If you'd like to attend this free lecture, please contact Jas Bains to book your place.

Abstract

We will discuss general methodological and logistic issues in conducting longitudinal birth cohort studies. Issues about design of the study, choice of the target population and sampling procedures will be raised.

We will address problems and barriers encountered with different recruitment and enrolment procedures, assessment methods and quality controls, retention of participants, research infrastructure for data and specimen management, staffing issues and some ethical questions and need for an informed consent. Some aspects of longitudinal analysis will also be discussed.

We will focus on the specific questions for a researcher investigating the impact of poverty and of social circumstances on child health in such a study. The Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development will be used to illustrate some of these issues.