GUI Annual Conference 2020

Growing Up in Ireland 12th Annual Research Conference – Thursday 22nd October 2020 (online)

Growing Up in Ireland held its twelfth annual research conference on Thursday, October 22^nd, 2020. The conference focused on research based on Growing Up in Ireland data. The conference was held as a virtual web event in 2020.

The conference programme is available here.

The book of abstracts is available here.

The event was opened by Minister Dr Roderic O’Gorman T.D. who also announced the recipient of the DCEDIY award for best policy paper at the conference. The award was won by Dr. Gretta Mohan for her presentation titled ‘The influence of caregiver’s migration status on child’s use of healthcare services’.  You can view a video recording of the Minister’s address using the link further down this page.

Keynote: This year the keynote address was delivered by Professor Emla Fitzsimons from University College London. Professor Fitzsimons is the Director of the UK’s Millennium Cohort Study, which has many parallels with Growing Up in Ireland, and she has a particular research interest in the development of human capital and skills over the life course. Professor Fitzsimons spoke on the topic of ‘Mental health among young people: longitudinal evidence from the UK’.

2020 Conference Presentations

Where speakers have agreed, their slides are available below. Presentations listed without active links are awaiting files from presenters.  Those where speakers have opted not to share their presentations online are not listed.  For queries on the content of presentations, please contact the speakers directly.

Keynote Address:

Mental health among young people: Longitudinal evidence from the UK – Professor Emla Fitzsimons, University College London

Session A: Health

Changes in oral health related behaviours from early to middle childhood: Findings from the national longitudinal survey of children in Ireland – Vinay Sharma

The effect of the great recession on socioeconomic inequalities in childhood obesity: Findings from Growing Up in Ireland – Eoin McNamara

The role of ADHD symptomology and trait conscientiousness in weight gain during adolescence – Emmet Feerick

Session B: Family context

Understanding the links between family structure transitions, stress, and children’s educational ability: The role of parent-child relationship quality – Rebecca Oldroyd

The role of socio-economic disadvantage in access to supports for young people with disabilities in Ireland – Rebecca McClintock

Session C: Activities

Emerging digital generations? Impacts of child digital use on mental and socioemotional well-being across two cohorts in Ireland, 2007 – 2018 – Melissa Bohnert

Parental mediation of the relationship between media consumption and indicators of child mental health from 3-9 years – Desmond O’Mahony

Unequal from the start? Social inequality, gender, home learning activities and cognitive outcomes from early to middle childhood in Ireland – Frances McGinnity

Session D: Emotional well-being

Young people’s life satisfaction in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity – Nerilee Ceatha

Mother-child relationship: A potential resource for young people disclosing harmful sexual experiences – Brigid Teevan

Session E: Parents

The influence of caregiver’s migration status on child’s use of healthcare services – Gretta Mohan

Session F: Education

Growing Up in Ireland (GUI), girls, and physics: Statistical quest for the kind of girl that chooses physics at leaving certificate – Agata Lynch

Difficulties in the transition to second-level education: Comparing social background and gender gaps in Scotland and Ireland – Ivan Privalko

The effect of parental educational expectations on socio-emotional and academic outcomes among 17/18-year-olds with disabilities in Ireland – Georgiana Mihut

Session G: Socio-economic context

Understanding the dynamics of factors influencing 17-year-olds in Ireland coming into conflict with the law – a network analysis of the Growing Up in Ireland data – Emma J. Hurley

Disadvantage, poverty, and children’s measured cognitive trajectories: Evidence from the Infant cohort of the Growing up in Ireland Study – Delma Byrne

Session H: Well-being and context

Socio-emotional wellbeing and school social mix – Emer Smyth

The association between adolescent and maternal depressive symptoms: Evidence from a population-based cohort – Nicola Dalrymple

The role of secondary caregiver depression and attachment in developmental trajectories of externalising problems – Hannah Ross (updated 6th Nov 2020)

Session I: Early childhood development

Prevalence of parent-reported conduct problems in 5-year-old children in Ireland – Lorna Barry (updated 2nd Nov 2020)

An investigation of the correlations between unstructured play and the cognitive, physical, social and mental health of children. A cross-sectional analysis of 5-year-olds in Ireland – Inés Lawlor

An investigation of preschool language delay and reading skill at age 9 years in an Irish childhood cohort – Fiona Craven