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Assessment Centre Questionnaire data available for access

Oct 18, 2024 // Study Updates

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A unique subset of questionnaire data from more than 4,800 OHS participants is now available. In 2013-2014, these Study volunteers visited an Assessment Centre (AC) in downtown Toronto, where they also provided a series of physical measures, blood and urine samples.

The Assessment Centre Questionnaire asked about cardiovascular history (cholesterol, high blood pressure, fainting, chest pain on effort, and heart failure symptoms such as shortness of breath).

It also asked about past traumatic head or neck injury.

  • 1,192 reported being hospitalized/treated in an Emergency Room following an injury to the head/neck.
  • 1,032 reported being injured in the head/neck in a motor vehicle accident
  • 1,335 reported a head/neck injury from a fall or being hit by something

The OHS has completed respiratory health questions and physical measures data for more than 4,600 AC participants. Ahead of the in-person spirometry assessment, participants answered questions about shortness of breath and persistent coughs.

Why should researchers explore the AC Questionnaire data?

  • It asks a set of questions that are wholly different from either the OHS Baseline or Follow-Up health questionnaires, focusing more on self-reported symptoms and lifestyle factors.
  • The data is particularly rich for this subset of 4,800 OHS participants, as they also participated in the Baseline Questionnaire (2010-2017) and the Follow Up Questionnaire (2018-2019).
  • A number of AC participants also went on to provide data for two OHS ancillary studies, and these data can also be accessed for research investigation:
    • Up to 600 AC participants are among the 3,300 who also provided data to the Ontario Sleep Health Study.
    • 1,567 AC participants are also volunteers in the Canadian Alliance for Health Hearts and Minds study (the Alliance), which is looking at the impact of health behaviors on cognitive function.
  • Genotyping is available for 4430 of the AC participants.

The AC questionnaire also asked about emotional health and well-being, joint and body pain, fracture history, as well as sleep health, diagnosed physical and mental conditions, and use of alcohol and tobacco.

Read the Assessment Centre Questionnaire.

Learn more about accessing OHS data