Epidemiology Research Group

Last Updated 23/11/2010 10:33:41 AM

Prof Guy Marks
Research Leader
Epidemiology

Role
Highlights 2008
Year Ahead
Research Projects and collaborations
Staff

Role

To conduct research to investigate the amount, risk factors and burden of respiratory disease. Our programme covers a number of areas including impact of air quality on respiratory health, primary prevention of asthma and a multicentre project to quantify COPD in the Australian community.

Highlights 2008

• Completed data collection for the Australian Child Health and Air
Pollution Study and the Air Quality and Respiratory Health Study.

• Successful with 5 year NHMRC project grant to continue followup of the CAPS cohort.

Year Ahead

• Continued analyses of results arising from the eight year assessment of children in the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study.

• Commence a new 5 year NHMRC project grant investigating asthma and allergies as the CAPS Kids Grow Up.

• Analyses of results arising from the Australian Child Health and Air Pollution Study.

• Analyses of data collected as part of the Air Quality and Respiratory Health Study.

• Ongoing coordination of National BOLD sites in Broome, Western Australia; Hobart and Launceston in Tasmania; and Melbourne, Victoria.

• Ongoing statistical and database consultation.

Research Projects and collaborations

Childhood Asthma Prevention Study (CAPS): Early in 2008 we completed the 8 year clinical assessments and home visits. Participation rates have remained very high and we were able to follow up 450 of the 616 children originally enrolled. We continue to maintain contact with the cohort and have begun developing research tools to help us to track changes in asthma and allergy as the CAPS kids grow up. While completing fieldwork and preparing the 8 year dataset, the research team published four peer-reviewed journal articles reporting results from previous assessments.

The Burden of Lung Disease in Australia (BOLD): This year saw the completion of data collection from the Busselton, Western Australia site. A total of 625 adults aged 40+ years participated in this study. Training for staff at the Kimberley site was conducted in March and data collection commenced in April. This site will provide data from 400 indigineous participants. Training for staff from the Melbourne and Tasmanian sites was held in July. Data collection commenced soon after and we anticipate all sites will have complete data sets by the end of 2009.

Australian Child Health and Air Pollutions Study (ACHAPS): In 2008 data collection was conducted within schools in NSW, the last state to participate, and completed in May. The project team then began preparing the dataset and writing for the report. This project aims to relate information about children’s respiratory health and air quality to help inform new national air quality standards, due for release in 2009.

Air Quality and Respiratory Health Study (AQRHS): This study examines local changes in air quality and community health attributable to the opening of the Lane Cove Tunnel. Data were collected prior to the tunnel opening in 2006, after it opened in 2007 and again in 2008. Data collection, which includes a range of measures of air quality, a questionnaire survey and lung function monitoring, is now complete and we look forward to reporting on the findings during 2009.