MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) Seminar Series

Title: A systematic review and meta-analysis of effects of early life non-cognitive skills on academic, psychosocial, cognitive and health outcomes.

Abstract: Associations between traits such as attention, self-regulation, and perseverance in childhood, and later outcomes have been investigated by psychologists, economists, and epidemiologists. Such traits have been loosely referred to as “non-cognitive” skills. We systematically reviewed 554 eligible publications, and provided meta-analytic interpretation of results from 222 better quality evidence publications. The evidence under-pinning the importance of non-cognitive skills for later outcomes is diverse and inconsistent. Heterogeneity of effect estimates were consistent with negative, null and positive effects. The quality of evidence from experimental, quasi-experimental and observational studies under-pinning this field is lower than optimal. Adequately powering studies, and using procedures (e.g., pre-registration), tools (e.g., CONSORT), and transparent processes that enable replication would improve the conduct and reporting of EQIs and observational studies. The inter-disciplinary researchers interested in these skills should take a more strategic and rigorous approach to determine which interventions are most effective.

Biography: 

In 2014 John Lynch was named by Thomson Reuters as among the “world’s highly cited researchers” placing him in the top 1% of cited scientists in his field http://highlycited.com/

John Lynch is an epidemiologist and Professor of Public Health in the School of Population Health at the University of Adelaide. He is also Director of the Data Management and Analysis Centre (DMAC).

He is a Visiting Professor of Epidemiology in the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol (UK). He spent 20 years working in North America and before returning to Australia in 2008 he held professorial positions at the University of Michigan (USA) School of Public and McGill University in Canada.

 He is an internationally recognized scholar in epidemiology and public health. He has more than 250 publications and a Scopus H-Index of 61. In 2005, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research awarded him a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Population Health. In 2007 his work in public health was recognized with an honorary Doctorate in Medical Science from the University of Copenhagen. In 2009 he was awarded a NHMRC Australia Fellowship. Only thirty-nine individuals have been awarded this fellowship and according to the NHMRC, “The Australia Fellowships are Australia’s most prestigious award for excellence in the fields of health and medical research.”  He has been an editor of the International Journal of Epidemiology since 2005. He currently participates in more than 10 national and international scientific advisory boards and review groups.

All welcome