Grant: Project Grant

South Asians are the fastest growing non-white ethnic group in Canada, and have a high risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. The risk factors for these conditions begin early in life. The SouTh Asian Birth cohort (START) study is a study of South Asian mothers and children living in Ontario, Canada. The study collects information from women and their children at regularly-spaced intervals over many years to help understand how diseases such as diabetes and heart disease begin; and the steps we might take to prevent them. The START study began in 2011, and enrolled 1,012 mother-offspring pairs, and we would now like to collect information from the children when they turn 10 years old. The information collected from people in this birth cohort will help us answer 3 important questions: 1) What are the childhood health behaviours (for example diet, physical activity, sleep, and screen time) that are associated with development of risk factors for metabolic syndrome and related factors? 2) What is the relationship between metabolic syndrome and related factors with early atherosclerosis, as measured by ultrasound, in children. 3) What are the maternal and early life exposures that affect childhood mental health, and what is the relationship between childhood mental health with childhood health behaviours and metabolic syndrome and related factors? All of this information will enable the design of prevention interventions in this high risk population.