A life history calendar to map lung health risk exposures: pilot study

Introduction: Exposure to various factors over a person’s life course may have an impact on their long term lung health. This study aimed to pilot an instrument designed to map life course exposures relevant to lung health over the lifespan of parents and offspring. Methods: Proband participants (>60y) were recruited from a single university-based health clinic and were given an information package to pass on to their adult offspring. At a single appointment, participants completed an interviewer-assisted life history calendar designed to capture exposures to risk factors relevant to lung health (birth weight, prematurity, childhood respiratory illness, asthma, exposure to passive/personal smoking, environmental/occupational exposure). One week after receiving an individualised life history report, feedback on the accuracy was sought via a phone call. Time to complete, perceived accuracy, and consistency between proband and adult offspring pairs were analysed descriptively. Results: 31 participants (proband n=26, mean age 76y, response rate 40%; offspring n=5, mean age 51y, response rate 33%) completed the study. Time to complete the life history calendar differed between proband (mean: 39 ± 10, range: 23 – 63min) and offspring groups (mean: 30 ± 11, range: 18 – 41min). 97% of participants perceived their report to be accurate. Few discrepancies existed between members of the 5 parent/offspring pairs (birth weight n=3, and for different points of their life: place of residence n=3, passive smoke exposure n=2, biomass exposure n=4). Conclusion: All participants were able to provide details across their lives on exposures relevant to lung health. The instrument appears to be an appropriate tool to collect life history data.