2.F. Workshop: Informing COVID-19 responses with longitudinal studies: demonstrating harmonised data infrastructure

Abstract

Abstract Longitudinal studies which have collected information from participants repeatedly over time have the potential to provide timely intelligence to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK has a rich resource of population-based longitudinal studies, which have now collected information during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include multiple national birth cohort studies going back to 1946, the Understanding Society household panel study, ageing cohorts such as the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and regional cohorts such as ALSPAC, Born in Bradford and Generation Scotland. The UK is therefore well placed to combine COVID-19 surveys with rich pre-pandemic information and provide timely insight into how the pandemic is affecting people with different backgrounds and circumstances. Similar longitudinal studies exist in many other European countries. In this workshop, we will illustrate the potential for collaborative approaches to analysing longitudinal datasets - an approach which could be applied elsewhere in Europe and indeed, across European countries. Four papers present important evidence on health inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic, each addressing a single topic in up to a dozen longitudinal surveys. Results are meta-analysed showing findings overall and stratified by socio-demographic characteristics. This represents a collaborative effort under the Longitudinal Health and Wellbeing strand of the National Core Studies initiative in the UK: an important advance methodologically, in addition to the substantive value of the questions addressed. Co-ordinated analyses across multiple studies can act as replication for each other and/or differences in study designs and assumptions can be informative, e.g., by comparing findings in cohorts of respondents at different life-stages. While improving understanding of inequalities in the public health impacts of the pandemic, this effort is also building a strong foundation for future multi-study comparative research. This workshop will provide an example of some of the opportunities and practical challenges to conducting such research. Professors Tea Lallukka and Vittal Katikireddi will act as discussants and the potential for collaboration across European cohorts will be explored. Key messages Co-ordinated analysis of multiple UK longitudinal datasets to inform the COVID-19 response has been achieved and this approach could be extended across Europe. Existing health inequalities may be exacerbated during the pandemic as disadvantaged groups experience greater disruption.