National child health study starts this week

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 342, 3 July 1990, Page 4

National child health study starts this week

A major child health survey aimed at providing much-needed, accurate data about child health starts this week.

Four and a half thousand New Zealand babies and young children will form the PJunket Society National Child Health Study which started Monday 2nd July. Plunket's Chief Medical Director, Dr David Geddis, said the information is vital if the widespread problems of child health in New Zealand are to be addressed. "The families taking part in the survey will come from all parts of the country, all ethnic groups and from a wide range of social groups."

said Dr Geddis. Very little information is actually available on the 0 to 5 year age group and it is the health of this group that plunket particularly wants to improve." Participation will be voluntary and parents are assured of confidentiality with all information collected by Plunket nurses.* "Even though the questions mainly cover ground the Plunket nurse already discusses with young families, we have ensured that the survey meets ethical requirements, and confi-

dentiality is assured. The fact that about 90% of infants are already seen by the Plunket nurses means the survey can be carried out in the normal course of Plunket work. In fact, without the Plunket structure, such a study would be practically impossible to undertake." said , Dr Geddis. In one or two Area Health Board locations Public Health Nurses will assist in the survey. All health professionals will benefit from the findings of the survey which will provide up-to-date and reliable information about illnesses, breast-feed-ing, nutrition, child behaviour, and the child's physical environment.

The plunket Society's Research and Education Unit in Dunedin will collate the findings of the survey and produce full reports. In order to be able to compare children from year to year, a new group of the same size will be introduced every second . year. "We expect great support for the survey, as all parents are vitally interested in the health of their children. The parents asked to take part will have to spend only a very short time on the survey, and the results will give us the first really comprehensive data base on which to plan the best ways of directing limited resources into improving child health." said Dr Geddis.