1.9 Consultations with Research and Policy Experts

Two expert advisory panels were set up in 2023 as part of the new model for the

Growing Up in Ireland study. One panel is comprised mainly of policy-makers, and

the other is a combination of academic researchers and representatives from non-

Governmental organisations. In June 2024, members of both groups were invited to

participate in roundtable discussions about the content of the survey for Cohort 24 at

age 3 years.

There were four consultations organised under the themes of ‘physical health’, ‘early

learning and care’, ‘family relationships and socio-emotional context’, and ‘family

context’. The advisory panel members were asked to nominate themselves for one

theme, and each themed discussion included members from both the policy-maker

and research panels. The discussions were held online and facilitated by staff from

the Research and Evaluation Unit in DCEDIY.

In preparing for the roundtable discussion, members were sent a short briefing

document which asked them to consider (a) potential sources of data linkage, (b) the

top five ‘emerging areas’ the survey might want to include as topics for age 3 years,

and (c) a methodological change that could benefit the study. As a prompt, the

briefing document contained a summary of potential new topics, and methodological

considerations, that had already been identified by the Growing Up in Ireland team

from a review of the literature and recent similar-aged surveys from other cohort

studies.

Members of both panels were allowed a few weeks after the roundtable sessions to

submit additional suggestions or other feedback by email. This option was also open

to members who had been unable to attend the online discussion groups.

The following paragraphs give a short summary of the areas discussed at each of the

roundtables, and/or subsequently submitted by email:

Physical health: There was strong support for including questions on parental eating

disorders, the use of screens (by the child) while eating, feeding strategies (and

associated picky or fussy eating), and using screens as a tool for emotion regulation.

On methodological considerations, there was considerable discussion and agreement

on the merits of collecting biomarkers from participants. Other suggestions from the

panel centred around sustainable diets, awareness of dietary recommendations (i.e.

health literacy), food insecurity, screen time behaviour (at night, marketing exposure,

ownership), sleep habits, sun habits and safety practices. On this basis, the DCEDIY

team recommend the following new topics for inclusion in the age 3 years survey:

parental eating disorders, screen time while eating, picky eating, and extra questions

related to screen time behaviour.

Early learning and care: The highest degree of consensus in the area of early learning

and care was around the importance of play (particularly outdoor and risky play) and

childcare arrangements (particularly communication with providers). Other proposed

topics included engagement with technology, engagement with nature, disability

services, language exposure, family routines, challenging behaviour and preparedness

for school. From a methodological perspective, daily diaries and interviewer

observations of the childcare setting were discussed. The DCEDIY team are

recommending questions relating to risky/outdoor play and communication with

childcare providers for the new survey on the basis of this roundtable discussion.

Relationships and socio-emotional well-being: Topics related to interaction with the

extended family, both face-to-face and virtually, identified as new areas of interest by

this panel. There were also suggestions to include items on non-cognitive traits and

gamification. Following from this discussion, the DCEDIY team recommend the

inclusion of questions on extended family interaction, including frequency and

modality, in the age 3 survey. The panel on family context also suggested a question

on the child’s friends which has been included in the recommendations for this

domain.

Family context: While the study already has a well-established set of socio-

demographic indicators, the panel members in this theme also identified the

importance of collecting information across multiple generations of the family and the

impact of care services for families with a child with a disability. Methodology and

data linkage suggestions included means testing and further information on parental

labour status. The DCEDIY team recommends the addition of questions on

intergenerational socioeconomic, health and financial support information, and

questions on accessing care services on this basis.

1.10 Report Outline