Suchergebnisse

IntroductionThe Baby Hearts study aimed to investigate risk and protective factors for congenital heart disease (CHD), and to investigate the health behaviours of a representative sample of pregnant women in Northern Ireland.
ObjectivesWe describe and evaluate the population-based case-control design enhanced with data linkage to administrative health data.
MethodsCases (mothers of babies with CHD, n=286) were recruited following diagnosis prenatally or postnatally. Controls (mothers of babies without CHD, n=966) were recruited at 18-22 weeks gestation, from all women attending each maternity unit during a designated month. Hybrid data collection methods were used, including a self-administered iPad/postal questionnaire, and linkage to maternity and prescription records.
ResultsRefusal rates were low (8%). iPad questionnaire completion at clinic or home visit had high acceptability whereas postal questionnaires were poorly returned leading to a further 9-10% loss of eligible cases/controls. In total, 61% of eligible cases and 68% of eligible controls were recruited, closely representative of the Northern Ireland population, with no evidence of selection bias. Of those recruited, 97% gave consent for linkage to medical records. Thirty-three percent of women had an unplanned pregnancy and 76% suspected they were pregnant by 5 weeks gestation, with no significant differences between cases and controls. There was considerable discordance between self-report, maternity and prescription records regarding medications obtained/taken in the first trimester, but no evidence of differences between cases and controls that would indicate substantial recall bias. Although there was high concordance between self-report and maternity records regarding folic acid supplementation, cases had significantly lower concordance than controls.
ConclusionsOur results suggest hybrid data collection approaches are a useful way forward for aetiological studies to reduce responder burden and address and estimate recall bias, and that the Baby Hearts study protocol is suitable for replication in other populations, modified to the local context.

BackgroundThe Northern Ireland (NI) Baby Hearts study aimed to investigate risk factors for congenital heart defects (CHD), and to investigate the health behaviours of a representative sample of NI pregnant women.
MethodsWe performed a case-control study with hybrid data collection methods, including self-administered iPad questionnaire or postal questionnaire, information held in maternity records and linkage to prescription records. Cases (n=286) were recruited following diagnosis prenatally or postnatally, controls (n=966) were recruited during recruitment months in each maternity unit at 18-20 weeks gestation.
FindingsRefusal rates for questionnaire completion were low (7-8%). Among those recruited, consent for access and linkage to medical records was high (98%). Recruitment of both cases and controls was closely representative of the NI population in terms of age, area of residence and deprivation. There was considerable discordance between self-report questionnaires, maternity records and prescription records regarding medications taken in the first trimester, and between self-report questionnaires and maternity records regarding behaviours such as preconceptional folic acid, pregnancy planning, and smoking. However, there were no differences between cases and controls that would indicate recall bias.
ConclusionsOur results suggest that hybrid data collection approaches are a useful way forward for aetiological studies.