Abstract
The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is a prospective population-based cohort study which recruited pregnant women in 1990-1992 and has followed these women, their partners (Generation 0; G0) and their offspring (Generation 1; G1) ever since. The study has reacted rapidly and repeatedly to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, deploying online questionnaires throughout the pandemic. In November/December 2020, a fourth questionnaire was deployed asking about physical and mental health, lifestyle and behaviours, employment and finances. G0 participants were offered an online questionnaire between 17 th November 2020 and 7 th February 2021, while G1 participants were offered both online and paper questionnaires between 1 st December 2020 and 19 th March 2021. Of 15,844 invitations, 8,643 (55%) participants returned the questionnaire (3,101 original mothers [mean age 58.6 years], 1,172 original fathers/partners [mean age 61.5 years] and 4,370 offspring [mean age 28.4 years]). Of these 8,643 participants, 2,012 (23%) had not returned a previous COVID-19 questionnaire, while 3,575 (41%) had returned all three previous questionnaires. In this questionnaire, 300 participants (3.5%) reported a previous positive COVID-19 test, 110 (1.3%) had been told by a doctor they likely had COVID-19, and 759 (8.8%) suspected that they had had COVID-19. Based on self-reported symptoms, between October 2020 and February 2021 359 participants (4.2%) were predicted COVID-19 cases. COVID data is being complemented with linkage to health records and Public Health England pillar testing results as they become available. Data has been released as an update to the previous COVID-19 datasets. It comprises: 1) a standard dataset containing all participant responses to both questionnaires with key sociodemographic factors; and 2) as a composite release coordinating data from the existing resource, thus enabling bespoke research across all areas supported by the study. This data note describes the fourth questionnaire and the data obtained from it.
Highlights
The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is a prospective population-based cohort study which recruited pregnant women in 1990-1992 and has followed these women, their partners (Generation 0; G0) and their offspring (Generation 1; G1) ever since
For G1 participants this COVID questionnaire was embedded within the wider ‘Life@28’ questionnaire as part of ALSPAC’s annual questionnaire strategy; this questionnaire was available to G1 participants in both online and paper formats
The need to harmonize data collection with other cohorts to facilitate co-ordinated analyses as part of the National Core Studies Longitudinal Health and Wellbeing work programme. We addressed this by incorporating content from a coordinated and freely available COVID-19 questionnaire co-developed by ALSPAC
Summary
It comprises: 1) a standard dataset containing all participant responses to both questionnaires with key sociodemographic factors; and 2) as a composite release coordinating data from the existing resource, enabling bespoke research across all areas supported by the study This data note describes the fourth questionnaire and the data obtained from it. The wider COVID-19 data collection in ALSPAC will include data from three main sources: self-reported data from questionnaires, data from clinical services based on linkage to medical and other records (such as Public Health England Pillar testing11) and information from biological samples The data from these sources are intended to be complementary and help address different potential research questions around COVID-19. We present a brief assessment of the factors associated with returning the fourth COVID questionnaire, but not any of the previous three, in order to explore who these ‘new’ participants are
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