title: Rationale and study design of the Japan environment and children's study (JECS).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is global concern over significant threats from a wide variety of environmental hazards to which children face. Large-scale and long-term birth cohort studies are needed for better environmental management based on sound science. The primary objective of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), a nation-wide birth cohort study that started its recruitment in January 2011, is to elucidate environmental factors that affect children's health and development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Approximately 100,000 expecting mothers who live in designated study areas will be recruited over a 3-year period from January 2011. Participating children will be followed until they reach 13 years of age. Exposure to environmental factors will be assessed by chemical analyses of bio-specimens (blood, cord blood, urine, breast milk, and hair), household environment measurements, and computational simulations using monitoring data (e.g. ambient air quality monitoring) as well as questionnaires. JECS' priority outcomes include reproduction/pregnancy complications, congenital anomalies, neuropsychiatric disorders, immune system disorders, and metabolic/endocrine system disorders. Genetic factors, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle factors will also be examined as covariates and potential confounders. To maximize representativeness, we adopted provider-mediated community-based recruitment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Through JECS, chemical substances to which children are exposed during the fetal stage or early childhood will be identified. The JECS results will be translated to better risk assessment and management to provide healthy environment for next generations.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Japan Environment and Children's Study, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2, Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan. kawamott@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nitta
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Eisaku
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Zentaro
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.forename: Fujio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kayama
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohya
authors.forename: Hirohisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sago
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okuyama
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokoya
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koresawa
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Michikawa
authors.forename: Ayano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Satoh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004777:Environment; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000139:chemically induced; D012107:Research Design
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants