In April 2006, the Office of the Minister for Children announced a major investment into the first seven-year phase of Growing Up in Ireland, a national longitudinal study of children. The contract to carry out the study was awarded to a consortium of researchers led by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Trinity College Dublin, with Professor Tom O'Dowd of Public Health & Primary Care being one of the directors of the health spoke of the study.The 7-year study was officially launched on the 10th January 2007.Growing Up in Ireland is a ‘longitudinal’ study of children. This means the research will take place over a number of years and involve examining the progress and wellbeing of the same group of children on a number of occasions at important periods throughout their childhood.
The main aim of the study is to paint a full picture of children in Ireland and how they are developing in the current social, economic and cultural environment. This information will be used to assist in policy formation and in the provision of services, which will ensure all children will have the best possible start in life.
Tom O'Dowd, Professor of General Practice, is co-director of the health spoke of the Growing up in Ireland study. Udo Reulbach has a background in psychiatry. He is a Research Fellow in the department of Public Health & Primary Care and is the TCD member of the Health Research Board Research Centre for Primary Care based in the Royal College of Surgeons. Dervla Kelly is a pharmacist by training and is now holder of an Ussher Research Fellowship in the department of Public Health & Primary Care. Emma Ladewig is a midwife from Australia, who is an associate researcher in the department of Public Health & Primary Care.
Ursula Ni Choill is an Irish Scholar who had a summer appointment in the department, working on the Growing up in Ireland study.
Williams J, Greene S, Doyle E, Harris E, Layte R, McCoy S, McCrory C, Murray A, Nixon E, O’Dowd T, O’Moore M, Quail A, Smyth E, Swords L, Thornton M. Growing up in Ireland: National longitudinal study of children. The lives of 9-year-olds. Dublin, Stationery Office, 2009
Kelly D, O'Dowd T, Reulbach U. Use of folic acid supplements and risk of cleft lip and palate in infants: a population-based cohort study, British Journal Of General Practice, 62, (600), 2012, p466 - 472Reulbach U, Ladewig E, Nixon E, O’Moore M, Williams J, O’Dowd T. Weight, body image and bullying in nine year old children. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. accepted for publication May 2012 (in press). For further information on the National Longitudinal Study of Children in Ireland go to the Growing Up in Ireland website.
29 – 31st October 2012: Reulbach U, Williams J, O'Dowd T. Opportunities for multi-level analyses of children's health and well-being. EUCCONET & SLLS (Society for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies) International Conference. 29 – 31 October 2012 Paris, France. Chair: U. Reulbach.
9th March 2012: Reulbach U, Williams J, O’Shea B, O’Dowd T. Growing up in Ireland – Opportunities for translational research in Ireland. AUDGPI Annual Scientific Meeting 2012. Dublin.
22 – 23rd May 2012: Reulbach U, Hayes C, O'Dowd T. The Public Health Challenge of the inequality of multi-morbidity and onset of chronic illness in Irish infants and children. 2013 Summer Scientific Meeting Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Dublin.
22 – 23rd May 2012: Reulbach U, Hayes C, Beary E, Roth T, O'Dowd T. Public Health concerns about increasing rates of elective caesarean sections. 2013 Summer Scientific Meeting Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Dublin.
10 - 11th December 2012: Kelly D, O'Dowd T, Reulbach U. Supplement use during pregnancy: the challenge for public health. UK Society for Behavioural Medicine 8th Annual Scientific Meeting. Manchester10 - 11th December 2012: Reulbach U, Beary E, Roth T, Ní Choill U, O’Dowd T. Increasing rates of elective Caesarean sections. Does private health insurance trigger this trend? UK Society for Behavioural Medicine 8th Annual Scientific Meeting. Manchester
29th November 2012: Kelly D, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. The relationship between sedentary behavior and overweight/obesity in nine year old children. 4th Annual Growing Up in Ireland research conference. Dublin.
29th November 2012: Ladewig E., O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. Does a healthy immigrant effect exist among Irish-born children? 4th Annual Growing Up in Ireland research conference. Dublin.
29th November 2012: Ní Choill U, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. Social class of Irish-speaking families and children’s behaviour. 4th Annual Growing Up in Ireland research conference. Dublin.
29th November 2012: O’Dowd T, Kelly D, Williams J, Reulbach U. The association between crèche care and infants’ health. 4th Annual Growing Up in Ireland research conference. Dublin.
