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Multidisciplinary design and analytic approaches to advance prospective research on the multilevel determinants of child health.

Authors :
Johnson SB
Little TD
Masyn K
Mehta PD
Ghazarian SR
Source :
Annals of epidemiology [Ann Epidemiol] 2017 Jun; Vol. 27 (6), pp. 361-370. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 May 15.
Publication Year :
2017

Abstract

Purpose: Characterizing the determinants of child health and development over time, and identifying the mechanisms by which these determinants operate, is a research priority. The growth of precision medicine has increased awareness and refinement of conceptual frameworks, data management systems, and analytic methods for multilevel data. This article reviews key methodological challenges in cohort studies designed to investigate multilevel influences on child health and strategies to address them.<br />Methods: We review and summarize methodological challenges that could undermine prospective studies of the multilevel determinants of child health and ways to address them, borrowing approaches from the social and behavioral sciences.<br />Results: Nested data, variation in intervals of data collection and assessment, missing data, construct measurement across development and reporters, and unobserved population heterogeneity pose challenges in prospective multilevel cohort studies with children. We discuss innovations in missing data, innovations in person-oriented analyses, and innovations in multilevel modeling to address these challenges.<br />Conclusions: Study design and analytic approaches that facilitate the integration across multiple levels, and that account for changes in people and the multiple, dynamic, nested systems in which they participate over time, are crucial to fully realize the promise of precision medicine for children and adolescents.<br /> (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1873-2585
Volume :
27
Issue :
6
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Annals of epidemiology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
28571913
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2017.05.008