Parent newsletter – Issue 3
Welcome to Issue 3 of our Parent newsletter!
My name is Professor Lisa Smithers and I am thrilled to bring you this update from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.
Like many of you, I am a parent participant of the Study. I clearly remember around 20 years ago receiving a letter in the post about my daughter being eligible to participate. I knew I wanted our family to be involved in this important study, but I didn’t fully know what that meant at the time.
Since enrolling in the study, I have followed the same journey as many of you, completing home visits, written surveys and more recently, telephone surveys. Along the way, I have guided my daughter through various study visits, measurements and surveys, and when she became old enough to make decisions for herself, I encouraged her to continue our family’s commitment to the study.
Professionally, I am a researcher. This allows me to sit on the Study’s Scientific Advisory Committee. Through this committee I offer advice about what information to collect and how often. A most wonderful thing is that I have been able to use Study data in my research.
A couple of examples have been looking at how children’s temperament affects their school outcomes, and whether social risks (like housing instability, food insecurity, financial strain) predict future health and schooling.
As I write this newsletter, I began to wonder … are you surprised that the Study team are still interested in our lives and opinions, even after all this time? We (parents) have an immense impact on our children’s lives in many ways – and there are no other Australian studies that have followed parents in the same way as us, so we make a particularly special contribution to the Study and to research more globally!
With both my researcher and scientific adviser hats on, I want to thank you all for continuing to support the Growing Up in Australia study and encouraging your young person’s participation. You may not always see the benefits of your contributions, but together we are making a positive change.
My very best wishes
Lisa