In 1987, a prospective study of an Aboriginal Birth Cohort (ABC) was established based on the principle that susceptibility to adult disease is a dynamic process that begins in utero and continues over the life course. This birth cohort with a focus on longitudinal analysis of the antecedents and causes of chronic non-communicable disease is also a resource for cross-sectional descriptive and analytical studies. It is now recognised as one of the longest and largest Indigenous cohorts in the world. Detailed maternal, perinatal, childhood, and adolescent data are available from successive follow-ups of this group.

This information will help explain the life course of chronic adult diseases in Indigenous Australians and identify critical intervention points to prevent the development of these diseases in this population.

For more information about this project please visit the ABC project website