Life stories
Australia?s largest longitudinal study tracking mothers and their children over more than two decades recently celebrated its 21st year with a funding boost to continue its work building a healthier community for all. An extraordinary longitudinal research program that has followed mothers and their children for 21 years has won two grants worth more than $1.1 million to continue its study of their physical, mental, and social health and well-being.
UQ Professor Jake Najman is leading the study, the largest of its kind undertaken in Australia and known as the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy.
Mothers were originally enrolled at their first antenatal hospital visit two decades ago, and follow-ups of their children were conducted at birth, age five and at 14.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants will enable 21-year follow-ups of both the mothers and the children to be conducted over the next three years.
The youth grant of almost $700,000 will study the mental and physical well-being of the 21-year-olds.
With growing mental health problems and obesity in young people, this sample of more than 7000 young Australians represents a unique opportunity for researchers to study the factors contributing to these problems.
Available evidence suggests 20-25 percent of young people have experienced a major mental health problem and more than 10 percent are obese.
Both mental illness and obesity in earlier years are believed to relate to a wide range of other diseases in later years.
The longitudinal nature of this study will enable investigation of a variety of influences from different time-points.
It will examine the child?s social context, in terms of the mother?s social and economic circumstances, early health and developmental history and maternal health and well-being as these predict the young adult?s mental health and physique. It has so far achieved a creditable retention rate of up to 70 percent of participants, attributed to recognition by members that they are part of a special group.
?This study is unique in Australia because it contains 21 years? of information about those involved and how their lives and their parents? lives have changed,? Professor Najman said.
The researchers? say participants agree to continue with the study partly because they recognise the value of their contribution.
And although those lost to follow-up are likely to have higher than average rates of socio-economic disadvantage and health problems, a range of modelling exercises have been engaged to compensate for this.
The collaborative research project involves researchers from a range of schools including social science, population health, psychiatry and paediatrics and child health. The researchers concerned have worked on these issues for many years.
The mothers? grant of more than $420,000, will enable study of women?s health in mid-life when health problems associated with biological and social transitions such as menopause are major concerns. National estimates indicate 15-20 percent of middle-aged women have experienced a mental illness in the past year.
This study will examine the mother?s mental health symptoms over a 21-year period, and assess the association between her early mental health, the child?s health and her current health status. The longitudinal nature of the study will permit greater understanding of how women?s health changes over time. It represents the first large-scale study of factors influencing women?s health transition through menopause.
Research team
Principal investigators:
Associate Investigator:
Research Fellow:
Data Manager:
Research staff 21 year follow-up (sited at Mater).
Project Manager:
Senior Research Officer:
Research assistants:
PhD candidates:
Funding
NHMRC: 2002-2004 ($694,000) (young adult follow-up), ($420,700) (mother follow-up); 1996-1997 ($281,277); 1986-1988 ($300,000); 1982-1984 ($250,000); Queensland Health:1999 ($57,000);
1995-1996 ($50,000); ARC 1998 ($16,592);
Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland:
1998 ($130,248); Criminology Research Council:
1996-1997 ($45,000); International: 2000-2003 Joint project with US collaborators Brennan P, Mednick S, Hammen C (AUS$600,000)
National Institute of Mental Health, USA; 1997-2000 (AUS$600,000) National Institute of Mental Health,
USA for 15-year follow-up of the collaborative project.
r.aird@mailbox.uq.edu.au
Web link
www.ansoc.uq.edu.au/research/musp
