Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Methods Development for Exposure-Related Behaviors
EPA Grant Number: R831540Title: Methods Development for Exposure-Related Behaviors
Investigators: Hertz-Picciotto, Irva , Bennett, Deborah H. , Ritz, Beate R. , Cassady, Diana , Lee, Kiyoung , Wilhelm, Michelle
Institution: University of California - Davis , University of California - Los Angeles
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: May 1, 2004 through April 30, 2008 (Extended to July 31, 2010)
Project Amount: $4,999,680
RFA: Aggregate Exposure Assessment: Longitudinal Surveys of Human Exposure - Related Behavior (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Human Health
Objective:
The goal of this project was to develop data collection platforms that can be used to collect exposure related behaviors, particularly in the context of longitudinal studies. These platforms were tested in two population-based samples from 25 counties in Northern and Southern Central California. The samples permitted evaluation of three different demographic groups: young children, adults (less than 55 years of age) with families, and adults >55 years of age. Specific objectives included capture of short-term, seasonal, and long-term changes in three domains in which behaviors can influence exposures: daily activities, food consumption habits, and use of household and personal care products. All subjects were recruited into Tier 1, which involved annual collection of information from over 1000 individuals (from 650 households) in 3-4 one-hour telephone calls. Sub-samples of Tier 1 subjects were asked to participate in Tier 2, Tier 3, or Tier 4 involving, respectively: monthly self-administered internet-based questionnaires, seasonal home visits by staff to passively monitor exposure, or measurement of biological (blood, urine and dust samples) and exposure specimens.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Data collection platforms for the SUPERB study consisted of annual computer assisted interviewer-administered telephone surveys (Tier 1), monthly self-administered internet-based surveys (Tier 2), and passive in-home monitoring (Tier 3). Each of the tiers collected data on dietary habits, daily activities, and household exposure.
Between August 2004 and August 2006: staff was hired; survey instruments were developed; a cohort of Northern California families from CA birth records was identified; tracing and recruitment were initiated; pilot testing was completed and evaluated; and the results were incorporated into the field instruments, methods and protocol. In parallel, partners at UCLA initiated recruitment of our Central California cohort. Launch of the full study protocol began in July 2006, which overlapped with final piloting and ongoing recruitment activities.
Lower than anticipated recruitment prompted a revision in the number of participants and an extension of the recruitment timeline. Study recruitment continued through December 2007 for families in the Northern California cohort and through March 2008 for the Central California cohort. A total of 1180 households were recruited into Tier 1, and from that group of participants, subsets were selected for recruitment into Tiers 2 and 3. Data collection closed in April 2010.
Annual telephone interviews were conducted with adult and child participants in Tier 1. Adults and children over 8 years of age were eligible to provide their own answers to the questionnaires; parents responded on behalf of their younger children. Separate time-activity and food recall questionnaires were used to supplement the general questionnaire. Questionnaires collected demographic information, as well as: food consumption; daily activities; household, hobby and personal care product usage; and pesticide exposures. In 1 year 655 households completed at least one of the Tier 1 interviews, 580 completed all five. For the 3-year longitudinal component of the Tier 1 telephone survey, 252 completed all three, and another 182 completed 2 years; thus, more than 66% of the participants completed at least 2 years.
For Tier 2, survey instruments were adapted for self-administration on the internet. Tier 2 initially recruited 323 adult participants to answer monthly questionnaires about daily activities; food consumption; and household, personal care, hobby, pesticide and tobacco product usage; and demographics. Computers and internet access were provided by the study for participants who had none, and technical support staff were made available to assist with problems. However, in some cases, internet did not reach the area of the residence, or other technical problems interfered with participation. Data collection closed in September 2009, with 250 participants who completed at least 1 month; 95 who completed every month, and about one-half who completed 10 or more of the 15-18 questionnaires.
For Tier 3, which aimed to reduce participant burden as much as feasible, passive measures were taken in participants' homes on a seasonal basis. Measurement methods included inventories of household food, personal care and household cleaning products using bar-code scanning technology, enhanced by online searches for products not found in standard databases, video recording of meals prior to consumption, collection of food receipts, a wrist-watch accelerometer, and GPS monitoring of persons. A total of 47 households were recruited into Tier 3, and 40 of these completed all four seasonal monitoring periods. Three households dropped out after the first season of home visits, two more dropped out after the second season, and an additional two dropped out after the third seasonal visit.
