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Public Health Aspect of the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) Mother-Offspring Cohort

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Pre-emptive Medicine: Public Health Aspects of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

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Abstract

The Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort study was established in 2009 and recruited 1247 Chinese, Malay, and Indian families to precisely define the critical developmental pathways and mechanisms of the origins of obesity, metabolic disease, and neurodevelopmental disorders that have major public health and economic importance in Asia and globally, with the goal to develop precision medicine approaches (biomarkers and interventions) for families at risk of future noncommunicable diseases. Our studies have already had major academic and translational impact and attracted significant media attention and policymakers’ interest. Some examples of the translation of our science into public health activities are in the area of gestational diabetes mellitus, maternal emotional well-being, and preconception and antenatal nutritional intervention to develop better nutrition guidelines for prospective parents, pregnant women, infants, and children.

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Abbreviations

25OHD:

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D

ADHD:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

BMI:

Body mass index

CI:

Confidence interval

COMT:

catechol-O-methyltransferase

DOHaD:

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

EDPS:

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

GDM:

Gestational diabetes mellitus

GUSTO:

Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes

GxE:

Gene-environment interactions

KKH:

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

NCD:

Noncommunicable disease

NUH:

National University Hospital, Singapore

SD:

Standard deviation

STAI:

Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

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Acknowledgments

This research is supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation under its Translational and Clinical Research (TCR) Flagship Programme and administered by the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council (NMRC), Singapore-NMRC/TCR/004-NUS/2008; NMRC/TCR/012-NUHS/2014. Additional funding is provided by the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, and Nestec. Study sponsors were not involved in the design of the study, statistical analysis, and results interpretation. K. M. G. is supported by the National Institute for Health Research through the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) and projects EarlyNutrition and ODIN (Food-Based Solutions for Optimal Vitamin D Nutrition and Health through the Life Cycle) under grant agreements nos. 289346 and 613977.

The authors thank the GUSTO study group, which includes Allan Sheppard, Amutha Chinnadurai, Anne Eng Neo Goh, Anne Rifkin-Graboi, Anqi Qiu, Arijit Biswas, Bee Wah Lee, Birit F. P. Broekman, Boon Long Quah, Borys Shuter, Carolina Un Lam, Chai Kiat Chng, Cheryl Ngo, Choon Looi Bong, Christiani Jeyakumar Henry, Claudia Chi, Cornelia Yin Ing Chee, Yam Thiam Daniel Goh, Doris Fok, E. Shyong Tai, Elaine Tham, Elaine Quah Phaik Ling, Evelyn Xiu Ling Loo, Fabian Yap, Falk Mueller-Riemenschneider, George Seow Heong Yeo, Helen Chen, Heng Hao Tan, Hugo P. S. van Bever, Iliana Magiati, Inez Bik Yun Wong, Ivy Yee-Man Lau, Izzuddin Bin Mohd Aris, Jeevesh Kapur, Jenny L. Richmond, Jerry Kok Yen Chan, Joanna D. Holbrook, Joanne Yoong, Joao N. Ferreira., Jonathan Tze Liang Choo, Jonathan Y. Bernard, Joshua J. Gooley, Keith M. Godfrey, Kenneth Kwek, Kok Hian Tan, Krishnamoorthy Niduvaje, Kuan Jin Lee, Leher Singh, Lieng Hsi Ling, Lin Lin Su, Ling-Wei Chen, Lourdes Mary Daniel, Lynette Pei-Chi Shek, Marielle V. Fortier, Mark Hanson, Mary Foong-Fong Chong, Mary Rauff, Mei Chien Chua, Melvin Khee-Shing Leow, Michael Meaney, Mya Thway Tint, Neerja Karnani, Ngee Lek, Oon Hoe Teoh, P. C. Wong, Paulin Tay Straughan, Peter D. Gluckman, Pratibha Agarwal, Queenie Ling Jun Li, Rob M. van Dam, Salome A. Rebello, Seang-Mei Saw, See Ling Loy, S. Sendhil Velan, Seng Bin Ang, Shang Chee Chong, Sharon Ng, Shiao-Yng Chan, Shirong Cai, Shu-E Soh, Sok Bee Lim, Stella Tsotsi, Chin-Ying Stephen Hsu, Sue Anne Toh, Swee Chye Quek, Victor Samuel Rajadurai, Walter Stunkel, Wayne Cutfield, Wee Meng Han, Wei Wei Pang, Yap-Seng Chong, Yin Bun Cheung, Yiong Huak Chan, Yung Seng Lee, and Zhongwei Huang.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore

    Shu-E Soh, Michael J. Meaney, Peter D. Gluckman & Yap-Seng Chong

  2. Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Shu-E Soh & Lynette Pei-Chi Shek

  3. KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

    Fabian Yap & Kok Hian Tan

  4. MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK

    Keith M. Godfrey

  5. McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Michael J. Meaney

  6. Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Peter D. Gluckman

  7. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Yap-Seng Chong

Authors
  1. Shu-E Soh
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  2. Fabian Yap
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  3. Kok Hian Tan
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  4. Lynette Pei-Chi Shek
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  5. Keith M. Godfrey
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  6. Michael J. Meaney
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  7. Peter D. Gluckman
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  8. Yap-Seng Chong
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yap-Seng Chong .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chuo University Health Center, Tokyo, Japan

    Fumihiro Sata

  2. Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    Hideoki Fukuoka

  3. University of Southampton, Academic Unit of Human Development & Health, Southampton, UK

    Mark Hanson

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Soh, SE. et al. (2019). Public Health Aspect of the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) Mother-Offspring Cohort. In: Sata, F., Fukuoka, H., Hanson, M. (eds) Pre-emptive Medicine: Public Health Aspects of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. Current Topics in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2194-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2194-8_8

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