Dataset Information

Cohort profile: Women's Healthy Ageing Project (WHAP) - a longitudinal prospective study of Australian women since 1990.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The cohort was commenced to examine women's health from midlife (45-55 years) before the menopausal transition and into ageing.

Methods

Randomised selection and assessment of 2,001 women living in the Melbourne metropolitan area was conducted by the Roy Morgan Centre in 1990/91. Of the 779 women who met the entry criteria for the longitudinal follow-up (aged 45-55 years, menstruating, having a uterus and at least one ovary and not taking hormone therapy) 438 agreed to be seen annually across the menopausal transition from 1992 to 1999. Longitudinal prospective follow-up since 2000 has continued intermittently (2002/03, 2004/05, 2012/13, 2014/15). Data collection has included fasting biomarkers in each year since 1992, clinical assessment, lifestyle and quality of life data, physical measures and validated questionnaire data. Participants have consented to data linkage and, to date, mammogram and BioGrid data have been accessed. Biobank storage including serum, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) storage and PAXgene tubes are maintained.

Discussion

The WHAP has contributed to over 200 published research findings, several books, and book chapters in a variety of areas, including: health and wellbeing; mental and cognitive health; bone health; lifestyle, vascular risk and prevention; women's health and hormonal transition; and cross-cultural research.With all participants now aged over 70 years, the cohort is ideally placed to answer key questions of healthy ageing in women. With more than 25 years of longitudinal prospective follow-up this Australian dataset is unique in its duration, breadth and detail of measures including clinical review and specialized disease-specific testing and biomarkers. Ongoing follow-up into older ages for this long-running cohort will enable the association between mid to late-life factors and healthy ageing to be determined. This is particularly valuable for the examination of chronic diseases which have a 20-30 year prodrome and to provide knowledge on multiple morbidities. The dataset has a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of temporal relationships and the interactions between risk factors and comorbidities.

SUBMITTER: Szoeke C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6300017 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Cohort profile: Women's Healthy Ageing Project (WHAP) - a longitudinal prospective study of Australian women since 1990.

Szoeke Cassandra C Coulson Melissa M Campbell Stephen S Dennerstein Lorraine L

Women's midlife health 20161004

<h4>Background</h4>The cohort was commenced to examine women's health from midlife (45-55 years) before the menopausal transition and into ageing.<h4>Methods</h4>Randomised selection and assessment of 2,001 women living in the Melbourne metropolitan area was conducted by the Roy Morgan Centre in 1990/91. Of the 779 women who met the entry criteria for the longitudinal follow-up (aged 45-55 years, menstruating, having a uterus and at least one ovary and not taking hormone therapy) 438 agreed to b ...[more]

PMID: 30766701

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Project description:BACKGROUND:At least six communities with unusually good health and longevity have been identified, but their lifestyles aren't adopted widely. Informal evidence suggests that women associated with Universal Medicine (UM), a complementary medicine health care organization in Eastern Australia and the United Kingdom with normal lifestyles, also have several unusual health indicators. OBJECTIVE:Our objective was to determine how UM participants compared with women in the Australian population at large on a variety of health indicators. METHODS:In an Internet survey conducted July to September 2015, a total of 449 female UM participants from 15 countries responded to 43 health indicator questions taken from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). RESULTS:Survey responses revealed large positive differences in mental and physical health when compared with the ALSWH respondents, except for abnormal Pap test and low iron history. Differences and corresponding effect size estimates (Cohen d; ?0.8 is a high difference, ?0.5 a medium and ?0.2 a small one with P<.001 except where indicated) included body mass index (BMI; 1.11), stress level (0.20, P=.006), depression (0.44), summary physical (0.31) and mental health (0.37), general mental health (0.39), emotional (0.15, P=.009) and social functioning (0.22), vitality (0.58), and general health (0.49), as well as lower incidences of diabetes, hypertension, and thrombosis (P<.001 each). Neither education levels nor country of residence had predictive value. Neither education levels nor country of residence had predictive value. Age did not predict BMI. CONCLUSIONS:The women's responses notably claim substantially lower levels of illness and disease than in the general Australian population. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12617000972325; https://www.anzctr. org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=373120&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/ 6wEDDn45O). INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID):DERR2-10.2106/7993.

Dataset Information

Cohort profile: Women's Healthy Ageing Project (WHAP) - a longitudinal prospective study of Australian women since 1990.

Background

Methods

Discussion

Publications

Cohort profile: Women's Healthy Ageing Project (WHAP) - a longitudinal prospective study of Australian women since 1990.

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