6,000 teens to decide if they stay part of the study that's tracked them since birth

Growing Up in New Zealand begins its 17-Year Data Collection today, reaching a milestone in the country's largest-ever study into child and youth health and wellbeing, a study that has followed the same group of young people since before they were born.

Over the next six months, more than 6,000 young people and their families will help researchers paint the most detailed picture yet of young people in their late teens in Aotearoa New Zealand, covering mental wellbeing, school life, relationships, and life beyond school. The data collected will add to the more than 100 million data points already gathered by the study over the past 17 years.

Research Director Professor Sarah-Jane Paine says that an important feature of this part of the study is that, for the first time, the young people (who are now all over the age of 16) are being asked to decide for themselves whether they want to continue being part of Growing Up in New Zealand.

"This is the point where young people take ownership of their participation. Their decision to continue reflects the value they place on contributing their experiences to something that helps build a better understanding of life for rangatahi in Aotearoa."

"Collecting information at this age is critical," says Paine. "The late teens are a time of significant change, where young people are forming identities, making decisions about their futures, and experiencing shifts in their independence, relationships, and environments. Capturing this stage helps us understand not just where they are now, but how earlier experiences are shaping their pathways into adulthood."

Paine says this phase takes a more longitudinal approach than the previous data collection, Now We Are 15, which provided a snapshot of life at a single point in time.

"This stage allows us to look across the life course," says Paine. "It means we can better understand how different parts of a young person's life, such as their environments, experiences, and circumstances, combine over time to influence wellbeing outcomes."

The research team aims to retain strong participation across the cohort, particularly among Māori, Pacific, and Asian young people and their families, to ensure the findings continue to reflect the diversity of experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Insights from the 17-Year Data Collection will be analysed and shared with policymakers, researchers, and communities to inform decisions that support young people to thrive.

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