Strategies behind the Establishment of a Developmental Cohort Study in the Tottori City

BACKGROUND: The Tottori study group, part of the JCS, presides over a community-based cohort study started when subjects—children living in Tottori City—were 5 years old. The social aspects of conducting a cohort study should also be made public, as this information is crucial for conducting community-based cohort studies. METHODS: Documents pertaining to social aspects implemented by the Tottori study group between 2004 and 2008 were arranged chronologically. Information which is crucial for conducting community-based cohort studies were extracted and classified into several categories. RESULTS: Five categories were extracted from the documents: research staff, supporting committee, recruitment, maintenance of motivation and disclosure. Implementation of the social aspects described in maintenance of motivation resulted in fewer subjects dropping out of the study and a re-recruitment rate of approximately 90%. CONCLUSIONS: The following factors are essential for a successful developmental cohort study of children: 1) A birth cohort study should be planned in hospitals with medical staff such as obstetricians and pediatricians; 2) An interdisciplinary group composed of medical or psychological clinicians and researchers with abundant experience in epidemiological study should be included; 3) If possible, an expert or widely known individual in the study’s target field should be included as a member of the study staff; 4) For long cohort studies, a researcher with expertise in school education should be included; 5) A support committee should be organized as an external part of the study team.