Cohort profile: National Investigation of Birth Cohort in Korea study 2008 (NICKs-2008)

Abstract

Background: An adequate large-scale pediatric cohort based on nationwide administrative data is lacking in Korea.Purpose: This study established the National Investigation of Birth Cohort in Korea study 2008 (NICKs-2008) based on data from a nationwide population-based health screening program and data on healthcare utilization for children.Methods: The NICKs-2008 study consisted of the Korean National Health Insurance System (NHIS) and the National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children (NHSPIC) databases comprising children born in 2008 (n=469,248) and 2009 (n=448,459) in the Republic of Korea. The NHIS database contains data on age, sex, residential area, income, healthcare utilization (International Classification of Diseases-10 codes, procedure codes, and drug classification codes), and healthcare providers. The NHSPIC consists of 7 screening rounds. These screening sessions comprised physical examination, developmental screening (rounds 2–7), a general health questionnaire, and age-specific anticipatory guidance.Results: During the 10-year follow-up, 2,718 children (0.3%) died, including more boys than girls (hazard ratio, 1.145; P<0.001). A total of 848,048 children participated in at least 1 of the 7 rounds of the NHSPIC, while 96,046 participated in all 7 screening programs. A total of 823 infants (0.1%) weighed less than 1,000 g, 3,177 (0.4%) weighed 1,000–1,499 g, 37,166 (4.4%) weighed 1,500–2,499 g, 773,081 (91.4%) weighed 2,500–4,000 g, and 32,016 (5.1%) weighed over 4,000 g. There were 23,404 premature babies (5.5%) in 2008 compared to 23,368 (5.6%) in 2009. The developmental screening test indicated appropriate development in 95%–98% of children, follow-up requirements for 1%–4% of children, and recommendations for further evaluation for 1% of children.Conclusion: The NICKs-2008, which integrates data from the NHIS and NHSPIC databases, can be used to analyze disease onset prior to hospitalization based on information such as lifestyle, eating habits, and risk factors.

Breastmilk Feeding during the First 4 to 6 Months of Age and Childhood Disease Burden until 10 Years of Age

“…Information regarding the feeding type until the first 4 to 6 months of age was obtained from the National Investigation of birth Cohort in Korea study 2008 (NICKs-2008) in South Korea [ 11 ]. For the participants in the NICKs-2008, information regarding healthcare usage, including inpatient, outpatient, and pharmacy visits at healthcare facilities, until December 2017 was obtained from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) [ 11 ]. The Checklist of Recommendations based on Reporting of Studies Conducted using Observational Routinely-collected Health Data is described in Table S1 .…”

Association of Consuming Tap Water or Purified Water during Infancy with Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children

“…This study used the National Investigation of Birth Cohort in Korea (NICKs-2008) dataset to examine 917,707 children who were born in Korea between 2008 and 2009 [ 9 ]. The National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children (NHSPIC) is a surveillance program provided to all health insurance subscribers from the age of 4 to 72 months.…”

Is High Milk Intake Good for Children’s Health? A National Population-Based Observational Cohort Study

“…The NHSPIC conducts seven surveys among children, from the age of 4 to 72 months, comprising a general health questionnaire, developmental screening, anthropometric examination, physical examination, assessment of oral health, and age-specific anticipatory guidance. Detailed information on this study has been provided elsewhere [ 30 ].…”