaira N; Muscatello DJ; Jaffe A; Bartlett AW; Wood NJ; Rawlinson W; Kesson A; Lingam R; Britton PN, 2022, 'RSV Epidemiology in Australia Before and During COVID-19', Pediatrics, 149, http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053537
    Journal articles | 2021
    Harding G; Hu N; Larter N; Montgomery A; Stephensen J; Callaghan L; Zwi K; Lingam R; Woolfenden S, 2021, 'Health status and health service use of urban Aboriginal children attending an Aboriginal community child health service in Sydney', Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 57, pp. 1072 - 1077, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jpc.15403
    Journal articles | 2020
    Bell J; Lingam R; Wakefield CE; Fardell JE; Zeltzer J; Hu N; Woolfenden S; Callander E; Marshall GM; Nassar N, 2020, 'Prevalence, hospital admissions and costs of child chronic conditions: A population-based study', Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 56, pp. 1365 - 1370, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jpc.14932
    Journal articles | 2020
    Borland RL; Hu N; Tonge B; Einfeld S; Gray KM, 2020, 'Participation in sport and physical activity in adults with intellectual disabilities', Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 64, pp. 908 - 922, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jir.12782
    Journal articles | 2020
    Britton PN; Hu N; Saravanos G; Shrapnel J; Davis J; Snelling T; Dalby-Payne J; Kesson AM; Wood N; Macartney K; McCullagh C; Lingam R, 2020, 'COVID-19 public health measures and respiratory syncytial virus', The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, 4, pp. e42 - e43, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30307-2
    Journal articles | 2020
    Teague SJ; Newman LK; Tonge BJ; Gray KM; Aery A; Andersson E; Arciuli J; Arora S; Bezzina L; Blackmore R; Borland R; Caruana J; Cawood D; Clarke K; Day J; Dossetor D; Einfeld S; Emerson E; Evans H; Fernandez A; Goodall S; Gray KM; Haas K; Henderson K; Henry T; Hinton S; Hoath F; Hodges J; Horstead S; Howlin P; Hu N; Keating C; Kelly E; Knott R; Kotselas P; Louie E; McAuliffe Z; O’Hagan G; Panahi B; Phillis K; Rice L; Rose O; Rotolone C; Salvador-Carulla L; Sanders M; Schoch M; Shortt F; Silove N; Sofronoff K; Stace L; Taffe J; Teague SJ; Thompson DM; Viney R; Wallman E, 2020, 'Attachment and child behaviour and emotional problems in autism spectrum disorder with intellectual disability', Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 33, pp. 475 - 487, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jar.12689
    Journal articles | 2020
    Zwi K; Sealy L; Samir N; Hu N; Rostami R; Agrawal R; Cherian S; Coleman J; Francis J; Gunasekera H; Isaacs D; Larcombe P; Levitt D; Mares S; Mutch R; Newman L; Raman S; Young H; Norwood C; Lingam R, 2020, 'Asylum seeking children and adolescents in Australian immigration detention on Nauru: A longitudinal cohort study', BMJ Paediatrics Open, 4, pp. e000615, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2019-000615
    Journal articles | 2019
    Hu N; Taylor CL; Glauert RA; Li J, 2019, 'The pervasive effects of timing of parental mental health disorders on adolescent deliberate self-harm risk', PLoS ONE, 14, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220704
    Journal articles | 2018
    Downs J; Rodger J; Li C; Tan X; Hu N; Wong K; De Klerk N; Leonard H, 2018, 'Environmental enrichment intervention for Rett syndrome: An individually randomised stepped wedge trial', Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13023-017-0752-8
    Journal articles | 2018
    Rice LJ; Einfeld SL; Hu N; Carter CS, 2018, 'A review of clinical trials of oxytocin in Prader-Willi syndrome', CURRENT OPINION IN PSYCHIATRY, 31, pp. 123 - 127, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000391
    Journal articles | 2018
    Teague SJ; Newman LK; Tonge BJ; Gray KM; Aery A; Andersson E; Arciuli J; Arora S; Bezzina L; Blackmore R; Borland R; Caruana J; Cawood D; Clarke K; Day J; Dossetor D; Einfeld S; Emerson E; Evans H; Fernandez A; Goodall S; Haas K; Henderson K; Henry T; Hinton S; Hoath F; Hodges J; Horstead S; Howlin P; Hu N; Keating C; Kelly E; Knott R; Kotselas P; Louie E; McAuliffe Z; O’Hagan G; Panahi B; Phillis K; Rose O; Rotolone C; Salvador-Carulla L; Sanders M; Schoch M; Shortt F; Silove N; Sofronoff K; Stace L; Taffe J; Thompson DM; Wallman E; Viney R, 2018, 'Caregiver Mental Health, Parenting Practices, and Perceptions of Child Attachment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, pp. 2642 - 2652, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3517-x
    Journal articles | 2017
    Hu N; Li J; Glauert RA; Taylor CL, 2017, 'Influence of exposure to perinatal risk factors and parental mental health related hospital admission on adolescent deliberate self-harm risk', European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, pp. 791 - 803, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-0948-4
    Journal articles | 2017
    Hu N; Taylor C; Glauert R; Li J; Wong J, 2017, 'Influence of early life exposure to social disadvantages on deliberate self-harm (DSH) among children of parents with mental health disorders', International Journal of Population Data Science, 1, http://dx.doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v1i1.214
    Journal articles | 2017
    Hu N; Taylor C; Li J; Glauert R, 2017, 'The impact of child maltreatment on the risk of deliberate self-harm among adolescents: A population-wide cohort study using linked administrative records', Child Abuse and Neglect, 67, pp. 322 - 337, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.03.012
    Journal articles | 2017
    Li D; Hu N; Yu Y; Zhou A; Li F; Jia J, 2017, 'Trajectories of Multidimensional Caregiver Burden in Chinese Informal Caregivers for Dementia: Evidence from Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Zarit Burden Interview', JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE, 59, pp. 1317 - 1325, http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-170172
    Journal articles | 2016
    Hu N; Glauert RA; Li J; Taylor CL, 2016, 'Risk factors for repetition of a deliberate self-harm episode within seven days in adolescents and young adults: A population-level record linkage study in Western Australia', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 50, pp. 154 - 166, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867415621391
    Journal articles | 2014
    Jia J; Wang F; Wei C; Zhou A; Jia X; Li F; Tang M; Chu L; Zhou Y; Zhou C; Cui Y; Wang Q; Wang W; Yin P; Hu N; Zuo X; Song H; Qin W; Wu L; Li D; Jia L; Song J; Han Y; Xing Y; Yang P; Li Y; Qiao Y; Tang Y; Lv J; Dong X, 2014, 'The prevalence of dementia in urban and rural areas of China', ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA, 10, pp. 1 - 9, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2013.01.012
    Journal articles | 2014
    Jia J; Zhou A; Wei C; Jia X; Wang F; Li F; Wu X; Mok V; Gauthier S; Tang M; Chu L; Zhou Y; Zhou C; Cui Y; Wang Q; Wang W; Yin P; Hu N; Zuo X; Song H; Qin W; Wu L; Li D; Jia L; Song J; Han Y; Xing Y; Yang P; Li Y; Qiao Y; Tang Y; Lv J; Dong X, 2014, 'The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and its etiological subtypes in elderly Chinese', ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA, 10, pp. 439 - 447, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2013.09.008
  • Conference Abstracts | 2021
    Mimmo L; Harrison R; Travaglia J; Hu N; Woolfenden S, 2021, 'Prevalence and patterns of healthcare utilisation for children with intellectual disability admitted to a tertiary paediatric healthcare organisation', in JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, WILEY, Vol. 34, pp. 1310 - 1311, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000668281600431&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

