Growing Up in Ireland: The lives of 9-year-olds of cohort '08. ESRI Growing up in Ireland June 2021.

McNamara, Eoin and Murray, Aisling and O'Mahony, Desmond and O'Reilly, Caoimhe and Smyth, Emer and Watson, Dorothy (2021) Growing Up in Ireland: The lives of 9-year-olds of cohort '08. ESRI Growing up in Ireland June 2021. UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

This report provides a descriptive analysis of the findings from detailed interviews conducted between June 2017 and April 2018 with 8,032 9-year-olds and their families from Cohort ’08 (formerly known as the Infant Cohort) of the Growing Up in Ireland study. These families were first interviewed when the Study Child was 9 months old (September 2008 to March 2009) and followed up at 3 years of age (January-August 2011) and 5 years of age (March-September 2013). An inter-wave postal survey was conducted when the cohort was 7/8 years of age (March-October 2016). Responses at 9 years of age represented 72 per cent of the original sample interviewed at Wave 1. The data have been re-weighted to account for differential response across different groups. Capturing experiences and outcomes in middle childhood is crucial as peers become more important in children’s lives and they take a more active role in shaping the nature of their play and activities. Middle childhood is also an important period for developing social and cognitive skills and for children’s emerging self-concept. Behaviours at this stage, including physical activity and diet, may have longer-term consequences for physical health and well-being.

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