New England Family Study (NEFS)

Sample details

The cohort for the New England Family Study (NEFS) was drawn from the 1960s National Collaborative Perinatal Project (NCPP). The NCPP followed 60,000 pregnant women and their subsequent children up to the age of 7. The New England Family Study selected a sample of the approximately 17,000 original NCPP study 'children' who were born from the Boston and Providence study sites. The NCPP 'children' were 30 - 45 years when recruited for the NEFS study, and are now being followed along with their children, creating a multi-generational cohort.

Study design
Cohort, Cohort - intergenerational, Cohort - birth, Cohort - primary caregiver and child

Number of participants at first data collection

55,908 (NCPP mothers)

17,741 (NEFS participants)

Age at first data collection

Varied (NCPP participants)

35 - 45 years (NEFS participants)

Participant year of birth

Varied (participants)

Participant sex
All

Representative sample at baseline?
No

Sample features

Intergenerational

Mother and child dyad

Multi-site

Dataset details

Country

United States of America

Year of first data collection

1959 (NCPP)

2000 (NEFS)

Primary Institutions

Brown University

Harvard University

Links

nefsstudy.com/

bidmc.org/research/research-by-department/psychiatry/new-england-family-study

babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt

Profile paper DOI
Not available

Funders

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Ongoing?
Yes

Data types collected

Quantitative data collection

Computer, paper or task testing (e.g. cognitive testing, theory of mind doll task, attention computer tasks)
Interview – face-to-face
Physical or biological assessment (e.g. blood, saliva, gait, grip strength, anthropometry)

Qualitative data collection