Newcastle University

Project:

Gateshead Millennium Study : A longitudinal cohort study of children born in Gateshead 1999-2000

From June 2006 to March 2013
Project Leader(s): Professor Ashley Adamson
Sponsors: University of Strathclyde, Gateshead PCT

The Gateshead Millennium Study is a birth cohort of children born between June 1999 and May 2000. 1029 children born to 1011 mothers were recruited into the study which looked to find reasons for the problem of weight faltering in infancy. Since then, the study has also looked at iron deficiency, breastfeeding, weaning, food preferences, repetitive behaviours, physical activity, parenting styles and food knowledge. Up until school age we asked the parent/main carer to provide information by completing questionnaires. Since then we have visited the children at ages 7 and 9 years old in school, and asked them to complete questionnaires too. This has yielded data on topics such as sports club participation, eating attitudes, home environment, food knowledge and how they feel about eating. We have also measured their physical activity, body composition and food intake.  

We have obtained further funding to visit the children during the current school year (2011-2012).  The children are now 12 years old and this will be the first time we have visited them since they made the important transition from primary to secondary school.   We will repeat earlier measurements to see how physical activity, food intake and body composition change as the children grow. In addition, we will be investigating the important issues of mental health and quality of life.

See also the Gateshead Millennium Study website.