The effects of Covid-19 on participants of the Dunedin Study are to be part of the latest phase of research in the detailed study of human health and development.
The University of Otago’s world-leading Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study follows the lives of 1037 babies born in Queen Mary Maternity Hospital, between April 1, 1972 and March 31, 1973.
Study director Prof Moana Theodore said the study had just completed its age 52 assessments, and the data collected put the researchers in a unique position to examine how people’s lives had changed since the Covid-19 pandemic, and increase the study’s focus on how the environment impacts on health.
"We knew that it was important to ensure that all study members could talk about their experiences since we last saw them in 2017-2019.
"Based on that data, we will be publishing findings on how experiences throughout our lives impact on social cohesion and our sense of belonging."
Over the past two years, Dunedin Study participants had undergone many assessments, including physical tests, a dental examination, a brain MRI scan, vision, hearing and respiratory tests, and a survey of things that had been happening in their lives.
Cohort and assessment manager Sean Hogan said the 50s were often a busy period in people’s lives, which could include work, looking after children and grandchildren, and sometimes supporting parents.
"The study is a wonderful example of the importance of each and every person, from every walk of life, who together can create something that is truly unique in this world.
"It gives us the full picture of human life and experiences."
Assessments of the collected data were expected to take about two years to complete.
So far, the study has helped the world understand how early-life experiences and biological factors influence long-term health, development, and ageing.
It has produced more than 1300 peer-reviewed publications and books covering mental health, oral health, cardiovascular health and psychosocial functioning.
It has also influenced global policy, particularly around early childhood intervention and mental health, and the findings are now used by international bodies like the OECD to understand how early life experiences shape life paths.
Prof Theodore said changes in international funding had impacted this phase of the longitudinal study, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) foreign subrecipient funding cessations and changes in 2025.
However, she was confident the research would continue.
The study was now looking at new funding models, like Horizon Europe, that could provide exciting opportunities for New Zealand researchers, she said.
"We will build new partnerships with internationally leading scientists and groups, to bring resources and skills to Otago and Aotearoa."
Importantly, the study still received strong support from New Zealand funders, she said.
