The Intergenerational Cohort Consortium (ICC)
The Intergenerational Cohort Consortium (ICC) brings together three of the longest running intergenerational cohort studies in Australia and New Zealand to examine the extent to which preconception parental life histories (from infancy to parenthood) predict next generation early health and development. There are three overarching aims: 1) to describe pathways of advantage that strengthen emotional health and well-being from one generation to the next, 2) to describe pathways of disadvantage that perpetuate cycles of emotional and behavioural problems across generations, and 3) to identify modifiable factors capable of breaking intergenerational cycles.
These cohorts include The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study Parenting Study (est. 1972), The Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 Study (ATPG3) (est. 1983), and The Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study (VIHCS) (est. 1992).
The measures featured as a part of ICC include items that have been harmonised across the above cohorts. To learn about the specific content of these items and how they were aligned, consult the study investigators or initiate a data access request.
| Year | 1992-2000 | 1998-2010 | 2006-Ongoing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase | Adolescence | Young adulthood | Next generation |
| Age | 14-17 years | 18-29 years | 0-10 years |
| N | in progress | ||
| RELEVANT LIFECOURSE DOMAINS | Anthropometrics | ||
| Community environment | |||
| Demographics | |||
| Education and childcare | |||
| Environmental exposures | |||
| Family environment | |||
| Mental health and behaviour problems | |||
| Neurocognitive development | |||
| Pregnancy and birth | |||
| Psychosocial wellbeing | |||
| Romantic relationships | |||
| Substance use | |||
| Temperament and personality | |||
| Study Summary | |
|---|---|
| Study name | The Intergenerational Cohort Consortium |
| Study abbreviation | ICC |
| Current principal investigator/s |
Craig Olsson Primrose Letcher |
| Current project manager |
Primrose Letcher |
| Primary Institution/s |
Deakin University
|
| Collaborating Institution/s |
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute - MCRI
The University of Melbourne - UoM Otago University |
| Major funding source/s |
Australian Research Council - ARC |
| Key reference for study | Olsson, C. A., Spry, E., Letcher, P., McAnally, H., Thomson, K., Macdonald, J., Greenwood, C., Youssef, G., Romaniuk, H., Iosua, E., Sligo, J., Hutchinson, D., McIntosh, J., O’Connor, M., McGee, R., Sanson, A., Hancox, R. J., & Patton, G. C. (2020). The Australian and New Zealand Intergenerational Cohort Consortium: a study protocol for investigating mental health and well-being across generations, Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 11(2), 267-281. |
| Study focus |
ICC brings together three of the longest running intergenerational cohort studies in Australia and New Zealand to examine the extent to which preconception parental life histories (from infancy to parenthood) predict next generation early health and development. The aims are threefold: (1) to describe pathways of advantage that strengthen emotional health and well-being from one generation to the next, (2) to describe pathways of disadvantage that perpetuate cycles of emotional and behavioural problems across generations, and (3) to identify modifiable factors capable of breaking intergenerational cycles. |
| Sampling frame |
Population representative longitudinal cohorts ascertained in 1972, 1983, and 1992 with intergenerational samples ascertained in 1994, 2012, 2006. |
| Primary study type | Consortium / Collaboration |
| Year commenced |
2019 |
| Is this study ongoing? | Yes - the study is ongoing |
| Ongoing recruitment? | No |
| Sample size (N) |
Pooled parent (N=5423), pooled child (N=2930). |
| Survey data available? | Yes |
| Imaging data available? | No |
| Linkage to administrative dataset/s? | No, consent to link to administrative dataset(s) obtained, but linkage not yet started |
| Biosamples available? | No |
| Are data available to others outside study team, with appropriate safeguards and structures in line with the cohort’s ethics and governance processes? | Yes |
| Are there any costs associated with data/sample access for approved requests? | There are usually no costs associated with access |
| Broadest type of participant consent available |
Extended consent (can be used for future ethically approved research related to this project) |
2023
Thomson KC, Greenwood CJ, Letcher P, Spry EA, Macdonald JA, McAnally HM, Hines LA, Youssef GJ, McIntosh JE, Hutchinson D, Hancox RJ, Patton GC, Olsson CA. (2023). Continuities in maternal substance use from early adolescence to parenthood: findings from the intergenerational cohort consortium. Psychol Med, 53(5), 2136 - 2145. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291721003925
| Study Contacts | |
|---|---|
| Principal investigator/s |
Craig Olsson Primrose Letcher |
| Project manager |
Primrose Letcher |
| Study Contact |
craig.olsson@rch.org.au |