Yearly archive
News
On these pages you can learn more about the latest news from Growing up in New Zealand, including research, reports and project updates.
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If you want to know more about what our researchers have been up to, then check out our current research projects or read the published articles.
Now We Are Eight Report reveals unique insight into NZ eight-year-olds
Growing Up in New Zealand has released its Now We Are Eight: Life in Middle Childhood report which provides a unique insight into the lives and experiences of eight-year-old Kiwi children.
Growing Up participant says it's important for adults to listen to children
Growing Up in New Zealand participant says it's “pretty cool” that the study encourages adults to pay close attention to children’s lives and experiences.
Study identifies behaviours that support children to develop self-control
New research using this country’s largest longitudinal study of child development has identified key behaviours to support pre-school children to develop self-control, a key indicator of adult wellbeing.
How much sleep are New Zealand pre-schoolers really getting?
The largest ever study of sleep in early childhood in New Zealand estimates that more than a third of toddlers and a fifth of preschoolers are not getting the recommended amount of sleep.
Early childhood education positive for social outcomes, but increases chance of childhood illnesses
Growing Up research found children who attend early childhood education have fewer emotional difficulties and better peer relations, but are more prone to illnesses.
The key culprits in tooth decay in New Zealand children
The foods most associated with tooth decay in New Zealand children are white bread, fruit juice, refined breakfast cereals and sugar sweetened soft drinks.
Now We Are Eight
Growing Up in New Zealand has launched its Now We Are Eight: Life in Middle Childhood report.
What's happening in your community these school holidays?
Looking for things to keep your kids busy these holidays? Check out what's happening in your local area.
Study finds significant growth in the use of Te Reo Māori among pre-schoolers
A new study has found significant use of Te Reo Māori among pre-schoolers, with 10 percent using it for everyday conversations and nearly 75 percent using at least some words.
Information for Growing Up participants on Covid-19 research
Information for Growing Up in New Zealand participants on the special Covid-19 research project.
Study to explore the impact of Covid-19 “lockdown” on New Zealand children
The country’s largest longitudinal study is about to launch a new research project to discover how the Covid-19 “lockdown” has affected children in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Growing Up in New Zealand boosts team for next data collection wave
Growing Up in New Zealand is boosting its team in preparation to go out to field to canvass the cohort on the cusp of adolescence.
Children's wellbeing during Covid-19
A list of helpful websites which may support you and your children to get through the Covid-19 pandemic and self-isolation.
Our guide to online activities for lockdown
Check out our guide to online activities for children to help your whole family get through Covid-19 self-isolation.
German academic plunges into Te Ao Māori
A German researcher working with Growing Up in New Zealand is deep in to learning Te Reo and says exposure to the Māori world has changed her life.
Our guide to freebie online viewing for children
We've compiled our favourite fee online TV streaming services for children. Perfect to check out when you need a break from running around outside.
The power of sleep protects at-risk children from obesity
A University of Auckland study has identified a key factor in protecting at-risk pre-school children from becoming overweight or obese and the elixir is sleep.
Fascinating Facts from Growing Up in New Zealand to celebrate 2019
Check out our end-of-year update in which we take you on a fascinating journey to discover some of the amazing things we've learnt over the past 10-years.
Parents as first teachers support early learning outcomes
New research using information collected from Growing Up in New Zealand has identified several factors which are crucial to children’s early learning outcomes.
The best books for 10-year-olds
Check out our book reviews from the lovely team at the Time Out Book Store in Auckland who have provided recommendations on the best books for 10-year-olds.
Growing Up in New Zealand children hit double digits!
The Growing Up in New Zealand double-digit club is expanding rapidly – as our study participants turn 10!
From South Africa to Growing Up in New Zealand
Dr Carin Napier comes to Growing Up in New Zealand all the way from South Africa and brings with her a passion for children’s nutrition.
Research identifies why Pacific women are more likely to experience symptoms of depression in pregnancy
New research highlights the importance of primary healthcare for pregnant Pacific women in New Zealand – around a quarter of whom experience symptoms of depression during pregnancy.
