What it Means to Participate

We invite you and each of your eligible children to participate in the Generation 3 study. This extension of the original Survey of Parents and Families will help us learn about the successes and challenges of the next generation of new parents and the early health and well-being of their own children. 

There are activities for you and your child to participate in as part of this study. Your participation is voluntary and you can choose which parts of the study to complete. 

The Generation 3 study can only be successful if we follow the children of the original participants of The Survey of Parents and Families, which started over 20 years ago. Your experiences are uniquely valuable and cannot be replaced by interviewing other people. We hope you will share information about your experiences with us.

Study Components

When your child is an infant, you will be asked to complete a survey online or by phone. The survey should take about 45-60 minutes to complete and will include questions about your health, parenthood experiences, and household. 

There will be additional 45-60 minute surveys for you to complete when your child is about 3 years old and 5 years old, which will include questions about your child's health, development, and family life.

We also ask you to send saliva (spit) and stool (poop) samples for each of your eligible children. If you agree to participate, you will receive a kit in the mail with instructions and everything you need to collect the samples. The kit will include a prepaid mailer to send the samples to our lab. It’s an easy process and should not take more than 15 minutes. 

The saliva samples will be used to study DNA. More information about DNA can be found here. 

The stool samples will be used to study the microbiome. More information can be found here. 

As a part of the Age 5 study, there is an invitation for your child to participate in a 45-50 minute Zoom interview. 

If you have not participated in the study before, we will also ask you to send a saliva sample from yourself. 

Click here for more information to help you decide if participation is right for you or contact the research team. 

We hope you will participate in this important study! Remember that you can choose which parts of the study to participate in. If you are ready to begin, follow the unique link you received in your email. You may also call to schedule a phone interview if you prefer. If you have any questions or would like us to clarify anything, please contact us at the information below.

Columbia Affiliations
Columbia Population Research Center