The PRIDE Study: Evaluation of online methods of data collection

Abstract

Background Large birth cohort studies are extremely valuable in assessing associations between early life exposures and long‐term outcomes. Establishing new birth cohorts is challenging due to declining participation rates. Online methods of data collection may increase feasibility, but have not been evaluated thoroughly. Objective The primary objective of the ongoing PRegnancy and Infant DEvelopment (PRIDE) Study is to identify exposures during pregnancy and in early life that may affect short‐term or long‐term health of mother and/or child. In this manuscript, we aimed to evaluate methods of recruitment and online data collection applied. Population Dutch women aged ≥18 years in early pregnancy. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Initially, only prenatal care providers recruited participants, but alternative recruitment methods were added as a result of disappointing participation rates, including collaboration with “Moeders voor Moeders” (organisation that visits women in early pregnancy) and Facebook advertisements. Data on demographic characteristics, obstetric history, maternal health, life style factors, occupational exposures, nutrition, pregnancy complications, and infant outcomes are primarily collected through Web‐based questionnaires at multiple time points during and after pregnancy. Additional data collection components include paternal questionnaires, blood and saliva sampling, and linkage to medical records. Preliminary results By September 2019, 9573 women were included in the PRIDE Study, of which 1.3% completed paper‐based questionnaires. Mean age of the women analysed was 30.6 years, 71.1% had a high level of education, 57.2% were primiparae, and mean gestational age at enrolment was 9.9 (range 3, 37) weeks, with slight differences between recruitment methods. Pregnancy outcome was known for 89.8%. Retention rate at 6 months after the estimated date of delivery was estimated at 70%. Multiple validation studies conducted within the PRIDE Study indicated high data quality. Conclusion(s) Although challenging and time‐consuming, online methods for recruitment and data collection may enable the establishment of new birth cohort studies.

Associations Between Maternal Awakening Salivary Cortisol Levels in Mid-Pregnancy and Adverse Birth Outcomes

“…This study was embedded in the PRegnancy and Infant DEvelopment (PRIDE) Study [31,32], an ongoing prospective cohort study among Dutch women enrolled in early pregnancy. In short, pregnant women of 18 years of age and above, able to read and understand the Dutch language, and not more than 16 weeks pregnant were invited to participate in the PRIDE Study by their midwife or gynecologist at their rst prenatal care visit.…”

Do pregnant women use pharmacological treatment as prescribed?

“…Furthermore, consent was asked to obtain records from prenatal care providers and pharmacists. A detailed description of the PRIDE Study can be found elsewhere [26]. For the current study, we selected all PRIDE Study participants with ongoing pregnancies who completed the first follow-up questionnaire at gestational week 17 between September 2013 and February 2018 (N=4,851).…”

Accuracy of self‐reported birth outcomes relative to birth certificate data in an Internet‐based prospective cohort study

“…Despite the increasing popularity of Internet‐based studies, 1‐5 there has been limited investigation of the accuracy of self‐reported data provided by Internet‐based study participants 6 . Online questionnaires have several validity‐related advantages over paper‐based questionnaires, including built‐in internal consistency checks, pop‐ups for inadvertently skipped questions, and lower missingness 7,8 .…”