ANALYSIS:Longitudinal studies give information about health, education and family issues, writes Alison Healy
'IT IS TRUE - older men really are grumpier than women." "Children of sociable parents do better at exams." "Pregnant mothers who quit smoking likeliest to have easygoing child."
These recent headlines all have one thing in common. The stories were generated by the findings from longitudinal studies - studies involving multiple surveys of large numbers of people from birth and throughout their lives.
As the studies follow the same groups of people throughout their lives, they show how our experiences of health, wealth, education and family determine our futures. The findings inform Government policy on issues such as healthcare, education and family support.
These studies are common abroad, but few can compete with the National Survey of Health and Development which began in Britain in 1946 and is still going strong. The "babies" who were the subject of the study in its first year celebrated their 60th birthdays two years ago and more than 5,000 of them are still providing information to policymakers.
Now we've got in on the act with Growing Up in Ireland, our very own national longitudinal study of 18,500 children led by the ESRI and Trinity College Dublin (TCD). The Government has given an initial seven-year commitment to the study which will allow the researchers to interview the children twice.
"Hopefully it will go beyond that," said Prof James Williams, project co-director and ESRI researcher. "If you return to the children three or more times, it really starts to repay you."
Some 10,000 nine year olds have already been interviewed and the first findings will be released early next year. The project, in which the Government has pledged €6 million, will give a complete picture of what it's like to be a nine-year-old child living in Ireland today, according to project co-director Prof Sheila Greene of TCD.
"We are looking at the health of the nine year olds, if they've had hospitalisations, if they have chronic illnesses, how healthy they are, their weight and their height. We're looking at their eating habits. We're looking at the school achievements, how they enjoy school as well as how they are getting on at their reading and maths performance," she said.
They have been asked about issues such as computer use, bullying, fears and family activities.
"We are very excited about the data that we have and the preliminary analyses that we've done are proving very interesting and I hope everybody else will find them as interesting as we do," said Prof Greene. Those children will be revisited when they are 13.
The research team has now turned its attention to nine month olds and in coming days it will begin sending letters to some 10,000 families, randomly selected from the Child Benefit Register, asking them to participate. Parents and carers will be asked about issues such as the baby's temperament and its crying, sleeping and feeding habits. The pregnancy, birth and childcare arrangements will all be discussed.
Prof Williams said similar studies abroad have provided vital information in areas such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, obesity and childhood injury. And although we can anticipate some of the answers, he is still hoping to be surprised by some of the findings. "I'd hope to be a little bit surprised, because if we are able to anticipate all the answers, then why would we do this?" he asked.
He urges families to take part in the survey if contacted and points out that it takes less than two hours to complete the questionnaire. "It's a big commitment but it's a commitment that will ultimately help all children and families in Ireland," he said.
See www.growingup.ie for more information