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Related Concept Videos

Longitudinal Research02:20

Longitudinal Research

Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
Longitudinal Studies01:26

Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
Life Histories01:29

Life Histories

Constrained by limited energy and resources, organisms must compromise between offspring quantity and parental investment. This trade-off is represented by two primary reproductive strategies; K-strategists produce few offspring but provide substantial parental support, whereas r-strategists produce much progeny that receives little care. These strategies are related to an organism’s survival likelihood across its lifespan, which is represented by a survivorship curve. Three general types of...
Observational Studies01:11

Observational Studies

Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
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...
Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when researchers try to extrapolate results...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

Retention strategies and participant retention rates among prospective longitudinal pregnancy cohorts: a systematic

Tian Renton1, Mika Hoppe1, Kassi Prisnie2

  • 1Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.

Annals of Epidemiology
|July 5, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Retaining participants in pregnancy and infant research is challenging. This review found that while many strategies are used, none significantly improved participant retention over time.

Keywords:
Infant healthMaternal healthPregnancyProspective studiesRetention ratesRetention strategies

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Longitudinal Study Design

Background:

  • Longitudinal pregnancy cohorts are crucial for understanding early life exposures and later health.
  • Participant retention in these studies is difficult, especially during major life events like childbirth.
  • Optimal strategies for maintaining participant engagement in longitudinal research remain undefined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically map prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials involving pregnant participants and their infants.
  • To identify and evaluate the effectiveness of retention strategies used in such studies.
  • To analyze trends in participant retention rates over time.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic mapping review was conducted.
  • Data extraction included retention rates and 17 distinct retention strategies.
  • Random effects meta-analysis and meta-regression were employed to assess retention rates and strategy effectiveness.

Main Results:

  • 130 studies involving 472,022 pregnancies were identified.
  • A consistent decline in pooled mean retention rates was observed over time.
  • No statistically significant association was found between the use of retention strategies and improved follow-up retention rates.

Conclusions:

  • Prospective studies on pregnant individuals and infants employ numerous retention strategies.
  • Participant retention rates decrease over the course of longitudinal studies.
  • Postpartum factors likely play a significant role in study participation, warranting further investigation.