The National Children’s Study in St. Louis City:

An Update to the Mayor’s Commission on Children, Youth and Families

PLouise Flick, DrPH, MSN, MPESaint Louis UniversitySchool of Public Health

Vetta Sanders-Thompson, PhDWashington University in St. LouisThe Brown School/Institute of Public Health

February 9, 2012

Aims of Presentation

• NCS Study Goals• The Gateway Study Center• The Vanguard Study - NCS Pilot Phase• Recruitment Activities• The Main Study

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NCS Study Goal

• To study effects of environment on child growth, development and health

•Environment: physical, chemical, social •Existing studies not

- Early enough- Large enough- Long enough

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NCS Study Design

• Longitudinal, observational study of children, pre-birth through age 21.

• Pilot stage • Main study • 105 counties in the US• Goal: more than 100,000 babies

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The Gateway Study Center

A consortium of local partners:•Saint Louis University•Battelle Memorial Institute•Southern Illinois University Edwardsville•Southern Illinois University Carbondale•Washington University

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National Children’s Study

The Gateway Study Center team at the St. Louis City Field Office7

GSC counties•St. Louis City, MO (Active)•Jefferson County, MO (Inactive)•Macoupin County, IL (Inactive)•Johnson, Union, & Williamson Counties, IL (Inactive)

The Gateway Study Center

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The Vanguard Study,the NCS pilot phase

• Vanguard study assesses the cost, feasibility and acceptability of 3 possible recruitment strategies

• Our recruitment strategy: Enhanced Household-Based Recruitment

• Local recruitment of pregnant and pre-pregnant women began in 2010.

• Complete recruitment by March 1, 2012.• Study visits and data analysis continue.

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Recruitment Activities

•Households Targeted 13,850*•Contacted HH 95%•Enumerations Completed 3,300•Age-Eligible Women Found 2,150•Study-Eligible Women Found 200

*All figures except percentages are rounded to nearest 50 to protect confidentiality.

Recruitment Activities

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•Study Eligible WomenWho Consent 65%

•Women Who Have Joined the Study 100• 60% pregnant/40% trying

•Number of Babies Born about 50

Age of Mothers

NCS St.Louis Participants1 City2

•Less than 18 n/a 6%•Age 18-24 33% 37%•Age 25-29 21% 27%•Age 30-34 21% 20%•Age 35-40 18% 8%•Age 41-49 7% 2%

1NCS Biweekly Report (September 28, 2011)2Missouri Birth MICA (2009)

Race, Ethnicity & Language

NCS St.Louis Participants City•African-American 42%57%•Asian/Nat. Haw./Pac. Isl. 3%3%•White/Caucasian 38%39%•Multiple or Other Racial Backgrounds 13%1%*•Unknown/Missing 3%0.4%•Hispanic 8%5%•Spanish-Speaking Households 4%n/a

*MICA does not include ‘Multiple Racial Backgrounds,’ only ‘Other’

Educational Attainment

NCS St. LouisParticipants City

•Less Than High School Degree/GED24% 23%•High School Degree/GED

33% 32%•More than High School/GED

41% 43%•Unknown/Missing

2% 2%

National Recruitment Status (as of 12/15/2011)

Recruitment Stage Total Rate*

Age-eligible Women Identified 80,550

Pregnancy Screening Completed 65,750

Pregnant or Trying 9,650

Women enrolled 6,750 70%

Babies Enrolled 2,200*Respondents further determined to be ineligible are excluded from the

denominator in computing response rates. Source: NCS Update NICHD, Steven Hirschfeld, MD, PhD

The Main Study

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What’s Coming Next…..•6-Month and 12-Month Study Visits for the growing Vanguard babies.•Evaluation of recruitment strategies..•Protocol development for the Main Study.•Continued community outreach•Main study start: Late 2012/Early 2013

The National Children’s Study

Thank you for your support!

Please contact us:314-880-3640 x204ncs@slu.eduwww.nationalchildrensstudy.gov/

1 SOURCE: NCS Alternate Recruitment Substudy, Vanguard Study, Data for the City of St. Louis as of October 12, 2011. From document: EH_StLouisCity_MO_20110928_BiweeklyReport, Saint Louis University. NOTE: NCS Rounding Rules applied.