We’ve had the privilege of working with Dr. Sarah-Jane Paine over the last few years. As the director of Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ), one of Aotearoa’s most significant longitudinal studies, she is at the forefront of understanding how various social, cultural, and environmental factors influence the lives of tamariki and whānau across our country. In this conversation, she shares her journey into research, the profound role of kaupapa Māori in shaping her approach, and why understanding the bigger picture of child wellbeing matters more than ever.
Kia ora Sarah-Jane. What was your path to where you are now at Growing Up in New Zealand?
I'm the research director at Growing Up in New Zealand and an associate professor in Māori health at Te Kupenga Hauora Māori at the University of Auckland. My path to these roles started as part of a whānau commitment to education. My parents really valued education and encouraged me to see university as part of my pathway. I’ve been really fortunate to have had wonderful supervisors, colleagues and mentors who helped me see myself as a researcher. I’m particularly grateful to have been supported by Māori colleagues who understood the power and potential of data to achieve health equity for Māori and that kaupapa Māori epidemiology had an important role to play in transforming Māori health outcomes. I never expected to remain in the university system almost 30 years later, but here we are!
In my role at Growing Up in New Zealand now, I lead a study that explores how child wellbeing is shaped across the life-course. Our data reflects the diverse realities of children and families in Aotearoa.
What are the study’s areas of focus? How would you describe the work to people unfamiliar with it?
Growing Up in New Zealand is a longitudinal birth cohort study following over 6,000 children and their families since before their birth in 2009-2010. The goal is to create a dataset that answers key questions about child development and wellbeing in Aotearoa, exploring how various factors – physical and mental health, family, education, culture, identity, communities, and socioeconomic conditions – interact to support children's growth.
The team here at the university collaborates with child and youth wellbeing experts and government partners to create questionnaires that reflect current well-being and policy priorities at every age and stage as the cohort ages. We work with a specialised team of interviewers who support and connect participants, and researchers using the data to create policy-relevant snapshots of what well-being looks like for young people and whānau at that time. The study's success lies in its collaboration with researchers, policymakers, and participating whānau to create this rich data resource for Aotearoa.
Why are longitudinal studies like this important, and what impact can they have?
Time sits at the heart of studies like ours. Longitudinal birth cohort studies, such as Growing Up in New Zealand, help us understand how the timing and sequence of early life events, particularly during pregnancy and a child's first years, shape later outcomes. The "first 1000 days" concept highlights how early experiences of poverty and stress can significantly impact a child's socio-emotional development, education, and even biology, with effects lasting into adulthood.
Our study also considers how well-being is shaped within and between generations, emphasising the importance of social connections. These connections offer opportunities for researchers and policymakers to develop interventions that help tamariki and whānau thrive.
What are some of the biggest challenges our mothers and tamariki face in New Zealand today?
I’ve been really lucky to have been involved in a number of projects over the years that have focused on the wellbeing of mothers and children, and what I’ve learned, and what many communities already know, is that thinking about maternal and child wellbeing is actually thinking about whānau wellbeing. As a kaupapa Māori researcher and epidemiologist, I’ve seen how persistent and pervasive inequities in maternal and child health are between Māori and non-Māori – including in issues such as maternal mental health, obstetric interventions, experiences of toxic stressors including racism and discrimination, breastfeeding, sleep problems, access to health care … the list goes on.
At Growing Up in New Zealand, we’ve most recently reported on a range of challenging issues for young people and their families at 12 years of age, including homelessness, material hardship, depression and anxiety symptoms, residential mobility, and food insecurity. These are really significant challenges that many whānau are experiencing, and so the question we have to face next as a society is what are we going to do about solving these issues, because by definition health and social inequities are unfair, unjust, and avoidable – they are amenable to change.
As you’ve mentioned, you have been involved in several research projects looking at the difference in health outcomes for Māori and non-Māori; how important is kaupapa Māori in your research?
It sits at the heart of everything that I do – it shapes the research questions that I ask, it influences the methods that I choose to use, and it informs the connections and collaborations that I look to create. Kaupapa Māori epidemiology understands that health inequities don’t exist because of problematic individuals, behaviours or cultures. They are created and maintained by the systems and structures that exist within our society. When we understand health inequities as a social justice issue and an Indigenous and human rights issue, then it forces us to change how we think about solutions.
