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Data linkage projects

Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC)

Funder: Australian Government Department of Social Services

This is a nationally representative longitudinal study that follows the development of 10,000 children and their families from birth to adulthood. We link and integrate data from LSAC with data from various administrative sources, such as health, education and welfare to provide a rich and comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence children's outcomes and wellbeing.

Ten to Men: The Longitudinal Study on Australian Male Health

Funder: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

This is a longitudinal study that explores the health and wellbeing of 16,000 Australian men and boys aged 10 to 55. We link and integrate data from the Ten to Men study with data from administrative sources, such as health to provide a comprehensive and longitudinal view of the physical, mental and social health of Australian males.

Prevalence, prognosis and management of autoimmune encephalitis in Australia: a national data-linkage approach

Requestor: St Vincents Hospital Melbourne (SVHM)

This project uses data linkage techniques to generate a retrospective population cohort of Australian patients with autoimmune encephalitis, then link this cohort to a range of national health and welfare databases to determine important health outcomes, and covariates associated with these outcomes. AIFS DLIA is involved with the linkage of National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) and Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) the retrospectively selected cohort (approximately 5,500 individuals). This activity is part of a larger project in which SVHM is working with three integrating authorities to facilitate data linkage activities. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the Population Health Research Network (PHRN) are coordinating linkage of health and welfare data. AIFS DLIA is coordinating linkage of the education data (i.e., NAPLAN and AEDC).

Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) – child education record linkage for intergenerational sub-studies

Requestor: University of Queensland

ALSWH is a nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of Australian women has been investigating the health and well-being of Australian women since 1996, providing a strong and valid evidence base for the development and evaluation of policy and practice that affect the health and wellbeing of women and their families. The study is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and conducted jointly by the University of Queensland (UQ) and the University of Newcastle (UON). ALSWH also comprises two intergeneration sub-studies involving mothers and their children for which AIFS is undertaking the linkage of NAPLAN and AEDC data.

  • Mothers and their Children’s Health (MatCH) sub-study (~4,300 children)
  • Mothers and their Children’s Healthcare experiences (MatCHES) sub-study (~2,500 children)

For more information, please see: Linked data – ALSWH

Built Environments and Child Health in Wales and Australia (BEACHES)

Requestor: Telethon Kids Institute

This project is a collaboration between academic institutions in Wales and Australia to identify and understand how complex and interacting factors in the built environment influence modifiable risk factors for non-communicable diseases across childhood. AIFS DLIA is facilitating the linkage of selected child- and family-related built environment indicators with the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) study participants aged 9-17 years living in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. 

Study of Health Outcomes of Aircraft Maintenance Personnel (SHOAMP) Data Linkage Key Custodian Support

Requestor: Department of Veterans’ Affairs

AIFS is providing support services for the SHOAMP data linkage key to the Air Force Association (AFA). This includes the secure transfer and storage of the data linkage key from the previous provider to AIFS, ongoing maintenance of information contained in the data linkage key, assistance to the SHOAMP Serum Management Committee (SMC) and management of participant requests to access the data linkage key.
Expert consultation relating to the review and enhancement of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data management processes

Expert consultation relating to the review and enhancement of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data management processes

Requestor: Social Research Centre (SRC)

SRC engaged AIFS to provide expert advice on procedural, privacy, documentation and governance issues associated with data linkage as well as best practice in data management policies and support documentation. The AEDC is a population-based measure of children’s development as they enter their first year of full-time school, and takes place every three years. Data is released in the year following its data collection. The first national data collection occurred in 2009 and the subsequent data collections in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021. 

The HIPPY Longitudinal Study (HLS)

Requestor: Brotherhood of St Laurence

HLS examines child and family outcomes for over 600 families involved in the Home Intervention Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY). The program is a two-year early childhood education intervention for parents in low socioeconomic households which supports their four and five-year-old children’s learning. HIPPY is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. The Brotherhood of St Laurence holds the licence for HIPPY in Australia and in turn licenses more than 60 community-based organisations to run 100 local programs.

AIFS DLIA facilitated the linkage of AEDC data for consented HLS respondents and created a matched comparison group for analysis by the approved research team.

