Left to right: Grace Walker, Geri McLeod, Martin Kennedy, Bridget Kinnersley, John Horwood, Janet Spittlehouse, Joe Boden, Bhuban Dhakal, James Foulds
Not pictured: Emeritus Professor David M. Fergusson
The Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) has been in existence for 40 years. During this time we have followed the health, education and life progress of a group of 1,265 children born in the Christchurch (New Zealand) urban region during mid-1977.
This cohort has now been studied from infancy into childhood, adolescence and adulthood. The data gathered over the course of the study now comprises some 50 million characters of information, with which the study has published over 480 scientific papers, reports, books and book chapters describing the 40-year life history of the Christchurch Health and Development Study cohort.
We have recently started interviewing the Christchurch Health and Development Study participants for their 40 year assessment.
Calling all participants!
As many of you know, we are currently working through our 40 year data collection. As part of this, we are also hoping to find people who did not participate in the 35 year (or earlier) interviews to see if they would like to come back into the Study.
It has been a common misconception that once you miss an assessment, you can no longer take part in the Study, but that is definitely *not* the case! So, if you know of anyone who is part of the Study and who hasn't been interviewed recently, but would perhaps like to come back, please point them in our direction (or point us in their direction).
We would love to have anyone back who would like to be a part of the Christchurch Health and Development Study again!
Funding
Health Research Council of New Zealand
Latest Activity
- Joe's on TVNZ Breakfast, talking about the perils of using cannabis when young: Regular cannabis use at a young age increases the risk of suicide and depression later in life, study finds
- As the Government considers options for abortion law reform, Joe talks to Stuff about the mental health issues involved: Abortion: Separating the facts from the fiction
- It is with great sadness that we have to report the passing of our Founder, Emeritus Professor David Fergusson, in October. Obituary: Emeritus Professor David Fergusson remembered
- Joe's been discussing cannabis again, as part of the debate on legalisation for recreational use: Cannabis: What you need to know
- We get a brief mention in this advert for the Master of Science in Psychology at University of Canterbury with a cameo (uncredited) from our Assistant Research Fellow, Grace Walker!
- Geri presents on the link between oral antibiotics in infancy and later life weight problems at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in Toronto
- Joe talks about cannabis use at 'We're talking health', Te Papa Hauora Health Precinct Christchurch and the Health Research Society of Canterbury's first ever public event. Watch him in action: Cannabis: What's the harm?
- John flies to New York to speak at the World Psychiatric Association on Epidemiology and Public Health Section Meeting about the Study's design, measurement and methods
- John is interviewed about our New Zealand Medical Journal article 'Childhood Predictors of Adult Adiposity': Study shows 'four-fold increase in obesity in one generation'
Read more in CHDS News
