title: Pacific Islands Families: First Two Years of Life Study--design and methodology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Knowledge about the health, psychosocial, and behavioural characteristics of Pacific peoples with young children resident in New Zealand is limited. The Pacific Islands Families: First Two Years of Life (PIF) Study was designed to redress this knowledge gap. This paper describes the design and methodology of the PIF Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers of Pacific infants born at Middlemore Hospital between 15 March and 17 December 2000 were recruited. Maternal home interviews covering sociodemographic, cultural, environmental, child development, family and household dynamics, childcare, lifestyle, and health issues were undertaken at approximately 6-weeks, 12-months, and 24-months postpartum. Paternal home interviews and child development assessments were conducted at approximately 12-months and 24-months postpartum. Information from Middlemore's Hospital Discharge Summary records and Plunket's 6-week and 6-month assessments was also captured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1708 mothers were identified, 1657 were invited to participate, 1590 (96%) consented to a home visit; and, of these, 1,477 (93%) were eligible for the PIF study. Of those eligible, 1,376 (93%) participated at 6-weeks, 1224 (83%) participated at 12-months, and 1144 (77%) participated at 24-months. No important differential attrition was observed. Paternal interviews and child assessments were conducted on 825 fathers and 1241 infants at 12-months and on 757 fathers and 1064 children at 24-months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PIF study is a large, scientifically and culturally robust longitudinal study that has achieved respectable participation rates in a historically hard-to-reach population. We believe that results from this study will inform future policy development within New Zealand.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Auckland.
authors.forename: Janis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tukuitonga
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feehan
authors.forename: Phil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Teuila
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Percival
authors.forename: Sarnia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cowley-Malcolm
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borrows
authors.forename: Maynard
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schluter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology*; D005220:Fathers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors