BPMRI Busselton Health Study

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BPMRI Busselton Health Study

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The Busselton Population Medical Research Institute's "Busselton Health Study" is one of the longest population health studies in the world.

Over 20,000 participants taking part since 1966 resulting in over 600 scientific and medical research publications The residents of the town of Busselton, a coastal community in the south-west of Western Australia, have been involved in a series of health surveys since 1966. To date over 30, 000 men, women & children of all ages have taken part in the surveys and have helped contribute to our understanding of many common diseases and health conditions. The collection of population health data in Busselton was initiated by local GP Dr Kevin Cullen. His vision was to establish and conduct population health research in a community setting that would not only provide important information into the prevalence and causes of common diseases but also to empower participants to take an active role in their health and well-being. We believe the original aims of the Busselton Health Study as stated in 1966 in understanding disease and improving the health of the population continues today. These aims are:

1. To study the prevalence of common diseases in an Australian community

2. To assess the range and variation of a large number of clinical and laboratory variables in a natural population

3. To provide a community service in the detection, treatment and prevention of disease and in the education of the population

4. To conduct longitudinal surveys for the study of risk factors related to health and disease

5. To study mortality from specific diseases in an Australian population and to define the usefulness of risk factors in predicting such mortality

A unique database of information has been compiled and is managed by the School of Population Health at the University of Western Australia. It has been recognized and relied upon by major international research centres asBusselton Study Logo well as by researchers here in WA for over 50 years.The collection provides important information on common diseases and their relationships to risk factors, lifestyle and environmental variables. Over 500 research articles have been published in the literature and the archived collection of data from the Busselton population has been described as a National Treasure by the Government of Western Australia.

29/10/2026

UPDATE: Unfortunately, due to adverse weather conditions, today's exhibit has been cancelled. Thank you for your understanding, and please stay tuned for future community events.

Come down and visit the Caravan of Discovery this Saturday at the Busselton Show! 🚐🔬

Step inside and explore the remarkable story of the Busselton Health Study. Discover how generations of local participants have helped shape breakthroughs in heart disease, lung health, healthy ageing and many other areas of medical research.

Meet our team, learn about the study’s fascinating history, and find out how Busselton continues to contribute to discoveries that improve health outcomes locally, nationally and around the world.

We look forward to seeing you at the Show and sharing this incredible community story.
Our thanks to City of Busselton - Local Government The Caravan Doctor Naturaliste Diesel Services for the support.

21/10/2026

BPMRI was delighted today to host the Federal Member for Forrest, Ben Small MP. Joining our 60th Anniversary Celebrations, Ben toured the Busselton facilities, chatted with staff, our wonderful volunteers and participants and learned about some of the achievements of the Busselton Health Study and Busselton Baby Boomers Study. He also tried out a couple of the health assessments on offer!

21/10/2026

New research from the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study has provided important insights into healthy ageing and mental wellbeing. Over an 11-year period, researchers followed 1,190 middle-aged and older adults and found that individuals who increased their physical activity over time experienced a reduction in depressive symptoms. In contrast, changes in sitting time were not associated with changes in depression symptoms.

These findings reinforce the potential benefits of maintaining an active lifestyle throughout later life and contribute to the growing evidence that physical activity can support positive mental health outcomes as people age.

Congratulations to the research team on this important publication, and thank you to the people of whose long-term participation continues to make world-class ageing research possible.
https://bpmri.org.au/research/key-projects-studies/busselton-baby-boomer-study.html

Vulnerability to depression symptoms often increases from late middle adulthood into older adulthood and can significantly impact daily functioning. Modifiable lifestyle behaviours may support ment...

16/10/2026

Celebrating 60 years of the Busselton Health Study Government House Western Australia

Thank you to Governor Dawson and Mrs Dawson for hosting a special celebration for the BPMRI Busselton Health Study, bringing together so many people connected to Study's journey.

This milestone reflects the collective contributions of countless participants, volunteers, researchers, Board members, staff and supporters, as well as the families behind them, whose patience, support and understanding have enabled so many to dedicate their time, energy and expertise to the over the past six decades.

From a community health study to a research-enabling platform, the Busselton Health Study continues to enable and accelerate discoveries that will benefit generations to come.

15/10/2026

Celebrating 60 years of the Busselton Health Study, made possible by the generosity and support of the Busselton Community and delivering internationally recognised population health benefits.

11/09/2026

We're excited to see the launch of ECU's Psychosocial Interventions Clinical Trials Group (PICT) and proud that the BPMRI Busselton Health Study is collaborating on this important initiative.

Our Director, Michael Hunter, was pleased to present the Busselton Health Study at the launch and celebrate a partnership focused on improving access to evidence-based mental health support, particularly for people and communities who may face barriers to specialist services.

We're especially pleased that Busselton Health Study consumer representatives are involved, ensuring community voices and lived experience help shape research priorities and outcomes.

We look forward to working with the PICT team and partners to strengthen mental health research, build workforce capability, and improve access to support across Western Australia.
https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/nursing-and-midwifery/our-research/psychosocial-interventions-clinical-trials-group-pict

03/09/2026

BPMRI Research Nurse, Sue was recently successful in obtaining an individual grant through the Rural and Regional Advancement Foundation program of the Mt Burdett Foundation. The grant was used to enable Sue to attend the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) 'Festival of Nursing' conference in Melbourne in July 2026, where she gained valuable skills in comprehensive ECG interpretations, chronic disease management, wound management and leadership development. In addition to this, Sue had the opportunity to network with peers and industry representatives for potential collaboration as her nursing career develops into the future. The knowledge and skills Sue developed by attending the conference will strengthen her capability for practice thereby benefiting our organisation and our local community through improving long term health outcomes. Thank you to Mt Burdett Foundation for the valuable opportunity this grant has provided our team.

01/09/2026

New research involving the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study has uncovered strong genetic links between myopia (short-sightedness) and open-angle glaucoma, the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness.

Analysing data from more than 34,000 participants across seven international studies, researchers found that people with a higher genetic risk for myopia were also more likely to develop glaucoma. The study identified 95 shared genetic regions linking the two conditions and showed that highly myopic individuals, particularly those with myopic macular degeneration, may face substantially greater glaucoma risk.

Importantly, the findings suggest that genetic risk scores could help identify people most at risk of glaucoma earlier, supporting more targeted screening and prevention strategies in the future. The Busselton Healthy Ageing Study was one of the key cohorts contributing to this international collaboration.
Article link: https://www.ophthalmologyscience.org/article/S2666-9145(26)00266-6/fulltext

23/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1F7ubF7PCW/

22/08/2026

How Busselton's world-leading health study helped shape modern medicine
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-21/busselton-health-study-turns-60/107054940?fbclid=IwY2xjawT064JwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7aIWHddAUcGC4695GXoVg3fQQR23n0Du1ZRpCnjIyrJs87_gC2cUp2CzJAzA_aem_AR4c4RI4e8tQdV1fd83xKg

Since 1966, the Busselton Health Study has made several life-saving medical advancements possible, changing the way some chronic diseases are treated around the world.

Address

18 West Street
Busselton, WA
6280

Website

https://bpmri.org.au/

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