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 over 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 in mid-1977.
The cohort has been studied from infancy into childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Data gathered over the course of the study now comprises some 50 million characters of information, with which the study has published over 500 scientific papers, reports, books and book chapters describing the life history of the CHDS cohort.
In 2019, we completed our participant interviews for their 40-year assessment.
Funding
Health Research Council of New Zealand
News
Cannabis/MRI study
We've completed the first phase of our research into the effects of cannabis on the body!
With 50 participants from our cohort, we've been looking into how brain and heart activity, neuropsychological data, and biological markers are related to a history of cannabis use. We've been comparing people with a significant history of cannabis use with those who do not.
Participants have completed a short interview, a set of neuropsychological tests, blood tests for various biological markers and genetic data, and urine tests for the presence of cannabis and other drugs. They've also had MRI scans of the head and chest, looking at both the structure and function of these areas.
Thank you so much to everyone who's taken part. We're now about to start recruiting the next wave so will have some data to share soon! Please get in touch if you have any questions: chds.uoc@otago.ac.nz
We're always researching and writing - check out our Publications pages
October 2020
- We've just got approval from the Health and Disability Ethics Committee to do an online assessment of exposure to COVID-19 and the effects of the pandemic on our cohort. Our first ever trial of an online assessment! Watch this space!
August 2020
- If you missed Joe's Inaugural Professorial Lecture last month, you can now watch it via the University's Podcasts and Videos page. Essential viewing!
Read more in CHDS News