The Longitudinal Survey of Australia Youth (LSAY)

Requestor: National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)

LSAY is a study that follows young Australians over 10 years, from their mid-teens to mid-twenties, as they move through school to further study, work and beyond. LSAY links to a range of administrative data sources. AIFS DLIA was involved with the linkage of data for the Y15 cohort to 3 administrative datasets:

  1. My School data
  2. National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)
  3. Senior Secondary data.

Changing Children’s Chances: Linking neighbourhood-built environment measures and LSAC

Requestor: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI)

This project aims to identify the neighbourhood-built environment attributes contributing to inequitable health and development outcomes that may be amenable to change through public health and policy interventions at the community level. MCRI, in collaboration with the Healthy Liveable Cities group at RMIT University engaged AIFS DLIA to link neighbourhood-built environment measures created by RMIT to the LSAC B Cohort  for survey participants residing in Australia’s 21 major cities. The data linkage enabled the researchers to explore how exposure to different types of built environments impact children’s development.

Linkage of geospatial measures to LSAC

Requestor: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI)

MCRI engaged AIFS DLIA for data linkage services relating to three linkage projects using LSAC data. Geospatial linkage was undertaken at the household geocode level.

  1. Air pollution aims to determine whether lifetime exposure to air pollution (i.e. from wave 1 to the Child Health CheckPoint phase) predicts physical and mental health in 11-12 year olds and their mid-life parents. Health outcomes will include growth and adiposity, preclinical intermediate cardiovascular phenotypes (arterial function; macro and microvascular structures), inflammatory biomarkers, metabolomics profiles, lung function, behavioural and emotional problems, and life satisfaction.
  2. Food environment:  aims to determine whether liveability indicators predict a) growth and adiposity, b) preclinical intermediate cardiovascular phenotypes (arterial function; macro and microvascular structures), c) inflammatory biomarkers; and d) metabolomic profile in 11-12 year olds and their mid-life parents.
  3. SEIFA: aims to investigate how associations of the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) with physical and mental health outcomes differ between national, state and local deciles. From the Child Health CheckPoint dataset, physical and mental health outcomes will include health service use, physical activity, time use, diet quality, obesity, mental health, sedentary behaviour, cardio-metabolic and respiratory outcomes.

Linkage of spatial variables with AEDC

Requestor: RMIT University

The Healthy Liveable Cities group, RMIT University developed spatial measures of the neighbourhood surrounding each child’s home address (parcel lot level data) to augment AEDC data, adding a range of spatially derived liveability indicators created for capital cities and major regional cities in Australia. AIFS DLIA integrated geo-coded spatial data with AEDC data for participants living in selected regions.

The Melbourne Injecting Drug User Cohort Study (SuperMIX)

Requestor: Burnet Institute

The Burnet Institute conducted an Injecting Drug Cohort Study (“SuperMIX”) to understand the long-term trajectories of injecting drug use and its impact on specific services and policies.  A linked and de-identified dataset was created incorporating cohort data and administrative data from the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS), Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Victorian Death Index and Victorian ambulance, hospital and emergency attendance, drug and alcohol and mental health datasets. AIFS facilitated researchers from the Burnet Institute to undertake analysis at AIFS premises within our hosted secure environment.

The GENERATION Study

Funder: The Australian National University

The GENERATION study is a national longitudinal survey that commenced in 2022, following a representative cohort of Year 10 students for a decade, concluding in 2032 when the cohort reaches the age of 25. The study was implemented under the National School Reform Agreement, with the support of Education Ministers across Australia.

The GENERATION study aims to explore various aspects of youth transitions, including:

  • Career intentions and related choices in senior secondary school
  • Educational pathways through school education and beyond
  • Engagement of young people as active and informed members of the community
  • Policy and educational factors influencing choices, engagement, and outcomes in education and employment
  • The impact of disadvantage on transitions and pathways
  • The impact of COVID-19 on this group of young people as they progress over the coming years

AIFS DLIA have been engaged to provide data linkage services into the educational and career pathways of young Australians by linking individual unit record data from both the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) and the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) with the GENERATION study cohort.

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