Researchers dig to unearth connections between childhood and adult health

Researchers dig to unearth connections between childhood and adult health

Adults who undertook a series of health checks at school 30 years ago are being sought for retesting on similar health measures today in a landmark Tasmanian study examining the significance of childhood lifestyle in adult health.

Adults who undertook a series of health checks at school 30 years ago are being sought for retesting on similar health measures today in a landmark Tasmanian study examining the significance of childhood lifestyle in adult health.

The study, at the University of Tasmania's Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, is called the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH) and has as its foundation data collected in 1985 as part of the Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey.

That survey took health measures from 8498 children aged between seven and 15 at 109 schools Australia-wide, including two Tasmanian schools -  Norwood Primary in Launceston and Cosgrove High School in Glenorchy. The health measures included fitness, height, weight and information about health-related behaviour.

The intention of the Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey was to catch a snapshot of the health and fitness of school-age Australians at that time. But it provided such a rich source of information on childhood health that in 2000 Menzies' Professor Alison Venn and then Menzies director Professor Terry Dwyer decided to try to track down as many survey participants as possible with a view to checking their adult health, mainly in the area of cardiovascular health.

"The classic cardiovascular risk factors are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity," Professor Venn, who is the Menzies Deputy Director, said. "If you are really interested in when the risk of cardiovascular disease kicks in, and whether it really matters that you've got these risk factors already in childhood, you have to have studies with thousands of children with those measures. Hardly any other studies around the world do.''

Researchers tracked down several thousand of the original participants and the CDAH study was born. Health checks of participants were done in 2004-6 and participants were surveyed by questionnaire in 2009-10. 

Professor Venn is now leading the third follow-up and says the data collected in 1985 and since has much to tell us about the associations of childhood health and adult heart disease, blood vessel health, diabetes risk, bone mass and depression.

"We have published some important findings in 60 journal papers so far, and we are now very excited to be embarking on a third stage that will tell us more about the impact of our  childhood lifestyle on our adult health," she said.

The CDAH researchers initiated what is known as the i3C Consortium, an international collaboration that pools data from the CDAH study with similar studies from Finland and the US, which means 40,000 children can be tracked through to middle age.

The CDAH researchers are now setting up clinics in Tasmania and Victoria to carry out a pilot for the 30-year follow-up. A full roll-out of the third phase around the rest of Australia will depend on fundraising. Clinics are being run with the support of Blundstone and the Tasmanian community through Menzies fundraising.

If you were aged between seven and 15 in 1985, attended Norwood Primary or Cosgrove High schools, and have previously been contacted by the Menzies CDAH study team, your further participation would be greatly appreciated. To inquire about participating in the study contact Karen.Patterson@utas.edu.au or call
1800 634 124.

Pictured: The CDAH research team from the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, led by Professor Alison Venn (centre, front).

Media: For more information and to interview Professor Venn or study participants:

Miranda Harman

Marketing and Communications Manager

Menzies Research Institute Tasmania

University of Tasmania

Phone: 61 3 6226-7751

61 427 199 562

Email:  miranda.harman@utas.edu.au

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