Research Project
Full description
The Busselton Health Studies group manages and maintains the Busselton Health Study database. It does this on behalf of the Busselton Population Medical Research Foundation. Maintenance includes annual mortality follow-up, periodic hospital morbidity updates, tracing of previous survey participants and improving information on family relationships among survey participants. The group, independently and in collaboration with other Busselton Health Studies researchers, uses the accumulated data to conduct research into:epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases; epidemiology of respiratory diseases; mortality and hospital admission rates; familial aggregation of chronic diseases; and disease risk factors. The Busselton Health Study is one of the longest running epidemiological research programs in the world. The residents of the town of Busselton in the south-west of Western Australia have been involved in a series of health surveys since 1966. Busselton Health Study activities include: - a series of cross-sectional, whole-population health surveys in the town; - continuing follow-up of cross-sectional survey participants; - collection of sera and DNA samples; - compilation of information on family relationships between survey participants; The study provides a unique database of information spanning over 30 years has been compiled and has provided much information on common diseases and their relationships to risk factors, lifestyle and environmental variables. The primary focus of the surveys is on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and their risk factors, although other conditions have also been studied. A complete description of the accumulated data and biological specimens collection is available.
