Methodological aspects of the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort study

Cesar Gomes Victora*, Cora Luiza Pavin Araújo, Ana Maria Batista Menezes, Pedro Curi Hallal, Maria de Fatima Vieira, Marilda Borges Neutzling, Helen Gonçalves, Neiva Cristina Valle, Rosangela Costa Lima, Luciana Anselmi, Dominique Behague, Denise Petrucci Gigante, Fernando Celso Barros

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

112 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper describes the main methodological aspects of a cohort study, with emphasis on its recent phases, which may be relevant to investigators planning to carry out similar studies. In 1993, a population based study was launched in Pelotas, Southern Brazil. All 5,249 newborns delivered in the city's hospitals were enrolled, and sub-samples were visited at the ages of one, three and six months and of one and four years. In 2004-5 it was possible to trace 87.5% of the cohort at the age of 10-12 years. Sub-studies are addressing issues related to oral health, psychological development and mental health, body composition, and ethnography. Birth cohort studies are essential for investigating the early determinants of adult disease and nutritional status, yet few such studies are available from low and middle-income countries where these determinants may differ from those documented in more developed settings.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)39-46
Number of pages8
JournalRevista De Saude Publica
Volume40
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2006

Keywords

  • Child development
  • Cohort studies
  • Epidemiologic methods
  • Follow-up studies
  • Longitudinal studies
  • Prospective studies

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