Design, development and initiation of the Liverpool Respiratory Birth Cohort Study


Pickles, Rosanna (2013) Design, development and initiation of the Liverpool Respiratory Birth Cohort Study. Master of Philosophy thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

Objective: To design, develop and initiate the Liverpool Respiratory Birth Cohort Study (LRBCS). This longitudinal birth cohort study aims to describe the respiratory symptoms of preschool children using the Liverpool Respiratory Symptom Questionnaire (LRSQ) from birth until the age of 5 years in Liverpool, by bi-annual assessment. Introduction: Respiratory symptoms in preschool children are difficult to assess using objective measures; indirect measures such as parental completed respiratory symptom questionnaires offer a valuable alternative. The LRSQ is one of few respiratory questionnaires validated for preschool populations. Using the LRSQ, this unique birth cohort study not only maps respiratory symptoms of Liverpool preschool children, but also explores the impact of these symptoms upon the child and their parents. Method: The LRBCS protocol was developed in collaboration with experienced paediatricians. Ethical approval was obtained by proportionate review in May 2012. As questionnaire deployment would be primarily conducted online, web-based survey software and an email-scheduling system were imperative for development and deployment of the questionnaire. Viable options for survey software were ascertained by feasibility testing at the LWH while providing an opportunity to tailor the design, appearance and accessibility of the questionnaire to appeal to the target population, while maintaining usability. MailChimp® was identified as the most efficient automated email scheduling service. Recruitment was piloted to determine the most effective strategy. Analysis: Recruitment has been successful to date, with Mothers of 1330 infants expressing interest (53% of eligible births) by 31st May 2013. Furthermore 80 Mothers (27% of those expressing interest) consented and returned data regarding their infant’s respiratory symptoms four months after birth. Preliminary analysis has shown that the group of Mothers expressing interest are representative of Liverpool’s new mothers and the local population in terms of demographics. Demographic, exposure and LRSQ data was collected online by Adobe Forms Central and by post questionnaires, and then collated using SPSS V19 for analysis. Conclusion: The LRBCS has been initiated successfully. It is an ongoing birth cohort study that will proceed for a further 6 years minimum, producing a large variety of invaluable data detailing the respiratory health and characteristics of the preschool Liverpool population. Future analysis will enable the exploration of demographic and exposure factors affecting the respiratory health of the Liverpool preschool population.

Item Type: Thesis (Master of Philosophy)
Additional Information: Date: 2013-07 (completed)
Uncontrolled Keywords: Baby Breathing Study, The Liverpool Respiratory Birth Cohort Study, LRBCS
Subjects: ?? RJ101 ??
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 19 Aug 2014 08:46
Last Modified: 16 Dec 2022 04:42
DOI: 10.17638/00017115
Supervisors:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/17115
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