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Adapting data collection methods in the Australian Life Histories and Health Survey: a retrospective life course study

OBJECTIVE: Ideally, life course data are collected prospectively through an ongoing longitudinal study. We report adaptive multimethod fieldwork procedures that gathered life history data by mail survey and telephone interview, comparable with the face-to-face methods employed in the English Longitu...

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Autores principales: Kendig, Hal, Byles, Julie E, O'Loughlin, Kate, Nazroo, James Y, Mishra, Gita, Noone, Jack, Loh, Vanessa, Forder, Peta M
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BMJ Publishing Group 2014
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3975763/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24662449
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004476
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author Kendig, Hal
Byles, Julie E
O'Loughlin, Kate
Nazroo, James Y
Mishra, Gita
Noone, Jack
Loh, Vanessa
Forder, Peta M
author_facet Kendig, Hal
Byles, Julie E
O'Loughlin, Kate
Nazroo, James Y
Mishra, Gita
Noone, Jack
Loh, Vanessa
Forder, Peta M
author_sort Kendig, Hal
collection PubMed
description OBJECTIVE: Ideally, life course data are collected prospectively through an ongoing longitudinal study. We report adaptive multimethod fieldwork procedures that gathered life history data by mail survey and telephone interview, comparable with the face-to-face methods employed in the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing (ELSA). DESIGN: The Australian Life Histories and Health (LHH) Survey was a substudy of the Australian 45 and Up Study, with data collection methods modified from the ELSA Study. A self-complete questionnaire and life history calendar were completed by the participants, followed by a computer-assisted telephone interview recording key life events. RESULTS: The LHH survey developed and tested procedures and instruments that gathered rich life history data within an ongoing Australian longitudinal survey on ageing. Data collection proved to be economical. The use of a self-complete questionnaire in conjunction with a life history calendar and coordinated computer-assisted telephone interview was successful in collecting retrospective life course information, in terms of being thorough, practical and efficient. This study has a diverse collection of data covering the life course, starting with early life experiences and continuing with socioeconomic and health exposures and outcomes during adult life. CONCLUSIONS: Mail and telephone methodology can accurately and economically add a life history dimension to an ongoing longitudinal survey. The method is particularly valuable for surveying widely dispersed populations. The results will facilitate understanding of the social determinants of health by gathering data on earlier life exposures as well as comparative data across geographical and societal contexts.
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spelling pubmed-39757632014-04-07 Adapting data collection methods in the Australian Life Histories and Health Survey: a retrospective life course study Kendig, Hal Byles, Julie E O'Loughlin, Kate Nazroo, James Y Mishra, Gita Noone, Jack Loh, Vanessa Forder, Peta M BMJ Open Epidemiology OBJECTIVE: Ideally, life course data are collected prospectively through an ongoing longitudinal study. We report adaptive multimethod fieldwork procedures that gathered life history data by mail survey and telephone interview, comparable with the face-to-face methods employed in the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing (ELSA). DESIGN: The Australian Life Histories and Health (LHH) Survey was a substudy of the Australian 45 and Up Study, with data collection methods modified from the ELSA Study. A self-complete questionnaire and life history calendar were completed by the participants, followed by a computer-assisted telephone interview recording key life events. RESULTS: The LHH survey developed and tested procedures and instruments that gathered rich life history data within an ongoing Australian longitudinal survey on ageing. Data collection proved to be economical. The use of a self-complete questionnaire in conjunction with a life history calendar and coordinated computer-assisted telephone interview was successful in collecting retrospective life course information, in terms of being thorough, practical and efficient. This study has a diverse collection of data covering the life course, starting with early life experiences and continuing with socioeconomic and health exposures and outcomes during adult life. CONCLUSIONS: Mail and telephone methodology can accurately and economically add a life history dimension to an ongoing longitudinal survey. The method is particularly valuable for surveying widely dispersed populations. The results will facilitate understanding of the social determinants of health by gathering data on earlier life exposures as well as comparative data across geographical and societal contexts. BMJ Publishing Group 2014-03-24 /pmc/articles/PMC3975763/ /pubmed/24662449 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004476 Text en Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 3.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
spellingShingle Epidemiology
Kendig, Hal
Byles, Julie E
O'Loughlin, Kate
Nazroo, James Y
Mishra, Gita
Noone, Jack
Loh, Vanessa
Forder, Peta M
Adapting data collection methods in the Australian Life Histories and Health Survey: a retrospective life course study
title Adapting data collection methods in the Australian Life Histories and Health Survey: a retrospective life course study
title_full Adapting data collection methods in the Australian Life Histories and Health Survey: a retrospective life course study
title_fullStr Adapting data collection methods in the Australian Life Histories and Health Survey: a retrospective life course study
title_full_unstemmed Adapting data collection methods in the Australian Life Histories and Health Survey: a retrospective life course study
title_short Adapting data collection methods in the Australian Life Histories and Health Survey: a retrospective life course study
title_sort adapting data collection methods in the australian life histories and health survey: a retrospective life course study
topic Epidemiology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3975763/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24662449
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004476
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