Research Underway
The Life Histories and Health (LHH) Project
Investigators
Hal Kendig, Kate O’Loughlin, Julie Byles
Aim(s)
The Health Pathways for Baby Boomer project recognizes that the major health challenges of the coming decades – most notably the precipitous rise of chronic diseases – is combining with rapid ageing of the population. Australia’s National Chronic Disease Strategy (2006) identifies cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and asthma as the national health priority chronic conditions. Understanding health risks and protective factors over the life course of the baby boom cohort will inform public health programs to prevent and respond to chronic disease and other major health challenges. The public health objective is to inform actions that can increase the numbers of baby boomers who will enter later life with health capacities to meet the National Research Priorities priority goal area ‘Ageing Well, Ageing Productively’.
The main aims of the research are:
1. To determine intervention opportunities from early to later life to prevent chronic diseases, depression, and selected cancers
2. To investigate socio-economic and behavioural factors as risks and protections in the development of chronic disease and related illnesses
3. To identify major health differentials over the life course among men and women and other social groups in the baby boom cohort
4. To compare health histories and outcomes for the baby boom cohorts in Australia and the UK.
The LHH Project is funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant.
Project Status: Underway
Project approved March 2008
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