In 2006, in addition to Tiers 1-3, a separately funded add-on study was designed to collect biologic and environmental samples from the homes of participants. Tier 4 collected blood, urine, dust, and indoor air samples, and conducted a home walk-through and asked participants a series of questions. 141 initial home visits were completed, and 42 households participated in a second home visit. Details about Tier 4 can be found in a separate report.
Conclusions:
In this project, two platforms were developed as complements, supplements, or alternatives to standard interviews for the collection of exposure-related behaviors. Web-based surveys proved effective in collecting food, product use, and time-location-activity data. Optimal compliance longitudinally was achieved in 37%, but about one-half of participants completed fewer than one-half of the monthly surveys. However, compliance rose when improvements in the interface were implemented. The web surveys covering pesticides once per quarter were more effective than annual interviews in collecting seasonal and short-term changes. Quality of the time-location-activity data generally appeared to be excellent.
The second platform of passive data collection was developed to achieve minimal burden to participants. These passive methods achieved optimal (perfect) retention over a series of eight home visits of 85%. Barcodes were obtained for 87% of household care products and 63% of personal care products; for those without a readable barcode, product identification requires further labor on the part of the study staff. The amount of product used could be obtained most of the time. Compliance was high for wearing of the GPS devices, allowing collection of high-quality time-location-activity data, and the utility of such data in assessing exposure potential also appears to be good. Further evaluation of the passively collected food related information (food receipts, videos) is underway.
Overall web-based surveys hold promise but further methods to raise compliance rates need to be tested. Retention and compliance in passive sampling methods involving home visits by study staff indicate high suitability for longitudinal studies, although some of the data (e.g., household product use), may need to be supplemented with other platforms to obtain individual-level information.
Journal Articles on this Report : 22 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 22 publications | 22 publications in selected types | All 22 journal articles |
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Armes MN, Liew Z, Wang A, Wu X, Bennett DH, Hertz-Picciotto I, Ritz B. Residential pesticide usage in older adults residing in central California. lnternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2011;8(8):3114-3133. |
R831540 (Final) |
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Bennett DH, Wu XM, Teague CH, Lee K, Cassady DL, Ritz B, Hertz-Picciotto I. Passive sampling methods to determine household and personal care product use. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 2012;22(2):148-160. |
R831540 (Final) R833292 (2012) |
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Bennett DH, Moran RE, Wu X, Tulve NS, Clifton MS, Colon M, Weathers W, Sjodin A, Jones R, Hertz-Picciotto I. Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations and resulting exposure in homes in California:relationships among passive air, surface wipe and dust concentrations, and temporal variability. Indoor Air 2015;25(2):220-229. |
R831540 (Final) R834513 (Final) |
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Han D, Lee K, Kim J, Bennett DH, Cassady D, Hertz-Picciotto I. Development of time-location weighted spatial measures using global positioning system data. Environmental Health and Toxicology 2013;28:e2013005 (7 pp.). |
R831540 (Final) |
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Hertz-Picciotto I, Baker RJ, Yap PS, Dostal M, Joad JP, Lipsett M, Greenfield T, Herr CE, Benes I, Shumway RH, Pinkerton KE, Sram R. Early childhood lower respiratory illness and air pollution. Environmental Health Perspectives 2007;115(10):1510-1518. |
R831540 (Final) R829388 (2007) R829388 (Final) R833292 (2007) R833292 (Final) |
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Hertz-Picciotto I, Cassady D, Lee K, Bennett DH, Ritz B, Vogt R. Study of Use of Products and Exposure-Related Behaviors (SUPERB):study design, methods, and demographic characteristics of cohorts. Environmental Health 2010;9:54 (14 pp.). |
R831540 (Final) R833292 (2010) R833292 (Final) |
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Howards PP, Hertz-Picciotto I. Invited commentary: disinfection by-products and pregnancy loss—lessons. American Journal of Epidemiology 2006;164(11):1052-1055. |
R831540 (Final) R829388 (2007) R829388 (Final) R833292 (2007) R833292 (Final) |
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Lee K-Y, Kim J-Y, Putti K, Bennett DH, Cassady D, Hertz-Picciotto I. Use of portable global positioning system (GPS) devices in exposure analysis for time-location measurement. Korean Journal of Environmental Health Sciences 2009;35(6):461-467. |
R831540 (Final) |
