Gomeroi gaaynggal study
Synopsis
Indigenous Australians have high rates of chronic diseases, the causes of which are complex and include social and environmental determinants. Early experiences in utero may also predispose to later-life disease development. The Gomeroi gaaynggal study was established to explore intrauterine origins of renal disease, diabetes and growth in order to inform the development of health programmes for Indigenous Australian women and children. Pregnant women are recruited from antenatal clinics in Tamworth, Newcastle and Walgett, New South Wales, Australia, by Indigenous research assistants. Since 2010 the study has recruited over 230 women, and retained 66 postpartum. Recruitment is ongoing, and Gomeroi gaaynggal is currently the largest Indigenous pregnancy-through-early-childhood cohort internationally.
Summary
| Study name | Gomeroi gaaynggal study |
| Study abbreviation | NA |
| Current principal investigator/s | Assoc/Prof Kym Rae |
| Current project manager | Assoc/Prof Kym Rae |
| Cohort representative (study contact) | Assoc/Prof Kym Rae |
| Phone | +61 2 6767 1240 |
| Kym.Rae@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Primary Institution | University of Newcastle |
| Major funding sources | NHMRC (grant numbers: 569239, 1026733, 1063123); Prime Minister and Cabinet Department |
| Study website | https://www.newcastle.edu.au/research-and-innovation/centre/crs/mothers-and-babies/gomeroi/about-us |
| Key reference |
Ashman, A. M., Collins, C. E., Weatherall, L., Brown, L. J., Rollo, M. E., Clausen, D., … & Lumbers, E. R. (2016). A cohort of Indigenous Australian women and their children through pregnancy and beyond: the Gomeroi gaaynggal study. Journal of developmental origins of health and disease, 7(4), 357-368. |
| Study focus | The Gomeroi gaaynggal (babies from Gomeroi lands) program works in partnership with Aboriginal women in New South Wales during their pregnancy and after delivery to improve health outcomes, and the understanding of issues that impact on their health and the future health of their children |
| Sampling frame | Mother-child dyads who identified as Indigenous Australians or who deliver an Indigenous infant in Tamworth and Walgett, NSW Australia. |
| Year commenced | 2010 |
| Intergenerational? | Yes |
| Imaging | Yes |
| Linkage | No |
| Biosamples? | Yes |
Waves
| Wave | Year | Age (mean, range) | Eligible sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010 – ongoing | Pregnancy | 320 (recruitment ongoing) |
| 2 | 2010 – ongoing | Infancy & Childhood | 320 (recruitment ongoing) |