Child development, human development and the progress of societies

1. Child development, human development and the progress of societies Fiona Stanley Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and Stephen R Zubrick Curtin University of Technology Perth, Western Australia 28 June 2007

2. Overview • The Australian population: who’s growing old, who’s growing young? • Agency, governments and nations: different views of society and progress • Pathways to participation as measures of progress

3. Part 1The Australian population: who’s growing old, whose growing young?

4. Australia: Growing old and growing young

5. 1Persons aged 18+ for every 0-17 year old

6. 1In Australia, 10 years of schooling has been compulsory

7. Low birth-weight babies per 1000 live births

8. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX RANKING, 2003 Source: Cooke, Beavon and Guimond, 2004

9. Part 2Agency, governments and nations: different views of society and progress

10. What the health sector sees (“silos”) Mental health outcomes (depression/suicide) (ADHD) (aggression) Physical health outcomes (obesity, diabetes, cancer) (respiratory conditions) (cardiovascular disease) What the education sector sees Academic outcomes (truancy) (early school leaving) (alienation)

11. What agencies collectively see: problems of human development

12. What the government sees: participation Participation Civic Economic Social

13. Measuring and fostering progress • Measures of the pathways to participation are worthy candidates for measure of the progress of societies and provide modifiable means to for fostering progress

14. Part 3 Pathways to participation as measures of progress

15. Economic participation, civic participation, and social participation Opportunities for achievement and recognition of accomplishments Sense of self-efficacy & self-worth Sense of social connected-ness Healthy beliefs and clear standards Academicsuccess & other achievements Responsive Parenting (i.e. appropriate care stimulation and monitoring) Positive interaction with peers Reduced exposure to harmful drugs Effective learning, communication & problem solving skills Positive interaction with adults Genetic factors Effective self regulation of emotion, attention & social interaction Availability of +ve adult role models & engaging community activities Healthy pregnancy,reduced maternal smoking, alcohol & drug misuse Social and economic environments supportive to child rearing – especially absence of poverty and exposure to violence Time Healthy nutrition in utero & throughout childhood & adolescence Pathways to Participation Optimal brain development in utero and early childhood

17. Couple families One parent families Low academic competence Mental health problems Both 1 FT 1FT Both Both 1 Full 1 Pt 1 UE FT l PT 1 home PT UE time time (96) (67) (48) (23) (0) (42) (16) (0) (Work Hrs) 4% 4% 3% 36% 46% 33% 84% 91% (Lowest family income) 14% 7% 13% 12% 27% 9% 10% 25% (Low ed mother) 9% 11% 10% 17% 12% 19% 26% 20% (Poor parent mental h.) 17% 17% 18% 10% 34% 16% 27% 26% (Family conflict) 11% 12% 15% 33% 41% 27% 25% 35% (Life events > 2) 5% 5% 6% 3% 11% 1% 6% 8% (Coercive discipline) 12% 25% 31% 39% 47% 22% 37% 49% (Disadvantaged school) Family work arrangement 11% 34% 25% 4% 5% 2% 4% 7% (Population of children)

18. Conclusion • Human development is about participation • Participation is tied to the “resource mix” for development and support of specific social skills across the life course • Better measures of the “resource mix” are available for populations • Studies of the constituent parts of the social gradient offer opportunities for new descriptions of mechanisms that link these resources to significant health and developmental burdens and create opportunities for measuring and fostering the progress of societies