Centre for Longitudinal Research – He Ara ki Mua
The Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua provides an
academic hub of expertise in life course epidemiological approaches
to population health issues. It draws together academics from
across the Faculties of Medical and Health Sciences, Science,
Business and Education, working on cross-disciplinary research
projects. The centre will also develop capacity to provide evidence
to inform policy development across sectors to optimise population
health and wellbeing.
Projects currently in the centre include Growing Up in New
Zealand, the International Healthy Start to Life Project
(NRCGD) and projects related to early childhood respiratory illness
and vitamin D. Find out more about the International Healthy Start to Life Project
(NRCGD)
Strategic planning is taking place to support postgraduate
students, specifically PhD, masters and Public Health Registrars,
in the centre from 2012.
The Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua, was
established as a University of Auckland Research Centre in 2010. It
was formally launched with an academic seminar day in recognition
of the goals that it has as an academic centre on 4 April 2011.
The Māori name which has been gifted means pathways to the
future and the key goals of the centre are to apply a longitudinal
and life course approach (including appropriate methodologies) to
provide relevant evidence that can be translated into improvements
in population health and wellbeing. The centre will operate with
the following vision, mission and goals.
Vision
To provide relevant evidence to improve population health
and development.
Mission
To foster excellence and build capacity in life course
research: design, methodology, analysis and translation.
Goals
- Support multi-disciplinary research excellence and
collaboration
- Establish a successful infrastructure to support
multidisciplinary research projects
- Develop multidisciplinary frameworks to address issues related
to the development of population health and wellbeing
- Support a life course epidemiological research perspective
- Develop protocols and methodologies to enable multidisciplinary
life course research from design to analysis
- Develop translational research expertise including:
- Establishing and sustaining relationships with diverse
stakeholder groups
- Providing quality evidence to inform health and health related
policy development
- Contribute to New Zealand specific population relevant evidence
- Apply research expertise to address health, wellbeing and
developmental issues of relevance to the New Zealand
population
- Develop methodological approaches relevant to our diverse New
Zealand population
- Capacity development
- Create a high quality research environment to attract and
support students
- Establish an environment where longitudinal research and
academic career development are enabled
Of the 6846 babies in the study, 184 are twins or triplets.
Source: Growing Up in New Zealand
There was a huge range of birth weights, ranging from about 600 grams to nearly 6000 grams.
Source: Growing Up in New Zealand
The first solid food most frequently give to the babies was baby rice, followed soon after by fruit and vegetables.
Source: Growing Up in New Zealand
One third of the study babies are expected to identify with more than one ethnicity.
Source: Growing Up in New Zealand
At six weeks, the longest time slept by the Growing Up babies varied from just half an hour to over 12 hours.
Source: Growing Up in New Zealand
At nine months, just over half the babies were crawling at least five metres.
Source: Growing Up in New Zealand
At nine months, a third of the Growing Up babies were shaking their heads to say ‘no’.
Source: Growing Up in New Zealand
A thousand mothers reported that they were speaking some te reo Maori to their babies at nine months.
Source: Growing Up in New Zealand