Participants respond to residential history questionnaire

Last June, the BC Generations Project launched a new online questionnaire relating to residential history. Our last batch of invitations will go out this month, and to date more than 10,000 participants have taken the time to provide this valuable information.

The Residential History Questionnaire asks study participants to provide a list of all their residences since childhood, including details about heating and water sources. This information will help identify how air and water quality, along with other environmental factors in different communities, can influence long-term health outcomes.

While this requires some effort, it creates an opportunity for participants to reflect on their memories.  Margaret from New Westminster sent us this message:

“I just want to thank you for an unexpected benefit of this questionnaire. When I started to look at the questions, I realized that I didn’t know any answers for the first [few] houses I lived in… so I sent off a list of what I needed to know to my two brothers. They answered in great detail… and we have been emailing back and forth with early memories ever since. I have learned things about our family and my own childhood that I never knew, and we’ve had more communication among the three of us than we normally ever get. It’s been wonderful.”

A big thank you to those who have already completed this questionnaire. If you received your invitation and haven’t yet had the chance to respond, it’s not too late! For any questions, please email bcgenerationsproject@bccrc.ca or call 604.675.8221 (toll free 1.877.675.8221).

Data & samples now available for research

The past year has seen BC Generations Project data and biosamples become available for request by qualified researchers. Scientists across BC and internationally can now apply for access through three different sources:

1. BC Generations Project

Qualified researchers can request access to data and biosamples directly from the BC Generations Project. Last fall, we launched a new researcher portal on our website with detailed access procedures and information.

2. Population Data BC

De-identified data from the BC Generations Project is now available for access and linkage through Population Data BC, a provincial resource at the University of British Columbia that houses one of the world’s largest collections of population health data within a highly-secure data environment. This allows researchers to link BC Generations Project participant information with administrative health data collected on every BC resident, such as hospitalizations and prescription drug use. Data provided by the BCGenerations Project remains under the jurisdiction of the BC Cancer Agency.

3. Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project

The BC Generations Project is part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project (CPTP), a national initiative to collect health data and biosamples from more than 300,000 Canadians. Through the CPTP web portal, researchers will be able to request access to a national dataset that combines and harmonizes data from five regions across Canada, including BC.

Follow-up questionnaire coming soon

All study participants completed a baseline Health & Lifestyle questionnaire when they first joined the BC GenerationsProject. Beginning later this year, we’ll be following up for an update on your health and lifestyle today. In addition to the original topics, we’re adding questions about mental health, marijuana and e-cigarette use. Stay tuned for your invitation!

Who’s using our data?

To date, three studies using BC Generations Project data have been approved:

• A national study focusing on the causes and development of heart disease, stroke and dementia.
• A BC study looking at the impact of the built environment (the design and structure of communities) on physical activity and health care costs.
• A BC study on how factors such as education and income may affect people’s access to dental care and oral cancer screening.

For more information, visit the Impact section of our website:bcgenerationsproject.ca.

Don’t lose touch

If you’re planning to move or change your email address, please let us know by sending your new contact details to bcgenupdate@bccrc.ca or calling 604.675.8221 (toll free 1.877.675.8221).