An Overview Of The ALSPAC Data Resource RSS

An Overview Of The ALSPAC Data Resource RSS Avon Local Group Meeting 26 th May 2009 David Herrick david. herrick@bristol. ac. uk http: //www. bristol. ac. uk/alspac/

What is ALSPAC? § “Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children” § Cohort study of children and their parents, based in the former county of Avon (excluding Bath) § Designed to determine ways in which the individual’s genotype combines with environmental pressures to influence health and development

Study design § Eligibility criteria: Mothers had to be resident in the study area and have an expected date of delivery between 1 st April 1991 and 31 st December 1992 § Avon was broadly representative of the UK as a whole and has a relatively stable population § Core sample of 14, 541 pregnancies resulting in 14, 062 live born children

Data Sources § § § § Self Completion Questionnaires Hands on Assessments Biological Samples DNA Direct School Contact Health Records Linked Datasets Sub Studies

Self completion questionnaires (1) § Carer (17, 4 during pregnancy) • Mother’s health, home environment, income, education, employment etc. § Partner (15, 2 during pregnancy) § Child-based, completed by main carer (23) • Child’s health, development, behaviour, diet etc. § Child-completed (22) • Teeth, school, home, hobbies, substance use, mental health etc. § Annual puberty questionnaires (9) • Tanner staging, menarchy

Self completion questionnaires (2) § Miscarriages § Adult Learning (Carer & Partner) • Single mail shot; follow up telephone interview § DCSF Year 11 (Carer & Child) • Education - attitudes & aspirations § Friendships (Child) • Single mail shot; aim to identify which other study children child is friends with

Hands on assessments (1) § Children in Focus • 10% sample seen 10 times between 4 & 61 months • 1432 attended at least 1, 1000 at least 8, 539 all 10 • Physical measures: Anthropometry, blood pressure, lung function, skin, hair & eye observations, allergy testing, vision, hearing, dental • Cognitive measures: habituation, memory, speech • Environmental measures: diet, pollution, parenting, day care • Blood samples

Hands on assessments (2) § Focus Sessions • Annual assessments, starting with Focus@7, to which the whole cohort is invited • Physical: Measures, bone density, fitness, vision, hearing, allergies, blood / saliva samples, vascular function, lung function, acne • Cognitive / behavioural: IQ, speech & language, bullying, antisocial activities, friends, substance use, romantic relations, psychosis, depression

Biological samples § § § Maternal blood & urine Paternal blood & saliva Umbilical cord blood & slices Placentas Children’s teeth, hair and nail clippings § Children’s blood, saliva & urine

DNA § DNA for: • ~10, 000 children • ~10, 000 mothers • ~1, 000 partners § ~6700 mother/child pairs § ~700 trios § Blood for cell lines for: • ~7, 000 children • ~5, 700 mothers • ~1, 400 fathers

ALSPAC at School Children born between: Apr 1991 Sep 1991 & Aug 1992 Sep 1992 & Dec 1992 Reception 1995 1996 1997 Key Stage 1 1998 1999 2000 Key Stage 2 2003 2004 Key Stage 3 2005 2006 2007 GCSE 2007 2008 2009

Direct School Contact (1) § Contact with ~350 primary schools in the four local LEAs: • • Bristol South Gloucestershire North Somerset Bath and North East Somerset § Private & special schools included § Parental contact for out of area cases

Direct School Contact (2) § Questionnaires in Year 3 & Year 6: • School (Head teacher) • Class (Class teacher) • Child (Class teacher) § Maths test in Year 4 § Maths, Spelling & Science tests in Year 6 § Year 6 maths test repeated in Year 8

Health Records § Delivery notes • • Abstracted by midwives ~ 8300 in full ~ 2300 shortened version ~ 2000 further planned § Convulsions (n 400) • Hospital admissions • Selected from questionnaire responses § Special Care Baby Unit (n 1000)

Linked Datasets § § § ONS Tracing Electronic antenatal & birth records National Pupil Database Address based Currently investigating PCT data, HES, Home Office, DWP, HESA

Sub Studies (1) § § § § § Avon Brothers and Sisters Study Becoming a Teenager Before Breakfast Study Being 3 British Gas Study Bunk Bed Study DATE (diet and physical activity study) Deuterium Family Study Four Seasons (physical activity calibration study)

Sub Studies (2) § § § § § Fractures Identifying Developmental Impairments K 4 (physical activity calibration study) Lightbox (as an alternative to anthropometery) Noise Study Peanut & Other Allergies Scan and Swim Teenager at Thirteen Twins Secret Language

Response Figures Jan 2002

Data Access Model § Contact ALSPAC via email § Receive CD/Download guide to Data sets § Download Research Proposal Form • Incorporates Data Agreement Form § Submit proposal to ALSPAC Exec § Receive dataset limited to research question/s • Variables are identified by collaborator • Built by ALSPAC statisticians/data staff § Extensions require further submission

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