Questionnaire results on exposure characteristics of pregnant women participating in the Japan Environment and Children Study (JECS)

Abstract

BackgroundThe Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) is a nation-wide birth cohort study investigating environmental effects on children’s health and development. In this study, the exposure characteristics of the JECS participating mothers were summarized using two questionnaires administered during pregnancy.MethodsWomen were recruited during the early period of their pregnancy. We intended to administer the questionnaire during the first trimester (MT1) and the second/third trimester (MT2). The total number of registered pregnancies was 103,099.ResultsThe response rates of the MT1 and MT2 questionnaires were 96.8% and 95.1%, respectively. The mean gestational ages (SDs) at the time of the MT1 and MT2 questionnaire responses were 16.4 (8.0) and 27.9 (6.5) weeks, respectively. The frequency of participants who reported “lifting something weighing more than 20 kg” during pregnancy was 5.3% for MT1 and 3.9% for MT2. The Cohen kappa scores ranged from 0.07 to 0.54 (median 0.31) about the occupational chemical use between MT1 and MT2 questionnaires. Most of the participants (80%) lived in either wooden detached houses or steel-frame collective housing. More than half of the questionnaire respondents answered that they had “mold growing somewhere in the house”. Insect repellents and insecticides were used widely in households: about 60% used “moth repellent for clothes in the closet,” whereas 32% applied “spray insecticide indoors” or “mosquito coil or an electric mosquito repellent mat.”ConclusionsWe summarized the exposure characteristics of the JECS participants using two maternal questionnaires during pregnancy.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12199-018-0733-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Prospective Association of Air-Purifier Usage during Pregnancy with Infant Neurodevelopment: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study—Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

“…To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the prospective relationships between the use of air purifiers and child neurodevelopment using a nationwide birth cohort study dataset (n > 80,000) [17][18][19] while controlling for up to 20 potential confounders. Analysis revealed that adjusted ORs (models 1 and 2) of air-purifier usage for screen-positive cases of developmental delay in the ASQ-3 were significantly lower than the reference (i.e., air-purifier nonuse) in the areas of fine motor and problem solving at 6 months and in communication, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social at 12 months.…”

“…The detailed design and baseline characteristics of the JECS have been published elsewhere [17][18][19]. Briefly, the JECS is a nationwide, government-funded birth cohort study of various environmental factors and children's health and development.…”

Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides among Pregnant Women Participating in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

“…Consumption of foods was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire on the M-T1 questionnaire [ 36 ]. The frequency of insecticide, herbicide and pesticide use was scored on the M-T1 and M-T2 questionnaires [ 37 ] as no use, 1–3 times a month, 1–6 times a week and every day. The M-T2 questionnaire asked for additional information, i.e., use of a moth repellent for clothes in the closet (never, yes, sometimes and yes, continuously); smoke insecticide indoors (no/yes); and a mosquito coil or electric mosquito repellent mat, a liquid insecticide for maggot and mosquito larva and an herbicide or a gardening pesticide in a garden, balcony or farm (no use, less than once a month, 1–3 times a month, once a week, a few times a week and every day).…”

Association between Prenatal Exposure to Household Pesticides and Neonatal Weight and Length Growth in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

“…Data on the daily use of household pesticides during pregnancy were collected from questionnaires administered between the 2nd and 3rd trimesters (from week 22 to the end of the pregnancy). The classes of pesticides queried in this study are the same as those described in the JECS profile paper [ 20 ]. Specifically, our study evaluated the following pesticide exposures: spraying insecticide indoors (never/less than once a month/1−3 times a month/once a week/a few times a week/everyday), mosquito coil or electric mosquito repellant mats used continuously for more than a few hours (never/less than once a month/1−3 times a month/once a week/a few times a week/everyday), use of liquid insecticides for maggots and mosquito larvae (never/less than once a month/1−3 times a month/once a week/a few times a week/everyday), herbicide or gardening pesticide used for gardens, balcony gardens, or farms (never/less than once a month/1−3 times a month/once a week/a few times a week/everyday), insect repellents sprayed on clothes or applied as skin lotion (never/less than once a month/1−3 times a month/once a week/a few times a week/everyday), moth repellent for clothes in storage (never/sometimes/continuously), and smoke-based insecticide administered indoors (no/yes).…”