Newsletter Winter 2011

WINTER 2011

Message from Dr Susan Morton

Dr Susan Morton The two-year data collection wave is well underway and we're excited to begin this new phase of the study. Significant planning and preparation for this data collection wave has kept the Growing Up in New Zealand team busy over recent months and we're pleased to finally be out meeting our families once again. This is the third face-to-face interview and for the first time we are interacting directly with our children. The activities are (we hope!) fun for the children to do and will be done at the same time as the parent interview.

While the beginning of the two-year data collection wave is a significant milestone for the study it's important we don't lose sight of the medium and long term goals of the study. With each milestone and data collection wave the value and potential of the study significantly increases. We continue to work closely with government policy makers to ensure the collected information gathered (while keeping our participant's personal details private) helps inform current policy and contributes to framing future social policy.

Further analysis of the antenatal results released last year is underway by our interdisciplinary team of researchers. We anticipate a number of papers will be published this year across a range of academic publications providing in-depth analysis of the broad findings in the 'Before we are born' report.

I was pleased to host and present at the recent launch of the University of Auckland's Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua. Growing Up in New Zealand now sits within the centre and there is more information about the centre in this newsletter. The establishment of the centre reinforces the University's commitment to Growing Up in New Zealand and its potential for improving the developmental outcomes of New Zealand's children.

Growing Up in New Zealand would not be possible without the invaluable and generous contributions of our participants. Their voices and information are very precious to us and each of them has a valuable story that needs to be heard.

Thank you for your interest in Growing Up in New Zealand. If you have any questions or would like more information please email us at contact@growingup.co.nz or call on 0508 476 946.

With kind regards,

Dr Susan Morton

The 2-year Interviews Have Begun

Cherie, Auckland Interview Team Leader The two-year data collection wave has begun and our interview teams are looking forward to meeting with our families again and for the first time, working with the children enrolled in the study. Cherie and Lesley are charged with managing our Auckland and Waikato interview teams. Cherie is the Auckland Interview Team Leader and is responsible for leading, coordinating and supporting the Auckland interviewers while they are in the field. Cherie joined Growing Up in New Zealand in January 2010 for the 9 month data collection wave.

"I'm passionate about the study and truly believe it will make a real difference for all New Zealanders," says Cherie. "I enjoy the day-to-day challenges of the project and the contact with our families."

"In 2010 I was fortunate to visit and interview some of our families that had moved out of the study area but were still living in New Zealand. It was such a privilege to listen and to be able to document their 'stories' and some of the challenges they face. I left every home having been very warmly welcomed and the families were pleased they could continue their role in the study from their new location."

The 2-year interviews are the first time our team will be directly interacting with the children in the study. We have some fun activities for the children to do along with the questionnaire for parents. There's also a gift bag stacked full of goodies for all the family. Please note that acceptance of the gift bag is completely up to our participants and that the inclusion of a product does not imply endorsement or warranty from Growing Up in New Zealand.

Lesley, Waikato Interview Team Leader Lesley is based in Hamilton and has been working with Growing Up in New Zealand for the past two years. Lesley is responsible for leading, coordinating and supporting the Waikato interviewers while they are in the field.

Like Cherie, Lesley is passionate about the study and says she is fortunate to work with interviewers so committed to their role.

"We appreciate that being invited into a family's home is a privilege and should not to be taken lightly. We are constantly amazed at the way in which we are welcomed into your homes and we value the time families share with us."

For Lesley, the exciting and rewarding aspect is being part of a larger team, with each team member doing their bit so Growing Up in New Zealand can inform policy about children to help them grow up happy and healthy in New Zealand.

"The team of interviewers in the Waikato/Franklin area cover around 27,000 square kilometres, with the largest being the Waikato District Health Board (DHB) area. The Waikato DHB covers almost eight percent of New Zealand, so the travel is quite significant. In fact, last year interviewers drove over 200,000 kilometres to complete the interviews in the Waikato region."

The 2-year interviews will take place from May 2011 until May 2012.

The Growing Up in New Zealand team: Dr Susan Morton

Dr Susan Morton and Growing Up children As we get further into the study we're asking more about our families so we thought it only fair we let them know a little more about our team at Growing Up in New Zealand. In this newsletter we begin a series of profiles of the researchers leading the study. Our team brings together expertise across diverse research areas related to child development. It is only fitting that we begin with Dr Susan Morton, Director and Principal Investigator leading Growing Up in New Zealand.