Study reveals unique genetic insight into how New Zealand children could age
The country’s largest longitudinal study has found that girls, Pacific children and children born to older mothers have a unique genetic advantage that could potentially help them live longer.
Grant for Growing Up in New Zealand researcher
Growing Up in New Zealand’s senior research fellow, Dr Caroline Walker, has won an Auckland Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) award for her pioneering work examining New Zealand children's DNA.
Mind the gap – unequal from the start: addressing inequalities utilising evidence from Growing Up in New Zealand
Evidence gathered from the Growing Up in New Zealand study features in a just-released report looking at how childhood inequalities affect life outcomes.
What will our eight-year-olds reveal?
The Growing Up in New Zealand team is currently hard at work collating the hundreds of thousands of pieces of data gathered from the field when the cohort children were eight-years-old.
Growing Up in New Zealand welcomes funding announcement
Growing Up in New Zealand warmly welcomes the Government’s announcement to allocate funding over the next three years to continue the country’s largest contemporary longitudinal study of child development.
How do families make choices about early childhood education?
New research using Growing Up in New Zealand data reveals a fascinating picture of mothers' participation in the workforce and their use of early childhood education services.
Growing Up in New Zealand Newsletter May 2019
Check out the latest Growing Up in New Zealand newsletter here.
New research released on nutrition of Kiwi infants
New University of Auckland research has examined whether Kiwi families are meeting national food and nutrition guidelines when feeding their babies.
Domestic fires can affect more than just children’s breathing
Think again about a wood or coal fire if you have children – especially if your neighbours have domestic fires too.
Growing Up in New Zealand releases Transition to school report
Growing Up in New Zealand has today released its latest study report, Transition to school.
Growing Up in New Zealand welcomes funding announcement
Growing Up in New Zealand has warmly welcomed today’s announcement from the Minister for Social Development, the Honourable Carmel Sepuloni, that it will restore funding of more than $1.9 million to the child development study.
New research reveals mealtime mismatch for preschoolers
Good nutrition-related behaviours early on can help establish healthy habits for life, but new research shows children are getting different messages about healthy eating from home and preschool.
New research gives unique insight into breastfeeding in New Zealand
New Zealand compares well with other developed countries when it comes to initiating breastfeeding, but New Zealand children are not being breastfed for as long as international guidelines recommend.
New clues in childhood obesity puzzle
New evidence from New Zealand’s contemporary longitudinal study Growing Up in New Zealand shows how genes and the environment may interact to promote obesity.
Today’s fathers coping well despite the stress
Growing Up in New Zealand has released two further sets of “key findings” from the Who are today’s dads? research project, looking specifically at health and mental health.
Infant immunisation: negative messages more influential than positive
Infant immunisations are more likely to be delayed if women receive information during pregnancy that discourages infant immunisation.
Household safety: child study highlights areas for improvement
Evidence from the University of Auckland’s Growing Up in New Zealand study of child development links rental housing to a reduced number of safety features in the homes of young children.
Many childcare services fall short of nutrition recommendations
Many Early Childhood Education centres serving food to children do not have menus that meet nutritional guidelines, according to research from the University of Auckland’s Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua.
Now We Are Four report launch: video
The latest report on the children of Growing Up in New Zealand was launched at a seminar in Wellington last week.
Now We Are Four report launched
The latest report from the University of Auckland’s Growing Up in New Zealand study shows a rise in obesity levels in the preschool children in the study, but a significant gap between parental perception of weight and the reality of their child’s weight according to international classifications of BMI.
Now We Are Four report released
The latest report from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study has just been released.
Too many antibiotics dispensed to New Zealand children
Almost all New Zealand children have taken antibiotic medications by the time they are five years of age according to new research from the University of Auckland’s Centre for Longitudinal Research – He Ara Ki Mua.
New fathers can get new baby depression too
Depression symptoms among men before and after the birth of their children were identified by recent research from the University of Auckland’s Centre for Longitudinal Research – He Ara Ki Mua.
