Posted on: 15 July 2009
The first results from Growing Up in Ireland – the Child Cohort, a national study tracking the lives of 8,500 9 year old children and their families was launched on Friday, July 10th last. The findings draw on data collected during ‘Wave One’ of the Child Cohort which took place between September ’07 and May ’08 and involved interviewing 8,500 9 year old children, their parents, teachers and principals.
The initial results are published in a series of brief, topic based reports in the areas of health, education and family circumstance and serve to highlight the defining characteristics of the lives of 9 year olds in Ireland. The children who took part in the study will be revisited for a follow-up interview when they are 13 years old.
Professor James Williams, ESRI, Sam Butler, Amy McGreevy, Katie Dempsey and Professor Sheila Greene, TCD, at the launch of the first results from the ‘Growing Up in Ireland’ study.
Speaking at the event Professor James Williams, Research Professor, ESRI and Principal Investigator and Co-Director, Growing Up in Ireland, said: “The Growing Up in Ireland team is delighted to present the first key findings from ‘Wave One’ of the 9 Year Cohort. The bank of data collected from the 9 year olds families during ‘Wave One’ is both enormous and comprehensive and we look forward to the publication of the first substantial report on this part of the study later this year. That will provide invaluable information and evidence which will support and influence the future of policy and practice regarding children and their families.”
Thanking all those who have contributed to the study to date, Professor Sheila Greene, Director of the Children’s Research Centre, TCD and Co-Director, Growing Up in Ireland, said: “A huge number of individuals, organisations and groups have assisted in the Growing Up in Ireland project. We are extremely grateful to all of them. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the tremendous help given by the principals, teachers and other staff in over 1,000 National Schools who helped us to select and interview the children. The biggest thanks of all must go to all our 9 year old study children and their families, each of whom gave so generously of their time to make this study possible.”
Launched in January 2007, Growing Up in Ireland is a Government funded study following the progress of almost 20,000 children – a cohort of 8,500 9-year-olds and a cohort of 11,000 9-month-olds. The study is being conducted by a consortium of researchers led by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Trinity College Dublin.
For more information on the Growing Up in Ireland study please visit the website, www.growingup.ie or freephone 1800 200 434.
