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Original research
Ethnic-specific characteristics associated with longitudinal response patterns from prebirth to 12 years: evidence from Growing Up in New Zealand
  1. Esther S Yao1,2,
  2. Denise Neumann1,
  3. Seini Taufa1,3,
  4. Renee Liang1,4,
  5. Te Kani Kingi1,5,
  6. Fiona Langridge1,6,
  7. Sarah-Jane Paine1,7
  1. 1Growing Up in New Zealand, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  2. 2School of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  3. 3Moana Research, Moanna Connect, Auckland, New Zealand
  4. 4School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  5. 5Research and Innovation, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, Whakatāne, New Zealand
  6. 6School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  7. 7Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  1. Correspondence to Dr Esther S Yao, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; e.yao{at}auckland.ac.nz

Abstract

Background Longitudinal studies can generate valuable scientific knowledge, but can be compromised by systematic attrition. Previous research shows that sociodemographic characteristics (eg, ethnicity, age, educational level, socioeconomic circumstances) are associated with attrition rates. However, little is known about whether these characteristics differ by ethnicity, and how this impacts cohort retention strategies.

Methods Using antenatal to 12-year data from the Growing Up in New Zealand birth cohort study (N=6743), we examined transversal response rates by ethnicity (Māori, Pacific, Asian, European), used sequence analysis and cluster analysis to identify unique longitudinal response patterns, and binary logistic regression to examine ethnic-specific sociodemographic characteristics associated with these response patterns.

Results The overall response rate at 12 years was 71.0%, with ethnic differences in response rates widening over the six data collection waves. Three longitudinal response patterns were identified: frequent responders (65.2%), intermittent non-responders (29.6%) and frequent non-responders (5.2%). Sociodemographic characteristics such as younger maternal age and lower maternal education were associated with a higher likelihood of membership in the non-response clusters across all ethnic groups. However, there were also important nuances by ethnicity. Individual level factors (eg, household material deprivation and maternal general health) tended to be associated with non-response for Europeans, whereas structural level factors (eg, area-level deprivation and racial discrimination) tended to be associated with non-response for Māori, Pacific and Asian peoples.

Conclusion Ethnic differences in longitudinal response patterns are due to multiple factors of disadvantage, and therefore require targeted retention strategies. Stratifying analyses by ethnicity is important for revealing nuanced insights.

  • COHORT STUDIES
  • LONGITUDINAL STUDIES
  • METHODS
  • ETHNIC GROUPS
  • STUDY DESIGN

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request. Growing Up in New Zealand data can be accessed via a Data Access Application to the Growing Up in New Zealand Data Access Co-ordinator (see https://www.growingup.co.nz/data-access-application).

https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2024-222428

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    Data availability statement

    Data are available upon reasonable request. Growing Up in New Zealand data can be accessed via a Data Access Application to the Growing Up in New Zealand Data Access Co-ordinator (see https://www.growingup.co.nz/data-access-application).

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors ESY: conceptualisation, methodology, formal analysis, writing – original draft, writing – reviewing and editing, visualisation. DN and S-JP: conceptualisation, methodology, writing – reviewing and editing. ST, RL, TKK and FL: conceptualisation, writing – reviewing and editing. ESY is the guarantor.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.