29th November 2012: Reulbach U & O’Dowd T. Inequality of multimorbidity and onset of chronic illness in Irish infants and children. 4th Annual Growing Up in Ireland research conference. Dublin.
4 – 7th July 2012: Beary E, O‘Dowd T, Reulbach U. Paediatric respiratory illness in Irish General Practice, and the association with second-hand smoke. WONCA Europe conference. Vienna (Austria).
9th March 2012: Kelly D, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. The association between obesity and entertainment media among 9 year olds in Ireland. AUDGPI Annual Scientific Meeting 2012. Dublin.
9th March 2012: Ladewig E, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. Does breastfeeding protect against respiratory illness in Irish infants? AUDGPI Annual Scientific Meeting 2012. Dublin.
14th December 2011: Reulbach U, Kelly D, Williams J, O’Dowd T. The association between crèche care and infants’ health. 2011 Winter Scientific Meeting of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Dublin.
14th December 2011: Beary E, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. The association between maternal smoking and respiratory illness in Irish infants. 2011 Winter Scientific Meeting of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Dublin.
13 – 14th December 2011: Reulbach U, Ladewig E, O’Dowd T. The association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood and the prevalence of ADHD in nine year old children. 7th Annual Scientific Meeting of the UK Society for Behavioural Medicine. Stirling (UK).
13 – 14th December 2011: Kelly D, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. Should children have a television in their bedroom? Findings From the National Longitudinal Growing Up in Ireland Study. 7th Annual Scientific Meeting of the UK Society for Behavioural Medicine. Stirling (UK).
1st December 2011: Reulbach U, Ladewig E, Nixon E, O’Moore M, Williams J, O’Dowd T. Weight, body image and bullying in nine-year-olds. Growing Up In Ireland Conference. Dublin.
1st December 2011: Kelly D, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. Asthma, family structure and health utilisation in Infants. Growing Up In Ireland Conference. Dublin.
1st December 2011: Ladewig E, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. The association between breastfeeding and respiratory illness in nine-month-olds. Growing Up In Ireland Conference. Dublin.
13 – 16th October 2011: Ladewig E, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. The association between breastfeeding initiation and respiratory infections in infants. European General Practice Research Network (EGPRN) Meeting. Kraków (Poland).
26 – 28th September 2011: Reulbach U, Kelly D, O’Dowd T. Obesity, Bullying and Gender Differences in Children: Preliminary results from ‘Growing Up in Ireland’- the National Longitudinal Study of Children. SLLS (Society for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies) Conference. Bielefeld (Germany).
19th September 2011: Beary E, O’Dowd T, Reulbach U. The association between maternal smoking and respiratory illness in Irish infants. TCD Postgraduate Research Day. Dublin.
6 – 8th July 2011: Reulbach U & O'Dowd T. The prevalence of abnormal body weight in 9-years-olds and its implication to General Practice. SAPC (Society for Academic Practice) conference 2011. Bristol (UK).
19 – 22nd May 2011: O'Dowd T & Reulbach U. Bullying and chronic illness in 9-year-old children. European General Practice Research Network (EGPRN) Meeting. Nice (France).
28 – 30th March 2011: Reulbach U, McAvoy H, Kabir Z, Wilde J, Clancy L. Single mothers – a vulnerable group with a high smoking prevalence. European Conference Tobacco or Health. Amsterdam (The Netherlands).
20 – 21st January 2011: Reulbach U, O’Dowd T, Layte R, McCrory C, Greene S, Williams J, O’Moore M. The association between bullying and chronic illness in 9-year-old children. ADEGS/AUDGPI Annual Scientific Meeting. Dublin.
6 – 8th September 2010: Reulbach U, O’Dowd T, McCrory C, Layte R. Chronic illness and emotional and behavioural strengths and difficulties in Irish children. 54th Annual Scientific Meeting of The Society for Social Medicine. Belfast.
7 – 9th July 2010: Reulbach U, O’Dowd T, McCrory C, Layte R. Childhood chronic illness and its association in Irish children with psychological and social development. 39th Annual Scientific Meeting of the SAPC, University of East Anglia. Norwich (UK).
6 – 9th May 2010: O’Dowd T, Reulbach U, McCrory C, Layte R. Chronic illness in nine-year old children. 70th European General Practice Research Network (EGPRN) Meeting. Plovdiv (Bulgaria).
19th March 2010: Reulbach U, O’Dowd T, McCrory C, Layte R. Chronic illness in Irish children. 13th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association of University Departments of General Practice in Ireland. Dublin.
