Recruitment to the first phase of the Fenland Study finished at the beginning of 2015. 12,435 people from across Cambridgeshire took part in this phase of the Fenland Study, and the scale and depth of information collected constitutes an important resource for public health research. Few previous studies have combined detailed genetic profiles with objective clinical measurements such as resting metabolic rate, cardio-respiratory fitness, physical activity energy expenditure or body composition, and none on the scale of the Fenland Study.
Analysis of the data collected in Phase 1 is continually underway, and is contributing to investigations of how genes and lifestyle influence metabolic factors such as glucose and insulin levels in the blood, and how this in turn relates to the development of diseases such as type 2 diabetes. By overlaying additional information from external sources and other phases of the Fenland Study, we can also study the effect of the wider environment on health. For example, we have been able to use the Fenland Study to investigate how proximity to fast food outlets influences the risk of obesity.
The knowledge gained from Phase 1 of the Fenland Study has helped inform future strategies for the prevention and management of obesity, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders.