Gas heater link to child illness
Gas heaters used for home heating have been found to increase the risk of respiratory illnesses in young children, according to the latest research from the University of Auckland.
Centre student is finalist for prestigious Australasian College Award
Dr Jin Russell, a PhD candidate in the University of Auckland Centre for Longitudinal Research – He Ara Ki Mua, was recently recognised.
Initiative to support translation of Growing Up research into policy
Superu Children and Families Research Fund has been launched to assist policy-relevant research using Growing Up in New Zealand external data.
Keynote address introduces the new generation of New Zealanders
Growing Up in New Zealand Director, Associate Professor Susan Morton was a keynote speaker at the Mana Rangahau Faculty of Education and Social Sciences Applied Research Conference 2016 at Manukau Institute of Technology and Otara Marae on 25 November.
International perspective on longitudinal studies
Growing Up in New Zealand Director Associate Professor Susan Morton presented the international perspective when she spoke at the launch of the book “Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising” in Dublin this week.
Report launch will be live-streamed
The first report from the Centre for Longitudinal Research study Who are today's dads? will be launched in Wellington this Friday 09 September.
New study tracks impact of early ear infections
Investigators at the University of Auckland Centre for Longitudinal Research He Ara ki Mua have been awarded close to $1.2 million (over three years) in the recently announced Health Research Council of New Zealand funding round.
New Zealand children are active users of te reo Māori
Data from Growing Up in New Zealand study indicate that parents and young children are enthusiastic about including te reo Māori in developing language skills.
Nutrition education for early childcare staff key to preventing obesity in preschoolers
In a paper published this week in the journal Public Health, Centre for Longitudinal Research and Growing Up in New Zealand PhD student Sarah Gerritsen outlines the evidence-informed components of education environments that work to prevent obesity.
Stronger policies needed to get children active at daycare
Guidelines are needed about screen time for children at daycare, according to new research from the University of Auckland.
Growing Up in New Zealand Associate Director becomes Head of Paediatrics
Clinical practice, research, and mentoring all contribute to the professional role of the new head of Paediatrics at the University of Auckland, Associate Professor Cameron Grant who co-leads the Growing Up in New Zealand study.
New tool to measure language skills of NZ Samoan and Tongan children
Researchers from the Growing Up in New Zealand study have developed the first-ever Samoan and Tongan language inventories to formally gauge the language skills of New Zealand toddlers speaking Samoan or Tongan as their first language.
Dads can help boost child immunisation rates
Aiming immunisation campaigns specifically at fathers-to-be could be a promising new approach to get more New Zealand children immunised on time suggests new research by the Growing Up in New Zealand study.
ECE services struggle to promote healthy eating
Most Early Childhood Education (ECE) services strive to encourage healthy eating among children but need stronger and more detailed nutrition policies to support change in everyday staff and parent behaviours.
'Starting school' data collection wave launched
With the Growing Up in New Zealand children reaching school age, the study has launched its latest data collection wave to learn more about parents’ and children’s experiences with the move from early childhood education into primary schooling.
Warnings about immunisation prove more influential than positive messages
Negative messages about immunisation have a far greater impact on parents’ decision to delay vaccinations than encouraging information has on vaccinating children on time.
Alcohol and Pregnancy - Understanding the New Zealand context
It has been established that exposure to alcohol can be harmful to the unborn child. Yet about one in five mothers-to-be continue to consume alcohol.
One in eight pregnant women affected by depression
One in eight New Zealand women suffer from depression symptoms while pregnant, with Pacific and Asian women twice as likely to be affected.
Lead maternity carer system working for most New Zealand mothers
Two decades after New Zealand introduced a choice-based model of primary maternity care, almost all mothers-to-be enrol with a carer early in their pregnancy and most are happy with the choice of carers available.
New generation of New Zealand children are helping to keep te reo Māori alive
The use of te reo Māori is on the rise. More parents are speaking te reo to their infants, in comparison to their own childhood.
