AUT - About the PIF Study
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About the PIF Study
The Research Team
The PIF Study is being undertaken by a team of researchers under the leadership of Professor Janis Paterson and Dr Gerhard Sundborn.
Professor Janis Paterson earned her PhD from the University of Auckland in 1994 and has twelve years experience as a professional academic Psychologist with research interests in both children's and adolescent health and development. She is currently Co-Director of the National Institute for Public Health and Mental Health Research and Head of the School of Public Health and Psychosocial studies.
Dr Gerhard Sundborn is a senior research fellow with the PIF Study and completed his PhD investigating the cardiovascular risk profiles and diabetes status of the major Pacific ethnic groups in Auckland. Gerhard is eager to ensure that findings from the PIF study make real changes to the health and wellbeing of Pacific youth and families.
Investigators
Pacific and Non-Pacific researchers share various responsibilities across the different layers of the study. This structure is optimal as it draws on research expertise and skills across disciplines and brings ethnically and culturally diverse perspectives to the Study.
Key AUT staff that assume day-to-day management of various aspects of the study includes:
Steve Taylor: Biostatistician
Leon Iusitini: Data Manager
Faasisila Savila: Research field coordinator
Upasana Jhagroo: Research Assistant
Amor Hirao: Administrator
Shamshad Karatela: PhD candidate
El-Shadan Tautolo: PhD candidate -HRC placement
Their roles include management of the study and academic participation in measurement issues, data collection, data handling, analysis, write-up, publication and dissemination.
Other personnel are also involved in specialist areas of interest and in a wider consulting and management group.
They include:
Professor Max Abbott: post natal depression, gambling, housing, demographic and social issues
Elaine Rush: nutrition and body composition
Associate Professor Suzanne Purdy: hearing
Professor Grant Schofield: physical activity
Dr Theresa Madden: oral health
Nick Garrett: biostatistics
Dr Jane Clougherty: environmental studies
Interview Team
Interviews with mothers, fathers and children are ongoing for the eleven year phase: Towards Adolescence (PIF:TA). Interviews began in mid-March of 2011. An interviewer visits each family at home around the time of the child’s eleventh birthday, and conducts an extensive interview with the mother. Fathers are also being interviewed for the current phase. In addition, assessors visit the child at their school.
Pacific interviewers who are fluent in English as well as a Pacific language conducted the fieldwork. The AUT Manukau Campus provided as a base for both the interviewers and assessors and also served as a collection point for completed interviews/assessment. At the school, a number of social and cognitive measures along with measurement of height, weight, and hearing are administered by trained and skilled assessors. Our team of brilliant interviewers and assessors are as follows:
Maternal Interviewers: Lois Shaw, Salome Kavaliku, Marianna Deynzer, Rosetta Reti-Simanu and Sinalei Tutagalevao
Collateral Interviewers: David Qaranivalu, George Pasene, Junior Tutgalevao and Junior Samuela
Child Assessors: Elizabeth Pollard, Maureen Harness and Megan Clark
Hearing Assessors: Chloe Cheung and Julie Hill
Pacific Peoples' Advisory Board
The Pacific Peoples' Advisory Board monitors the general direction of the Study. The Board is primarily set up to protect and enhance the Study in order to maximise benefits to the Pacific communities.