About
About
The Life Course Program is entering its 32nd year and involves two distinct but complementary cohorts; the Aboriginal Birth Cohort (ABC) and the Top End Cohort (TEC). We are embarking on the fifth wave of data collection, which began in June 2019, and plan on once again revisiting the ABC and TEC participants to see how healthy they are.
Chronic diseases such as kidney disease, heart disease and diabetes are preventable conditions that can lead to reduced life expectancy and quality of life of many Australians. Indigenous Australians are at a higher risk than non-Indigenous Australians of developing chronic diseases which are the main contributors to the gap in health status and life expectancy that exists today.
By following people from birth across their life course we will help identify early those most at risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular, renal and mental ill-health. This information will help develop strategies to contribute to closing the current gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non–Indigenous Australians.