Growing Up study suggests low social service use among vulnerable children
Only one in five families whose toddlers were considered most at risk of vulnerability from birth accessed social support services in their first 1000 days of life.
Policy Brief: Employment and parental leave around the time of birth
Little is known about parents’ experiences of recent parental leave in New Zealand, including their preferences and realities.
Pre-school data collection wave completed
It is always an important time for us when we complete a new round of interviews with our Growing Up in New Zealand families.
High rate of Strep bacteria bugging Kiwi kids
Over half of healthy New Zealand pre-school children are carriers of Staphylococcus aureus.
One step closer to unravelling child poverty
More than half of New Zealand mothers experience some level of hardship between late pregnancy and when their child is 9 months old and many parents have to cope with a drop in family income after having children.
Private rentals less safe for raising toddlers
Many private rentals fall short of being safe places to bring up a child suggests new research into household safety released by Growing Up in New Zealand.
Study on skin infection in children gets funding boost
Medical research from the Centre for Longitudinal Research into the factors contributing to serious skin infections in children has benefited from a funding boost by the Auckland Medical Research Foundation.
Young New Zealand families are moving house more than ever
New Zealand families with children under two move house much more than previously thought and more often than families in other countries.
New external projects with Growing Up in New Zealand data approved
Growing Up in New Zealand has approved access to its anonymised external datasets for three new projects submitted by the Ministries of Education and Social Development, and the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (SuPERU) in cooperation with the Families Commission.
NZ parents hope for more than just happy and healthy babies
What do expectant mums and dads hope for their children? According to new research from Growing Up in New Zealand, a baby’s health and happiness may be high up on the list, but today’s parents want a lot more than that.
Preliminary results from 'Kai Time in ECE' published
Kai time in ECE is a one-off online survey of managers of licensed ECE services in the Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waikato District Health Board (DHB) regions, collecting information about food, nutrition and physical activity practices and policies for 3-4 year olds.
Milk contributes to iron deficiency in New Zealand newborns
Pregnant women who drink three or more servings of milk per day might put their babies at risk of being iron deficient during an important phase of their development, according to new research from Growing Up in New Zealand.
Research confirms: Growing Up in New Zealand cohort broadly generalisable to all contemporary New Zealand births
Growing Up in New Zealand is the first longitudinal child cohort study to broadly generalisable to all contemporary New Zealand births, according to a scientific paper published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
Growing Up in New Zealand releases report on early childhood vulnerability
Routinely collected health data on pregnant women could be used in a better way to identify 'at risk' children earlier and more effectively, according to a new report from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study released today.
Growing Up in New Zealand launches 'Now We Are Two' report
High levels of mobility and the diverse environment of New Zealand families with young children challenge the way we provide education, health and social services, according to a new report from Growing Up in New Zealand released today
Growing Up in New Zealand appoints Harvard epidemiologist as scientific advisory group chair
Harvard epidemiologist Professor Carlos A. Camargo has been appointed the new chair of the Expert Scientific Advisory Group for the Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) longitudinal study
Solving child poverty needs more than trends over time
A response to the Child Poverty Monitor 2013 Technical Report that was released 09 Dec 2013
GUiNZ online survey on Early Childhood Education nutrition and physical activity
Kai time in ECE is a one-off survey of all the managers of licensed Early Childhood Education (ECE) services in the Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waikato District Health Board (DHB) regions.
Children's health: Many answers already available
A response to the Health Committee report that was published 18 Nov 2013.
Growing Up in New Zealand awarded $1.2m by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
It is one of only six projects that have been awarded funding within the category of Health and Society.
Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua Launched by the University of Auckland
The Centre for Longitudinal Research (He Ara ki Mua) has been launched by the University of Auckland. It provides an academic hub of expertise in life course epidemiological approaches to population health issues.
Growing Up introduces a new generation of New Zealanders
In-depth insights into the newest generation of New Zealanders are revealed today in a study which will follow more than 7,000 children for the next 21 years.