Childhood to Adolescence Transition Study (CATS)
Synopsis
The CATS study is a new and unique longitudinal study of children in metropolitan Melbourne as they approach adolescence. The study began in 2012 and will follow over 1200 children from grade 3 (8-9 years of age). The children will be visited once every year; in 2021 we completed the tenth wave of visits to participating students. The study will also collect information on parents and teachers. The main focus of the study is on the health and emotional development of children during the middle years of school with the aim of improving our understanding of the many influences that affect the health and emotional adjustment of children as they approach their teens. The study will look at the experiences of children and their families, their changing social context as they move into secondary school and their reactions to the biological changes of puberty. The information collected as part of this large study will help us identify when and how to promote the best health and emotional adjustment in pre-teens.
For information on the imaging component of CATS, please go to the Imaging Brain Development of CATS listing.
Summary
Study name | Childhood to Adolescence Transition Study |
Study abbreviation | CATS |
Current principal investigator/s |
Professor George Patton |
Current project manager | Paul Hockey |
Cohort representative (study contact) | Paul Hockey |
Postal address | CATS Study, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia |
Phone | +61 3 9345 3732 |
Primary Institution | Murdoch Children’s Research Institute |
Collaborating Institution/s | University of Melbourne University of South Australia University of NSW UCL Institute of Child Health, UK La Trobe University, Australia Deakin University, Geelong University of Washington, Seattle USA University of Birmingham, UK University of Oregon, USA |
Major funding sources | Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, National Health and Medical Research Council, Department of Education and Training, Australian Rotary Health Research Fund, The Invergowrie Foundation |
Study website | cats.mcri.edu.au/ |
Key reference | Mundy, L.K., Simmons, J.G., Allen, N.B., Viner, R.M., Bayer, J.K., Olds, T., Williams, J., Olsson, C., Romaniuk, H., Mensah, F., Sawyer, S.M., Degenhardt, L., Alati, R., Wake, M., Jacka, F. and Patton, G.C.. Study protocol: the Childhood to Adolescence Transition Study (CATS). BMC Pediatr. 2013 Oct 8;13:160. doi: 10.1186/1471-2431-13-160 |
Are data available to others outside study team? | Yes, through study publication protocol coordinated by project manager. |
Study focus | The effect of puberty on health and emotional development. |
Sampling frame | All Grade 3 students (8-9 years of age) from a stratified cluster sample of schools in Melbourne, Australia were invited to take part. |
Year commenced | 2012 |
Commencement sample | 1239 |
Intergenerational? | No |
Imaging | MRI, fMRI on iCATS nested study (n=128) |
Linkage | NAPLAN (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority) |
Biosamples? | Saliva (8-9 years, 10-11 years, 11-12 years, 16-17 years) |
Ethics approvals or requirements? | This project only (Specific consent) Future research related to this project (Extended consent) |
Waves
Wave | Year | Age (mean, range) | Eligible sample |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 2012 | 8.5 (8 – 11) years | 1239 |
2 | 2013 | 9.9 (8.8 – 11.5) years | 1158 |
3 | 2014 | 10.9 (9.8 – 12.7) years | 1119 |
4 | 2015 | 11.9 (10.7 – 13.5) years | 1066 |
5 | 2016 | 13.0 (11.6 – 14.6) years | 1175 (substudy 110) |
6 | 2017 | 13 – 14 years | 1177 |
7 | 2018 | 14 – 15 years | 1137 |
8 | 2019 | 15 – 16 years | 1102 |
9 | 2020 | 16 – 17 years | 1084 |
9 | 2021 | 17 – 18 years | TBC |
10 | 2022 | 18 – 19 years | TBC |