Review of New Zealand Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal data provides the opportunity to study the evolution of New Zealand families and to determine the impact of family background and circumstances on child development and family functioning.

This report examines longitudinal studies available at May 2005, and identifies relevant data on families and opportunities for further research.

It assesses five studies:

• The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, Dunedin School of Medicine
• The Christchurch Health and Development Study, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Services
• The Pacific Islands Families Study, Auckland University of Technology
• Best Outcomes for Māori, Te Hoe Nuku Roa, Massey University
• The Survey of Family, Income and Employment, Statistics New Zealand
• The Longitudinal Immigration Survey: New Zealand, Department of Labour.

It briefly examines four additional studies:

• The Competent Children Project, New Zealand Council for Educational Research
• Te Rerenga ā Te Pīrere, New Zealand Council for Educational Research 
• The Youth Connectedness Project, Roy McKenzie Centre, the Health Services Research Centre and the New Zealand Council for Educational Research
• The Canterbury Suicide Project, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Services.

This report serves as a reference document for the Families Commission when considering what type of longitudinal data will best meet future research needs.