Aboriginal Birth Cohort Study: from childhood to adulthood.

土著人在其寿命的两端健康状况都很差。出生初期体重过轻的婴儿较多，而到了生命末期，患肾病、心脏病和糖尿病的婴儿较多。土著出生队列研究的目的是检查早期生活事件（如低出生体重）对以后生活中患慢性病风险的影响，以期进行早期干预。研究中的婴儿最后一次出现是在11岁时，现在又出现在他们18岁生日附近。现有数据包括这些婴儿出生时的体重、身长和胎龄，母亲怀孕期间的健康和生活方式，以及儿童的成长和健康。到11岁时，低出生婴儿仍然比出生时正常大小的同龄人更矮更瘦，但重要的是，这些孩子的慢性病标志物并不高。目前的调查，除了之前做的测试，现在包括心脏病的非侵入性标记，如心率变异性，动脉硬度测量和颈动脉内膜厚度（衬里），以及牙齿和牙龈的牙科检查。这项研究将首次超越身体，通过一份特别设计的问卷（坚强的灵魂）来检查这些年轻人的心理健康状况。人们对这一年龄组知之甚少，因为他们相对健康，不去诊所接受治疗。这一群体形成了世界上任何土著人口中最古老和最大的出生队列，对这一群体的持续生命历程研究将帮助我们了解早期生活与导致慢性成人疾病的连续事件之间的关系。这将有助于确定实施干预方案的最有效时间，并将影响旨在改善土著人民健康的公共卫生规划和政策。

Aboriginal peoples have poor health at both ends of their life span. There are more low birth weight babies at the beginning and more kidney, heart disease and diabetes at the end of the life spectrum. The Aboriginal Birth Cohort study aims to examine the effect of early life events (such as low birth weight) on the risk of developing chronic disease in later life with a view to early intervention. The babies of the study were last seen at 11 years and are now being seen again near their 18th birthday. Data available are weight, length and gestational age of these babies at birth, the health and lifestyle of their mothers during pregnancy and the children's growth and health. By 11 years of age, the low birth babies still remained shorter and thinner than their peers who were normal size at birth, but importantly, markers of chronic disease were not higher in these children. The current round of investigation, in addition to the tests done before, now includes non-invasive markers of heart disease, such as heart rate variability, measures of arterial stiffness and the thickness of carotid intima media (lining) and a dental examination looking at both teeth and gums. For the first time, the study will look beyond the physical to examine the psychological wellbeing of these young adults using a specially designed questionnaire (Strong souls). Little is known about this age group because they are relatively healthy and do not present to clinics for treatment. The continuing life course study of this cohort, forming the oldest and largest birth cohort of any indigenous population in the world, will help us understand the relationships between early life and the sequential events that lead to chronic adult disease. This will help determine the most effective time for intervention programmes, and will influence public health planning and policy directed towards the improvement of the health of Aboriginal peoples.