Now the lush green of spring brings hope and vitality. With more colors, sun, and warmer weather, our thoughts turn to happiness for the season and we hope all our readers are feeling it too. This issue has several items of interest. They are: an introduction to the Born in Bradford (BiB) project, some KIT research findings, a brief profile of Professor Ming-Jen Lin at National Taiwan University, and a book review of Ask Me, a storybook written by Bernard Waber and illustrated by Suzy Lee about a dialogue between a little girl and her father who encounter simple things on their walk on a beautiful autumn day.
Born in Bradford (BiB)
Born in Bradford is one of the largest research projects in the world, tracking over 40,000 babies born at the Bradford Royal Infirmary to understand various factors that affect the health and well-being of families in these sample populations. Research areas of BiB include society (parenting practices, social capital, ethnic density), mind (maternal depression, children’s well-being), growth and obesity, environment (asthma and allergies, family use of green spaces), heart (heart disease and diabetes), genes (risk factors for genetic disorders, vision problems), and movement. The project aims to establish a genetic database to identify how lifestyle patterns and genetic inheritance are related. In 2019, based on its research results, BiB presented major findings for government policy and practice.
Within BiB, there are several sub-studies, and the Age of Wonder project is one of them. Age of Wonder spans seven years and tracks all adolescents in the Bradford area who are attending grades 8 to 10. Its primary goal is to understand the physical, mental, emotional, and social changes that occur from adolescence to adulthood. The project collects annual questionnaire survey data to explore topics such as physical health, mental well-being, and social media usage. Additionally, it gathers various measurements and biological samples from participants when they are in the 9th grade. Please visit https://borninbradford.nhs.uk/ for more information about BiB.
Highlight of KIT Findings
As children grow, what do parents consider most important? Before a child is born, parents may simply wish for their child to be healthy. However, as children continue to grow, do parents raise or change their expectations for them?
Data from the KIT database shows that, when children are in their early childhood (at the age of 3 months, 3 years, 5 years, or in the first grade of elementary school), "good physical health" is the most important concern for most parents. But parents think differently when children grow older. Among parents of three-year-olds, a higher proportion considers "good habits and discipline" to be the most important learning aspect compared to other age groups. On the other hand, among parents of first-graders, a higher proportion values "being able to take good care of oneself" as the most important aspect of learning. However, among all parents, "positive mental attitude" and "good emotional control" are not prioritized as highly in comparison.
About Prof. Ming-Jen Lin
Prof. Ming-Jen Lin is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics at National Taiwan University. His academic interests primarily encompass data science and economics, demography and health, law and economics, and labor economics. In late 2002, Prof. Lin concluded his tenure as the Director of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Development at the National Science Council (NSC) and currently serves as the Deputy Executive Secretary at NSC. He also holds positions in various institutes and organizations, including President of the Taiwan Economic Association, Executive Board Member of the Asian and Australasian Society of Labor Economics (AASLE), and a member of the Board of Directors of the East Asian Economic Association. Professor Lin not only has demonstrated outstanding performance in academic research but also excels in teaching.
The KIT project is deeply grateful for Prof. Lin’s support and assistance during his three-year term as the Director of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Development. During his tenure, Prof. Lin emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration, prioritized the cultivation of research talents, and established connections with international networks. These principles align with the goals and efforts of KIT.
Book Review
Ask Me, a picture book written by Bernard Waber and illustrated by Suzy Lee about the interactions between a father and his daughter as they explore the world around them during a walk. It captures the special moments and conversations between the two as they engage with their surroundings and each other. Its English version is available at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0547733941), and readers can find its Chinese version at Books.com.tw (https://www.books.com.tw/products/0010733316). Click https://youtu.be/FD2GfSGieMI to listen.