Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
The Paris prospective birth cohort study: which design and who participates?
B Clarisse1, L Nikasinovic, R Poinsard
1Laboratoire Santé Publique et Environnement, EA 4064, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université René Descartes, 4 avenue de l'Observatoire, 75270 Paris Cedex 06, France.
Insights
The Paris prospective birth cohort study tracks environmental factors in early childhood. High socioeconomic status and parental age positively influenced participation, while larger families showed lower enrollment rates.
Area of Science:
- Environmental epidemiology
- Pediatric health research
- Birth cohort studies
Background:
- Respiratory and allergic disorders are significant concerns in early childhood.
- Understanding environmental and behavioral influences is crucial for prevention.
- The Paris prospective birth cohort study was initiated to address these factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the design and sociodemographic characteristics of the Paris prospective birth cohort study.
- To analyze factors influencing family participation and non-participation.
- To establish methods for improving recruitment and retention in large-scale birth cohorts.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment of full-term newborns from five Paris maternity hospitals.
- Data collection via medical and environmental questionnaires, phone interviews, and standardized medical examinations.
- Modeling of exposure to traffic-related pollution and analysis of sociodemographic data of participants versus non-participants.
Main Results:
- A participation rate of 63% (4115 out of 6493 eligible infants) was achieved.
- Higher socioeconomic status, French/European ethnicity, and maternal age (≥25 years) were associated with increased participation.
- Decreased participation was observed with larger sibship size; similar factors influenced non-participation reasons.
Conclusions:
- The study achieved a participation rate comparable to similar international cohorts.
- Clear communication of study aims, consistent contact, free medical examinations, and follow-up support are vital for enhancing participation.
- Findings provide insights into optimizing recruitment and retention strategies for longitudinal birth cohort studies.
Abstract:
The Paris prospective birth cohort study was implemented in 2003 to assess environmental/behavioural factors associated with respiratory and allergic disorder occurrence in early childhood. This paper describes the design and sociodemographic features of eligible/enrolled families. Full-term newborns without any medical problem at birth were recruited in five Paris maternity hospitals. They resided in the Paris area and had French speaking mothers. Sample size is at least 3500 infants, and children are followed-up until their sixth birthday. Data collection is based on regular medical and environmental self-administered questionnaires to parents. Information on dwellings is gathered by means of phone questionnaires, and standardized medical examinations are carried out at 18 months and 6 years. Exposure to traffic-related pollution is modelled. At inclusion, some information concerning refusals is gathered in order to describe sociodemographic features of participating families as compared with eligible children. 4115 (63%) out of the 6493 eligible infants are now participating in this study. Participation rate is higher in parents with a high SES (socioeconomic status), for French and European parents, and for > or =25-year-old mothers, but decreases with sibship size. Similar determinants are associated with the distribution of reasons for non-participation. The participation rate in the Paris study is comparable with other similar studies. Finally, giving detailed explanation of the study aims at inclusion, establishing regular mailed and phoned contacts with families, offering free complete medical examinations for the participant child and re-sent missing questionnaires are very important to improve participation at inclusion and during follow-up.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Study Designs in Epidemiology
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
02:20Longitudinal Research
01:26Longitudinal Studies
01:11Observational Studies
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...
02:01Group Design
01:50Cross-Sectional Research