The 2014 Ontario Child Health Study-Methodology

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Child Health Research
• Mental Health Studies

Background:

• The 2014 Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS) was a significant epidemiological initiative.
• It aimed to assess child health and mental disorders across Ontario.
• The study focused on children aged 4 to 17 years.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the methodology of the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS).
• To provide a comprehensive overview of the study's design and implementation.
• To facilitate secondary data analysis and future research collaborations.

Main Methods:

• A province-wide, cross-sectional survey design was employed.
• Stratified sampling by income and a 3-stage cluster sampling approach were utilized.
• Data collection involved household surveys and administrative data linkage.

Main Results:

• The study included 6,537 households and 10,802 children.
• Participation rates were lower among lower-income families in low-income neighborhoods.
• Data included measures of child mental disorders, neighborhood, school, and family characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Complex survey design and differential non-response necessitate the use of sampling weights.
• Study data are accessible through Statistics Canada Research Data Centres (RDCs).
• Researchers are encouraged to access the data for secondary analysis or direct collaboration.