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Moran RE, Bennett DH, Tancredi DJ, Wu XM, Ritz B, Hertz-Picciotto I. Frequency and longitudinal trends of household care product use. Atmospheric Environment 2012;55:417-424. |
R831540 (Final) |
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Philippat C, Bennett D, Calafat AM, Picciotto IH. Exposure to select phthalates and phenols through use of personal care products among Californian adults and their children. Environmental Research 2015;140:369-376. |
R831540 (Final) R835432 (2015) |
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Shin H-M, McKone TE, Tulve NS, Clifton MS, Bennett DH. Indoor residence times of semivolatile organic compounds: model estimation and field evaluation. Environmental Science & Technology 2013;47(2):859-867. |
R831540 (Final) |
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Sonneborn D, Park HY, Petrik J, Kocan A, Palkovicova L, Trnovec T, Nguyen D, Hertz-Picciotto I. Prenatal polychlorinated biphenyl exposures in eastern Slovakia modify effects of social factors on birthweight. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 2008;22(3):202-213. |
R831540 (Final) R829388 (Final) R833292 (Final) |
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Sonneborn D, Park HY, Babinska K, Palkovicova L, Trnovec T, Kocan A, Nguyen DV, Hertz-Picciotto I. Serum PCB concentrations in relation to locally produced food items in eastern Slovakia. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 2008;18(6):581-587. |
R831540 (Final) R829388 (Final) R833292 (2009) R833292 (Final) |
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Trunnelle KJ, Bennett DH, Tulve NS, Clifton MS, Davis MD, Calafat AM, Moran R, Tancredi DJ, Hertz-Picciotto I. Urinary pyrethroid and chlorpyrifos metabolite concentrations in Northern California families and their relationship to indoor residential insecticide levels, part of the Study of Use of Products and Exposure Related Behavior (SUPERB). Environmental Science & Technology 2014;48(3):1931-1939. |
R831540 (Final) |
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Vogt R, Bennett D, Cassady D, Frost J, Ritz B, Hertz-Picciotto I. Cancer and non-cancer health effects from food contaminant exposures for children and adults in California:a risk assessment. Environmental Health 2012;11:83 (14 pp.). |
R831540 (Final) |
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Wu XM, Bennett DH, Ritz B, Cassady DL, Lee K, Hertz-Picciotto I. Usage pattern of personal care products in California households. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2010;48(11):3109-3119. |
R831540 (Final) |
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Wu XM, Bennett DH, Ritz B, Frost J, Cassady D, Lee K, Hertz-Picciotto I. Residential insecticide usage in northern California homes with young children. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 2011;21(4):427-436. |
R831540 (Final) R833292 (2012) |
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Wu XM, Bennett DH, Lee K, Cassady DL, Ritz B, Hertz-Picciotto I. Feasibility of using web surveys to collect time-activity data. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 2012;22(2):116-125. |
R831540 (Final) R833292 (2012) |
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Wu XM, Bennett DH, Ritz B, Tancredi DJ, Hertz-Picciotto I. Temporal variation of residential pesticide use and comparison of two survey platforms:a longitudinal study among households with young children in Northern California. Environmental Health 2013;12:65 (11 pp.). |
R831540 (Final) |
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Wu X, Bennett DH, Lee K, Cassady DL, Ritz B, Hertz-Picciotto I. Longitudinal variability of time-location/activity patterns of population at different ages:a longitudinal study in California. Environmental Health 2011;10:80 (15 pp.). |
R831540 (Final) R833292 (2012) |
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Wu X, Bennett DH, Calafat AM, Kato K, Strynar M, Andersen E, Moran RE, Tancredi DJ, Tulve NS, Hertz-Picciotto I. Serum concentrations of perfluorinated compounds (PFC) among selected populations of children and adults in California. Environmental Research 2015;136:264-273. |
R831540 (Final) |
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Wu X, Bennett DH, Moran RE, Sjodin A, Jones RS, Tancredi DJ, Tulve NS, Clifton MS, Colon M, Weathers W, Hertz-Picciotto I. Polybrominated diphenyl ether serum concentrations in a Californian population of children, their parents, and older adults: an exposure assessment study. Environmental Health 2015;14:23 (11 pp.). |
R831540 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Longitudinal assessment, tiered-assessment, activity, food consumption, consumer product, questionnaire, World Wide Web, global positioning system, GPS, image technology, passive measurement, biomonitoring, Health, Scientific Discipline, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, Exposure, Environmental Chemistry, Risk Assessments, Biochemistry, Biology, Risk Assessment, long term exposure, food consumption behavior, food consumption habits, human exposure, toxicity, dietary exposure, exposure assessmentRelevant Websites:
http://superb.ucdavis.edu/ Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.