Overview
Our Health Study
A person’s lifetime experiences of health and illness are determined by many factors, including their unique combination of genetic, physical, environmental, lifestyle, psychological and other traits. It is therefore important that healthcare and medical treatments are not a ‘one size fits all’ offering, and are tailored to reflect these individual differences. This personalised approach to care is known as ‘precision health’.
In this study, we seek to collect detailed information about participants' health, daily habits, experiences, lifestyle, body function and genes (DNA), through the collection of:
- Physical health measures (eg, blood pressure, bone density and lung testing)
- Questionnaires (eg, mental health, life experiences)
- Information collected from smart phones and smart watches (eg, physical activity)
- Bodily (biological) samples – (eg, blood, saliva, urine, dental plaque, and faeces). These samples also tell us about the activity of bacteria ("bugs") within the body!
All of these factors play important roles in determining health and disease throughout life. Some of the samples will undergo routine tests, like blood tests you might have at your doctors. We will also look at the microscopic things that make up our body’s cells and keep them functioning (eg, proteins, genes, and other small molecules).
By collecting such rich and detailed information from a diverse community group, we aim to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of a wide range of health conditions. We also aim to provide as much information as possible back to participants, to inform and aid your knowledge of your own health.
Find out more
To learn more about taking part in the Our Health Study, please see the following resources:
Participant Information and Consent Form (PICF)
Participant Information Booklet (PIB)
(PDF 411.4 KB)
This project is a strategic priority of the University of Melbourne, and particularly the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. The project is funded through the University, and via the Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund.