California Takes Part in Nationwide Study on Children’s Health
California children will participate in a new nationwide study to examine how genetics and the environment influence children's health, the Ventura County Star reports (Klampe, Ventura County Star, 10/5).
The National Children's Study, mandated by Congress in 2000, will track 100,000 children before birth through age 21 to better understand what factors are causing increases in diabetes, obesity, autism and other conditions.
Researchers will examine factors including genes, birthweight, chemicals, lifestyle and other behaviors or circumstances (Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10/5).
The first results might be published as early as 2011 (Griffith, Sacramento Bee, 10/5).
A consortium of federal agencies is overseeing the $69 million project, including:
- CDC;
- EPA;
- HHS; and
- NIH.
On Thursday, the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities was named as one of 22 study centers nationwide that will recruit participants and collect data.
The center will oversee Ventura County's participation, as well as four other sites in the Los Angeles area, for a total of about 5,000 participants (Ventura County Star, 10/5).
UC-San Diego, in partnership with San Diego State University, also will recruit and examine participants. UCSD will receive $14 million of the total $69 million for the first five years of the project.
Recruitment of 1,000 children in the San Diego region will begin in Orange County next year and in San Diego County in 2009 (San Diego Union-Tribune, 10/5).
UC-Davis expects to receive almost $32 million over seven years to lead recruitment and data collection of 1,000 children in the Sacramento region. University researchers also will oversee the project in San Mateo County. Recruitment will begin in 2009 (Sacramento Bee, 10/5).
The study will use research on birth rates and other demographics to locate and recruit participants who best reflect the county's population.
Participants are likely to undergo regular medical examinations, testing, home visits and other research at regular intervals for up to 21 years (Ventura County Star, 10/5).