“The Dunedin Longitudinal Study”…one of the most amazing and detailed studies EVER of how important “The Forever Years” of childhood are in shaping the adults we become.

“The Dunedin Study” was started in 1972 by Phil Silva, a teacher and psychologist.

The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, has tracked around 1000 people from infancy to middle age.

They identified the 1037 children born at Dunedin’s Queen Mary Hospital between April 1972 and March 1973. The Study members have been followed up since birth, at age three, then every two years to age 15, and at ages 18, 21, 26, and 32. Phase twelve, at age 38, commenced in 2010 and was completed in March 2012, and was an outstanding success with 95% of the surviving Study members being assessed.

Luckily for Silva and his team, and for all of us, funding for the study has continued and the testing was able to continue as the “babies” grew into children, teenagers and then adults. Dr. Silva retired from his position as director of the study in 1999 and the role was taken over by Dr. Richie Poulton, who continues “The Dunedin Study” today.

The study is unique in that researchers have gone out of their way to retain participants. Many are now scattered around New Zealand and the world, but, every six years, the study pays for them to be flown, from wherever they are, to Dunedin for testing. This has resulted in a world record longitudinal study retention rate of 96% of participants (compared with a 30% rate of retention in other studies). Current director, Dr. Richie Poulton, says, “…our advantage is that we keep them in. … We have kept [participants] whether they are transient, incarcerated or on the run from the law.”

The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study

It's not true that we cannot influence the rate at which we age. Animal testing indicates that lifestyle choices make a considerable difference to how healthy we are, and how long we live. Science suggests that we can add many healthy years to our lives. We should be able to live healthy and well to beyond 90, and when death comes it should not be preceded by long disabling illness.

Biological ages at age 38

Youngest person 26

Median 44

Oldest person 62

How you live your life matters. Those who were younger (less than 100) were characterised as "conscientious" people by the researchers. They cared about things, including their own health.

There are 954 people in this study. About half the members showed a biological age close to 38 or a little older. A significant number of people were biologically older than their chronological age.

Less than 100 were younger. The youngest group were 30-32, biologically.

The oldest small group were 56-59 years old, biologically.