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The 11-year follow-up of the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort study: methods

Cora Luiza Araújo1, Ana M B Menezes, Maria de Fátima A Vieira

  • 1Programa de Pós-graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.

Cadernos De Saude Publica
|October 22, 2010
PubMed

Insights

This study successfully traced 87.5% of the 1993 Pelotas birth cohort during their 2004-2005 follow-up. Despite challenges, long-term prospective studies are feasible in Brazil.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health
  • Demography

Background:

  • The 1993 Pelotas birth cohort study initiated in Pelotas, Brazil, aimed to track individuals born in that year.
  • Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding developmental trajectories and health outcomes over time.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail the methodology employed during the 2004-2005 follow-up visit of the 1993 Pelotas birth cohort.
  • To assess the feasibility of conducting long-term prospective research within the Brazilian context.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized comprehensive tracing strategies, including school and household censuses, to locate cohort participants.
  • Monitored the Mortality Information System to identify deceased cohort members.
  • Conducted interviews with traced participants between July 2004 and March 2005.

Main Results:

  • Successfully re-interviewed 4,452 out of 5,249 cohort members.
  • Accounted for 141 deaths within the cohort.
  • Achieved an 87.5% follow-up rate (including deaths) for the original cohort.

Conclusions:

  • Demonstrated the successful execution of a long-term follow-up for a birth cohort in Brazil.
  • Highlighted the viability of prospective epidemiological studies despite logistical and financial constraints in developing countries.

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