Susan is a specialist in Public Health Medicine and a Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology and Population Health at The University of Auckland. Her major research interests are in maternal and child wellbeing, intergenerational and life course effects on health and development, translational research and economic modeling of life course outcomes.

Susan's personal journey began teaching maths after completeing an honours degree in maths and secondary teacher training. Following the birth of her first daughter in 1985 Susan became involved in several voluntary groups to support mothers and families.

"I quickly realised that besides teaching I had a passion to make a difference to the well-being of children and families. I felt to be more effective at this I should re-train as a doctor. So in 1990 (with two young daughters) I applied for and was accepted for medical school."

"We moved the family from Wellington to Auckland and I began my medical career. My children (number three ariving mid-degree) learnt to appreciate that mum's could also have careers and that dad's make really good mum's too."

After completing medical school Susan began training in Paediatrics. An opportunity to complete a PhD in Epidemiology lead Susan and her family to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1998.

"The appeal of epidemiology (the study of the determinants of disease events in populations) is that it attempts to be the fence at the top of the cliff rather than the ambulance at the bottom - it's about keeping people well and improving their quality of life at a population level. I was also drawn to the mathematical aspects of the discipline."

Susan returned to New Zealand in 2003 where she completed her specialist medical training as a Public Health Physician and took up a Clinical lecturer's post at the University of Auckland. Five years later she is utilising the skills from all her careers to lead Growing Up in New Zealand.

"The greatest potential of Growing Up in New Zealand is its ability to bring together the collective stories of our current New Zealander's and translate this into information and evidence to improve the developmental outcomes of all New Zealand children."

As well as leading Growing Up in New Zealand Susan is the Director, Centre for Longtitudinal Research, University of Auckland and an Associate Director, Public Policy with the National Research Centre for Growth and Development (NRCGD). As an Associate Director at the NRCGD Susan leads a major project which aims to provide policymakers with a robust economic model of the costs of a poor start to life.

Launch of the Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua

Professor John Lynch Growing Up in New Zealand has a new home. It is now part of the University of Auckland's recently launched Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua. The centre will provide an academic hub for longitudinal studies like Growing Up in New Zealand and will draw together expert academics from across the University's Faculties of Medical and Health Sciences, Science, Business and Education. The centre was officially launched on April 4 and the keynote speaker was Professor John Lynch, Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Adelaide. Professor Lynch delivered a stimulating address that examined a life course approach to epidemiology and the enormous potential of longitudinal studies in New Zealand and overseas. Professor Lynch said Growing Up in New Zealand should be commended for placing reducing inequalities at the heart of its design and acknowledged its commitment to translating the findings into real-world policies. Future plans for the centre include: regular seminars and workshops to develop academic expertise, forum for discussions about common research issues, support for current projects and outputs and PhD and post doctoral career development opportunities.

Hopes and dreams

North Head, Auckland As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we are sharing some of the responses to the question asked when our parents were expecting their babies about their hopes and dreams for them. In this newsletter's insight into their comments, we focus on community, which was mentioned by many parents as an important aspect of their child's future. There were two main strands to these comments. Parents hoped that their children would grow up and continue to live in supportive and safe communities that value diversity. As well as this, parents also wanted to have children that would contribute to their communities in some way, both at a local level, and also in making New Zealand a better place to live.

"I would hope that the baby grows up in a community that respects difference and gives him the opportunity to fulfill himself."

"To grow up happy in a safe and secure environment feeling respected and appreciated by the wider community."

"I hope my son will contribute greatly towards the community and make a difference. I hope he will be successful in his career path and grow up a respectable, kind and loving person."

"That they will grow up in the best possible home and community environment that will enable them to experience life as best they can and grow into a well rounded adult that contributes positively to society."

"That she will grow up to be a happy positive member of the community with good friends, no tattoos or dreadlocks and no boyfriends until she's 25!"

Thank you…

We are incredibly grateful to our gift bag sponsors - their contributions are very much appreciated by us and the families we visit.

Some of our current partners are listed below and again, thank you. We continue to search for gift bag items and would warmly consider any offers, just drop us an email at contact@growingup.co.nz

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