Through the Koori Growing Old Well Study (KGOWS) / Our MOB (Mind our Brain), we are exploring healthy ageing and memory, as well as the prevalence and incidence of age-related diseases like dementia in urban Aboriginal populations in NSW.

This includes looking into the potential associations between age-related diseases like dementia and a range of other factors including health status, education, experience of discrimination and childhood events.

The original KGOWS longitudinal study aimed to find the reasons for the high dementia rates (three times non-Indigenous rates) in urban/​regional Aboriginal people. 

This research has enabled us to better understand: 

(i) the incidence of new cases of dementia & the rate of cognitive decline over time (6 years); 

(ii) the causes or risk factors (biological & social) which predict dementia & cognitive decline in our representative Aboriginal population from information recorded at extensive social interviews and medical assessment at Time 1; 

(iii) ways to enhance healthy ageing, and; 

(iv) preventable causes of early cognitive decline and dementia.

The Our MOB study extends the work of KGOWS and includes 3 parts:

1. Inviting participants aged 55+ years to take part in clinical, neuroimaging, and biomarker techniques to help further determine the prominent life course social and biomedical risk and protective factors for dementia.
2. Late-life translation into a trial of healthy ageing programs that have been co-developed with older Aboriginal people.
3. Early-life translation to identify dementia prevention priorities and strategies for future implementation in young Aboriginal people (prenatal to 45 years).

• Statistical Analysis Plan — APOE and cardiometabolic factors
• Statistical Analysis Plan — Longitudinal incidence 
• Statistical Analysis Plan — AUDIT‑C paper

Read about Valerie’s Experience of participating in the Koori Growing Old Well study.