Young adulthood is a time of change. It is a time when people leave school and often move out of the family home. It is also an age where concerns about health, particularly mental health, are high but people do not engage with health services and health information remains sparse. Participants of both the TEC and ABC study underwent a comprehensive health assessment when they were aged 22-27 years. Once again the research team lead by Associate Professor Gurmeet Singh visited over 40 urban and remote communities and outstations across the NT.

People

Dr Gurmeet Singh, Belinda Davison, Joseph Fitz, Jennifer Goodall, Sarah Whalan, Katie Montgomery-Quin, Methinee Intarapanya, Evan McRobb and Laura Bell made up the core research group. 

Data collected

The same core data including body size, shape and composition, cardiovascular measures and renal function, emotional status and lifestyle factors were once again assessed. These were expanded upon in this wave to include additional inflammatory markers, respiratory function and additional lifestyle markers such as major life events and stress biomarkers. 

Following the mandatory fortification of iodized salt in bread in 2009, repeat urine iodine levels were assessed to ascertain the impact this national intervention had on the iodine status of young people in the Top End. 

Findings

459 of the original cohort were seen at mean age 25 years.

Majority of peole were in the healthy weight range.

The low prevalence of chronic disease markers in young adulthood suggests that there is still a window of opportunity beyond childhood to target interventions aimed at reducing the high burden of chronic disease in this high risk population.