Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study (ELC-FS)

早期生命队列可行性研究 (ELC-FS)

基本信息

批准号：
ES/V016814/1
负责人：
Alissa Goodman
金额：
$ 570.92万
依托单位：
University College London
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2021 至无数据
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FV016814%2F1
关键词：
Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study

项目摘要

We have brought together a multidisciplinary team across the four nations of the UK with deep scientific and operational expertise, to deliver a feasibility study of recruitment into a new early life cohort for the UK. Our major aim is to provide proof of concept for a new birth cohort study that would be scientifically valuable, provides evidence for policy, is operationally feasible and garners strong public support. To achieve this, we will design and undertake a data collection that is of lasting value, informing on key issues facing new generations of babies and their families. Representative sampling and successful recruitment are fundamental foundations required to deliver cutting edge research of this nature. At the heart of this exercise will be a test of our ability to successfully secure access to an appropriate national sampling frame of babies born in each of the four nations, and to devise a sample design and recruitment strategy that maximises participation and representativeness overall, and enables participation among groups that are traditionally seen as 'hard to reach' in longitudinal population research. This will include oversampling of ethnic minorities and births in deprived areas. We will engage fathers, including those non-resident at birth. We will bring together experts to discuss the potential for a study of children in need. The feasibility study will be designed to develop and test a protocol of high-quality measurements of early child development and the multilevel social and biological processes that affect early developmental outcomes, using both tried-and-tested instruments and newly-emerging technologies. We will deploy a variety of modes and methods of data collection, including an in-person home visit, data collection via devices (including to capture sleep and activity level), and by smartphone app (to capture infant-parent interactions, developmental milestones, diet and momentary assessments of parental stress). We will test how collection of bio-samples, including buccal swabs, saliva, and hair, from infant and parents would impact participation in the study, via a randomised experiment. We will develop a strategy for linking electronic health and other administrative records, as well as geo-environmental data, which will form a central part of any future study. In addition to providing rigorous testing of a scientific protocol in preparation for the main-stage study, the data we will collect in this feasibility study will be of great value for scientists and policy makers interested in infant health and development. We will undertake careful public engagement to ensure public acceptability of the proposed sampling, data collection and record linkage approaches, and will ensure the study serves the needs of the people it represents, by working closely with panels of families and children. We will engage closely with policy and practitioner networks and will consult with academic data users to determine evidence needs and scientific priorities for the feasibility study. An evaluation phase at the end of the project will support decision taking on whether a main study is commissioned. The project team will provide methodologically robust evidence on an agreed set of outcomes to inform this decision. Our team is uniquely experienced and well placed to deliver this ambitious project, combining expertise in the leadership and operations of longitudinal studies, the science of early life, sample frames and record linkages relating to babies in each of the four UK nations, collecting bio-samples from infants and parents, statistical methods, public engagement, and engagement of fathers in longitudinal research. Further collaborators and partners in the project provide deep expertise on sample design, looked after children and children in need, engaging with families and children, policymakers and practitioners, and international harmonisation.

我们将一个具有深厚的科学和运营专业知识的英国四个国家的多学科团队汇聚在一起，以将招聘的可行性研究为英国的新早期生活队列。我们的主要目的是为一项新的出生队列研究提供概念证明，该研究将在科学上有价值，为政策提供证据，在操作上是可行的，并获得了强有力的公共支持。为了实现这一目标，我们将设计并进行持久价值的数据收集，并告知新一代婴儿及其家人面临的关键问题。代表性抽样和成功的招聘是提供这种性质尖端研究所需的基本基础。这项练习的核心将是我们成功地确保在四个国家中每个国家中出生的婴儿的适当国家抽样框架的能力测试，并制定一种样本设计和招聘策略，从而最大程度地提高参与性和代表性，并使传统上被视为“很难到达漫长的人群中”的群体之间的参与。这将包括对贫困地区的少数民族和分娩的过度采样。我们将吸引父亲，包括出生时非居民的父亲。我们将汇集专家，讨论对有需要的儿童进行研究的潜力。可行性研究将旨在开发和测试早期儿童发展的高质量测量方案以及使用经过尝试的仪器和新出现的技术的多层次社会和生物学过程影响早期发展结果。我们将部署各种数据收集的模式和方法，包括面对面的家庭访问，通过设备收集数据（包括捕获睡眠和活动水平）以及智能手机应用程序（捕获婴儿的互动，发育里程碑，饮食，饮食以及对父母压力的瞬时评估）。我们将通过一个随机实验来测试如何收集婴儿和父母的生物样本，包括颊拭子，唾液和头发，从而影响研究的参与。我们将制定一种将电子健康和其他行政记录以及地理环境数据联系起来的策略，该数据将构成任何未来研究的核心部分。除了为主阶段研究准备科学方案的严格测试外，我们将在这项可行性研究中收集的数据对对婴儿健康和发展感兴趣的科学家和政策制定者具有巨大的价值。我们将进行仔细的公众参与，以确保提议的抽样，数据收集和记录联系方法的公众可接受性，并通过与家庭和儿童的小组紧密合作来确保研究能够满足其代表人民的需求。我们将与政策和从业者网络紧密互动，并将与学术数据使用者进行咨询，以确定可行性研究的证据需求和科学优先级。项目结束时的评估阶段将支持对是否委托进行主要研究的决定。项目团队将在方法论上提供有关一组商定结果的证据，以告知这一决定。我们的团队具有独特的经验，可以提供这个雄心勃勃的项目，并结合了纵向研究的领导和运营，早期生活的科学，样本框架的科学，与婴儿中每个国家的婴儿有关的联系，从婴儿和父母那里收集生物样本，统计学方法，公共互动，公共参与以及对纵向研究的互动。该项目的进一步合作者和合作伙伴为样本设计提供了深厚的专业知识，照顾有需要的儿童，与家庭和儿童，政策制定者和从业者互动以及国际协调。