2000 Stories: Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study
Synopsis
2000 Stories is comprised of the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study (VAHCS) and the nested intergenerational study, Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study (VIHCS).
The VAHCS was established in 1992, with a group of around 2000 Year 9 students (14 – 15 years of age) recruited across Victoria, Australia. The ten VAHCS surveys have created one of the most comprehensive pictures of adolescent development to date. Aspects of teenage health and behaviour investigated include mental health, personality and behaviour, school, family, and drug and alcohol use. This information has been used to improve the health of future generations by influencing policy and informing prevention programs.
Summary
Study name | 2000 Stories: Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study |
Study abbreviation | VAHCS |
Current principal investigator/s | Professor Craig Olsson |
Current project manager | Carolina Murphy |
Cohort representative (study contact) | Carolina Murphy |
Postal address | Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia |
Phone | 1800 706 101 |
2000stories@mcri.edu.au | |
Primary Institution | Murdoch Childrens Research Institute |
Collaborating Institution/s | The Royal Children’s Hospital |
Major funding sources | National Health and Medical Research Council – NHMRC VicHealth Australian Rotary Health Mental Health of Young Australians Research Grant Australian Federal Government Department of Health and Ageing Murdoch Children’s Research Institute – MCRI |
Study website | mcri.edu.au/research/research/projects/2000stories/ |
Are data available outside study team? | Yes. Anyone interested in collaborating on manuscripts using this data should contact the Principal Investigator or Project Manager. |
Study focus | The Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort (VAHCS) is an ongoing study of continuities, causes and sequelae of adolescent mental health problems and behavioural health risks. |
Sampling frame |
VAHCS is an eleven-wave cohort study which commenced in August 1992. At baseline, a representative sample of 2032 mid-secondary school adolescents (aged 14–15 years) across Victoria (Australia) were selected, using a two-stage cluster sampling procedure. At stage one, 45 schools were chosen at random from a stratified frame of government, Catholic, and independent schools, with a probability proportional to the number of students in each educational sector (aged 14–15 years) in the schools in each stratum. At stage two, a random number table was used to randomly choose one intact class within the year level from each participating school. 6 months later, a second class was randomly chosen from the same schools. One class entered the study in the latter part of the ninth school year (wave 1) and the second class 6 months later (wave two). School retention rates to year nine in Victoria in the year of initial sampling were 98%. One school did not continue beyond wave one, with a loss of 13 participants; thus, 44 schools remained in the study. Participants were subsequently reviewed at four 6-month intervals during the teenage years (waves three to six), with four follow-up waves in young adulthood at 20–21 years (wave seven), 24–25 years (wave eight), 28–29 years (wave nine), and 34-35 years (wave ten). |
Year commenced | 1992 |
Commencement sample | From a sample of 2032 students, 1943 (95.6%) participated at least once during the first six (adolescent) waves and were eligible for adult follow-up. Of these participants, 1761 (90.6%) took part at least once in the young adult phase. |
Annual attrition rate | 0.6% p/a |
Intergenerational? | A nested intergenerational study is also ongoing: See VIHCS (The Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study) |
Imaging | No |
Linkage | National Death Index (NDI) in waves 7-10 (ages 20.7-35) |
Biosamples? | Yes |
Ethics approvals or requirements? | All participants’ parents or guardians provided written informed consent. Before data collection, we provided the participants with details of the content of the assessment and we obtained verbal consent before completion. The data collection protocols were approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Royal Children’s Hospital (Victoria, Australia). |
Waves
Wave | Year | Age (mean, range) | Eligible sample |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 1992 | 14.9 (14.6-15.2) | 898 |
2 | 1992 | 15.5 (15.2-15.7) | 1727 |
3 | 1993 | 15.9 (15.6-16.1) | 1697 |
4 | 1994 | 16.4 (16.1-16.6) | 1628 |
5 | 1994 | 16.8 (16.5-17.1) | 1575 |
6 | 1995 | 17.4 (17.1-17.6) | 1530 |
7 | 1998 | 20.7 (20.4-20.9) | 1601 |
8 | 2001-2003 | 24.1 (23.7-24.4) | 1520 |
9 | 2006-2008 | 29.1 (28.7-29.4) | 1501 |
10 | 2012-2014 | 35.1 (34.6-35.4) |
1443 |
11 | 2019-2021 | 42.6 |
1428 |