Kaupapa Māori research also taught me to think critically about research, data and evidence, including the problematic histories of our disciplines. The goal is always to undertake meaningful work that is going to support transformational change for whānau and communities.
How do you navigate changing governments and an unstable economic environment when conducting a study over 21 years?
It’s an interesting question, because the hope for the Growing Up in New Zealand study is to follow the cohort until they're at least 21, which extends beyond any election cycle! However, this isn't unique to our study; researchers often focus on the most pressing issues of the time, aligning with community needs and government priorities. In our study, we're particularly focused on key life transitions, like the decisions our 14- 15-year-old cohort will soon make about education and employment, as these choices will significantly impact their future social and economic well-being. Planning for these transitions allows us to better inform future policymaking.
How do you translate research findings into real-world impact?
This is a great question and one I've considered a lot since starting at Growing Up in New Zealand. Traditionally, research impact was seen as a linear process: conduct research, share it with academics and stakeholders, and hope for change. However, expectations have shifted, and impact is now seen as more collaborative. Our work has influenced policies on breastfeeding, nutrition and home safety, but these impacts often result from close collaboration with those who can integrate our evidence into policy.
Impact also extends beyond policy. We've focused on representing our data in ways that resonate with young people and their communities, helping them see the relevance of our research in their lives.
What have been some of the biggest surprises that have emerged from the Growing Up in New Zealand study?
Our study has revealed a lot of wonderful information. For example, it revealed that one-third of 12-year-olds identified with multiple ethnic groups and felt a strong sense of belonging to those groups. Most have strong relationships with parents and friends, and nearly half reported having a "special adult" in their lives, which we know is crucial for wellbeing.
We also found that young people have clear ideas about addressing major challenges. In a 2023 survey following Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods, participants were asked, “What would you recommend the prime minister do if this was to happen again?” Their ideas were really clear. They suggested schools be better prepared, have transport plans in place, mental health support tailored to youth needs, and they wanted to play a role in helping their communities. Young people are experts in their own lives and these insights really highlight the importance of amplifying the voices of rangatahi in addressing these issues.
What have been some of your proudest moments at Growing Up in New Zealand?
I'm really proud of how our team and the Growing Up in New Zealand participants came together to complete the 12-year data collection during the Delta and Omicron Covid-19 outbreaks in 2021/22. Despite long lockdowns in Tāmaki Makaurau, where most participants live, the majority of families, who are essentially volunteers, still completed interviews via Zoom. The families in the study are our heroes. Their dedication has allowed us to generate valuable data and insights that will make Aotearoa a place where tamariki and rangatahi can flourish.
I'm also extremely proud of how open our team has been to doing things differently. The 6,000s project which we created in partnership with Daylight really changed how we thought about our engagement with young people in the study and the role that data can play in that relationship. Similarly, the UnCivil Defence guide evolved from a simple idea into a valuable well-being resource for young people following an extreme weather event, available for anyone to use.
What would you like to see happen to the Growing Up in New Zealand research once it is complete?
This is an interesting question. This study originally aimed to follow children until age 21, but there are examples here in Aotearoa and internationally where birth cohorts have continued into participants' 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. Extending our study depends on the continued willingness of families to engage with our team as they grow, age, and possibly start families of their own. We could be a three-generation study! For that to happen, we need to support our participants and deliver on their hopes for their children to grow up healthy and happy.
We can’t do it alone, so I hope Aotearoa gets behind our participants and the kaupapa of the study, researchers address key wellbeing challenges facing whānau, and young people see themselves reflected in the study, using the data to advocate for their priorities. This study is about their data and their futures.
We recently worked together launching an impact report for Growing Up in New Zealand. Can you please share why reports like this are so important and what influence they have?
The impact report is really important from a social accountability perspective. For the participants who volunteered to be part of the Study and shared their wellbeing stories with us, for our stakeholders who have support the kaupapa and helped bring the possibility of flourishing mokopuna futures to life, and for our funders without whom the study would not be possible.
