Internet-Based Birth-Cohort Studies: Is This the Future for Epidemiology?

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• NINFEA and ELF are international mother-child cohorts utilizing internet-based recruitment and follow-up.
• These studies investigate associations between early life exposures and non-communicable diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the research methodology of internet-based cohort studies.
• To highlight the advantages and limitations of an internet-based design in epidemiological research.
• To present findings from studies conducted in Turin, Italy, and Wellington, New Zealand.

Main Methods:

• Employed online and offline strategies for participant recruitment.
• Utilized online questionnaires for baseline data collection from pregnant women.
• Implemented support processes to minimize participant attrition.

Main Results:

• Recruited 7003 participants in the NINFEA study and 2197 in the ELF study.
• Online participants were generally older, highly educated, and in their final pregnancy trimester.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of nationwide cohort recruitment via the internet.

Conclusions:

• Internet-based cohort studies are a feasible and potentially cost-effective methodology for long-term epidemiology.
• Participants in internet-based cohorts are often self-selected, similar to traditional birth cohorts.
• Further research is needed to address biases and limitations inherent in internet-based epidemiological studies.