+ A focus on men across NW Adelaide

MAILES is the union of two separate representative longitudinal cohort studies, both including adults from the northern and western suburbs of Adelaide. These are

• The Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study (FAMAS)
• Male participants of the North West Adelaide Health Study (NWAHS)

The northern and western suburbs of Adelaide represents approximately half of the total metropolitan area and almost one-third of the population in South Australia and, at the time of establishment of the study, had the second highest elderly population of all the Australian states and territories. This north-west catchment area includes highly disadvantaged sub-populations with the second highest index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage score for a capital city local government area in Australia. Prior OMNIBUS (SA Health) self-report surveys found that the northern and western regions of metropolitan Adelaide has high chronic disease prevalence and risk factors compared with the rest of South Australia.
An equity focus: The NWAHS and FAMAS Cohort studies were therefore set up recognising a need to focus on populations at greatest risk of poor health and unhealthy ageing.

+ Aims

MAILES was original established to investigate the:

• relationships between obesity, sex steroids and inflammation conditions common in men and chronic disease cross-sectionally and over time
• Effect of the modifying factors, on the independent variables (obesity, sex steroids, and inflammation) and their relationship cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus,
• Direct effect of, clustering and pathways of modifying variables on conditions common in men and chronic disease

The MAILES study has had a retention rate of 90% highlighting the commitment of our men and also the benefits they receive through participation.

+ The men of MAILES

MAILES is the union of two separate representative longitudinal cohort studies. Data was harmonised from

• The Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study (FAMAS)
• Male participants of the North West Adelaide Health Study (NWAHS)

FAMAS commenced in 2002 recruiting 1195 men aged 35 to 80 years with a baseline response rate of 45.1%. NWAHS includes 1389 men aged 35 to 80 years of age at baseline.

Participants were randomly selected from the population of the northern and western suburbs of Adelaide, with baseline response rates of 45.1% and 49.4% for FAMAS and NWAHS respectively.

+ Data Waves & Data Library

The study is based on three matched stages and dedicated sub-studies:

• MAILES1 - baseline biomedical examination (2002-06)
• MAILES2 - follow-up biomedical examination (2007-10)
• MAILES3 - Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing survey (2010)
• MAILES4 - In-home PSG sub-study (2012)
• MAILES5 - Mailed survey (incl. Masculinity & Chronic Disease questionnaire MCD1 - FAMAS cohort only) (2015-16)
• MAILES - Mailed sleep survey and follow-up in-home polysomography sub-study (2019-2021)

The MAILES self-reported and biomedically measured data are summarised below. Please contact MAILES for the complete data library.

+ Data Access and Collaboration

Research collaborations using MAILES data are welcome. Initial approaches regarding the study data can be made to either the Principal Investigator Professor Gary Wittert or the Cohort Manager Dr Tiffany Gill. Permission to use the data may be obtained from the MAILES Executive and Investigator Committee, following the completion and submission of a MAILES data request form - manuscript proposal form.

+ Chief Investigators

• Professor Gary Wittert - The University of Adelaide & SAHMRI
• Professor Robert Adams - The University of Adelaide
• Professor Anne Taylor - The University of Adelaide
• Dr Sean Martin - The University of Adelaide & SAHMRI
• Professor Alicia Jenkins - University of Sydney

The Chief Investigators acknowledge the volunteer support for MAILES provided by

• Mr John Rand
• Mrs Daina Shaw
• Mr Terry Hall
• Mr Roger Perry

+ Funding Acknowledgement

MAILES acknowledge the following organisations for their previous funding support:

• The Florey Foundation
• SA Health
• Bellberry Limited
• The Hospital Research Foundation
• National Health and Medical Research Council of Ausralia

and the ongoing funding support of the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health, now the Freemasons Centre for Male Health & Wellbeing, and the University of Adelaide.