FAQs
Why is the BHAS being conducted?
Who is running the study?
Why Busselton?
How can I participate in the study?
What would I have to do if I participated in the study?
How would I benefit from taking part?
When will the study start?
Who supports the study?
1. Why is the BHAS being conducted?
Older adults account for an increasingly large proportion of the Australian population. As the population ages, we will therefore face increased challenges in terms of preventing, diagnosing and treating age-related conditions. The BHAS will conduct examine the factors that contribute to healthy ageing by studying a group of “baby boomers” within the shire of Busselton. In doing so, the BHAS will collect important information about common diseases and conditions associated with ageing in adults.
2. Who is running the study?
The BHAS will be conducted by some of Western Australia's leading health professionals and medical researchers. The study will be run primarily through the Busselton Population Medical Research Foundation in conjunction with researchers from the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Lions Eye Institute and Ear Science Institute Australia.
3. Why conduct the study in Busselton?
The Busselton Health Study is one of the longest running epidemiological research programs in the world, with repeated cross-sectional surveys of adults listed on the electoral roll undertaken 1966 to 2007. The Busselton Health Study has produced a unique database containing 40 years of information related to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, human pedigree data, disease risk factors, lifestyle and environmental variables. The BHAS will contribute to this database by providing valuable information about diseases associated with ageing.
4. How can I participate in the study?
Participants will be randomly selected from individuals living in the Busselton Shire who were born between 1946 and 1964. Because participants are randomly selected, we are unable to include volunteers who wish to participate in the study. Participants will be contacted by telephone or mail from 2010 through to 2012, so you may be asked to participate during this time.
5. What would I have to do if I participated in the study?
Participating in the study will involve completing a questionnaire about your health and lifestyle. This questionnaire may be completed at your own home, or you may complete it at the test centre with the assistance of BHAS staff. In addition, you may also complete all or part of the following measurements at the test centre:
- Ear examination and hearing test
- Eye examination
- Bone density measurement
- Blood pressure measurement
- Cardiovascular health measurement
- Memory and thinking skills test
- Strength and balance test
- Respiratory and allergy test
- Sleep apnoea test
- A fasting blood sample
The data collected will help researchers understand what sorts of things affect our health and quality of life and how disease can be better prevented and treated. Should you be asked to participate in the BHAS, you may withdraw from all or any of the tests
at any stage.
6. How would I benefit by taking part?
Participation in the BHAS will give you information about your health and assess your risk of developing health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, sleep apnoea, respiratory disease, eye disease, depression, and hearing problems. On the day of your visit, you will be given the results of some of these health measures. There is no cost to you for any of the tests that are conducted. Importantly, your participation will help researchers understand the causes of many common diseases that affect thousands of Australian adults.
7. When will the study start?
Data collection for the BHAS will start in Busselton in February 2010 and will run until the end of 2012. We will invite approximately 2500 adults born between 1946 and 1964 (“Baby Boomers”) to participate during this time.
8. Who supports the study?
The BHAS has been endorsed by:
- Ausbiotech
- Asthma Foundation of Western Australia
- Diabetes WA
- Hon Kate Doust MLC, Shadow Minister for Energy; Science and Innovation
- Notre Dame University Australia
- The McCusker Foundation
- The Western Australian Sleep Disorders Research Institute
