title: Contactable Non-responders Show Different Characteristics Compared to Lost to Follow-Up Participants: Insights from an Australian Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study.
abstract: Objective This research aims to identify predictors of attrition in a longitudinal birth cohort study in Australia and assess differences in baseline characteristics and responses in subsequent follow-up phases between contactable non-responders and uncontactable non-responders deemed "lost to follow-up (LTF)". Methods 3368 women recruited from three public hospitals in Southeast Queensland and Northern New South Wales during antenatal visits in 2006-2011 completed a baseline questionnaire to elicit information on multiple domains of exposures. A follow-up questionnaire was posted to each participant at 1 year after birth to obtain mother's and child's health and development information. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the association between exposures and respondents' status at 1 year. The effect of an inverse-probability-weighting method to adjust for non-response was studied. Results Overall attrition at 1-year was 35.4 %; major types of attrition were "contactable non-response" (27.6 %) and "LTF" (6.7 %). These two attrition types showed different responses at the 3-year follow-up and involved different predictors. Besides shared predictors (first language not English, higher risk of psychological distress, had smoked during pregnancy, higher levels of family conflict), distinguishable predictors of contactable non-responders were younger age, having moved home in the past year and having children under 16 in the household. Attrition rates increased substantially from 20 % in 2006 to 54 % in 2011. Conclusions This observed trend of increased attrition rates raises concern about the use of traditional techniques, such as "paper-based" questionnaires, in longitudinal cohort studies. The supplementary use of electronic communications, such as online survey tools and smart-device applications, could provide a better alternative.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, University Drive, Meadowbrook, QLD, 4131, Australia. s.ng@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Shu-Kay
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, University Drive, Meadowbrook, QLD, 4131, Australia.
authors.forename: Rani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, University Drive, Meadowbrook, QLD, 4131, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Scuffham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D059012:Lost to Follow-Up; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Attrition; Birth cohort; Epidemiology; Longitudinal studies; Socio-demographic