SUSTAIN - Sustaining Strengthening Care for Children 
Chief Investigator: Prof Raghu Lingam, Dr Annemarie Christie
Affiliation: School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health; Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network
Funding Source: Translational Research Grants Scheme (TRGS), NSW Health
Funding amount: AUD$499,733.74
Expected project period: July 2022
Funding number: H22/47471 (reference number)

Asthma Care for Home: evaluation of efficiency and effectiveness of virtually enabled asthma care initiative for children in rural NSW
Chief Investigator: Dr Nusrat Homaira and Mrs Melinda Gray
Affiliation: School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health; Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network
Funding Source: Translational Research Grants Scheme (TRGS), NSW Health
Funding amount: AUD$488,326.57
Expected project period: July 2022 – December 2024

Strengthening care for rural children: stepped wedge trial in primary care
Chief Investigator: Prof Lena Sanci, Prof Raghu Lingam, Prof Harriet Hiscock
Funding Source: Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)
Funding amount: AUD$2,996,188
Expected project period: 21 April 2022 to 7 September 2025
Category: Medical Research

The impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric health service use
Funding Source: Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation
Funding amount: AUD$20,000
Expected project period: September 2021 – March 2023

RuralKidsGPS– delivering equitable care to children in rural NSW 
Chief Investigator: Prof Raghu Lingam, Emma Dickins 
Role: Associate Investigator responsible for data management, quantitative analysis of impact evaluation
Funding Source: Translational Research Grants Scheme (TRGS), NSW Health
Funding amount: AUD$800,000
Expected project period: June 2021 – December 2023

First 2000 Days Care Connect (FDCC) – a holistic first 2000 days model of care for migrant and refugee populations
Chief Investigator: Tania Rimes, A/Prof Sue Woolfenden 
Affiliation: School of Women’s and Children’s Health, UNSW Medicine
Funding Source: Translational Research Grants Scheme (TRGS), NSW Health
Funding amount: AUD$840,547
Expected project period: February 2021 – August 2023

Pathways of Change: optimising the mental health of children in out-of-home care (OOHC) 
Chief Investigator: Prof Raghu Lingam, Dr Nan Hu
Affiliation: School of Women’s and Children’s Health, UNSW Medicine
Funding Source: NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ)
Funding amount: AUD$30,000
Project period: April 2020 – May 2021

Understanding the influential factors and outcomes of restoration from Out-Of-Home Care for Aboriginal children 
Chief Investigator: Dr BJ Newton
Affiliation: School of Women’s and Children’s Health, UNSW Medicine
Funding Source: NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ)
Funding amount: AUD$30,000
Project period: April 2020 – May 2021