Survey description

At ages 8-10, three different surveys were conducted among the children in the Elfe cohort.

Documentation is available for these surveys, but access to the data is currently reserved for researchers who are members of the thematic groups.

The 9.5-year survey: COVID-19

In March 2020, the Elfe UMS joined the SAPRIS surveys (« SAnté, Perception, Pratiques, Relations et Inégalités Sociales en population générale pendant la crise COVID-19 ») to help assess the health and socio-economic impact of the SARS-CoV2 epidemic and the initial lockdown period (March 17th to May 11th, 2020).

The Elfe and Epipage2 children’s cohorts have pooled their resources to organize a collection specifically for children aged 8-9.

The main objective was to rapidly provide data to characterize the symptomatology of COVID-19 infection in children of one age group, their role in the transmission of infection and the application of barrier measures in their families.

The secondary objective was to assess the impact of the first lockdown on the children’s school career, mental health and well-being during this period and during the first weeks following the lifting of the lockdown. The survey also included a serological component.

The survey was meant for parents (mainland France) for whom an e-mail address was available. The survey involved two types of information gathering:

  • two successive internet questionnaires between April and June 2020. The total number of children for whom at least one of the two questionnaires was completed was 4,904 (35.8% of the 13,696 contacted), and both questionnaires were completed for 3,151 of them (64% of the 4,904 contacted).
  • biological collection. At the end of the second questionnaire, families were invited to take part in the serological component. For more information on biological sample collection, visit the Biological sample collection page (available soon).

L’enquête "École Cours Moyen 1ère année"

L’enquête nationale en CM1 s’est déroulée en début d’année scolaire, à l’automne 2020 à partir d’une base d’adresses de 7 331 écoles. Pour réaliser l’enquête, le matériel pédagogique a été envoyé à ces écoles alors que les familles recevaient une enveloppe à remettre à l’enseignant, matérialisant ainsi leur consentement à l’enquête.

L’enquête visait le recueil de quatre types d’informations :

  • la perception de l’enseignant sur les apprentissages, comportements, problèmes de santé spécifiques et besoins de prise en charge de l’enfant ;
  • les caractéristiques de l’école, de la classe et de l’enseignant ;
  • les résultats de l’enfant à des épreuves sur la maîtrise du français et des mathématiques ;
  • une évaluation de la satisfaction scolaire par un auto-questionnaire complété par l’enfant.

L’enquête devait concerner l’enfant Elfe et de façon anonyme 3 autres enfants de la même classe. La cohorte Epipage2 a pris part à cette enquête.

La participation finale à l’enquête s’élève à 3 066 enfants Elfe (34% des 9 041 enfants Elfe dont l’adresse de l’école était connue) et environ 6 949 enfants de la même classe.

Plus d'information :

Protocole et bilan de participation de l’enquête en CM1

Les variables disponibles sont décrites dans le document suivant :
Questionnaire enquête école en CM1

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The 10.5-year survey

The survey at 10.5 years of age was the seventh monitoring step after the inclusion of Elfe children in maternity wards. It included a telephone survey, a home survey and biological collections. This survey was carried out with the Epipage 2 study. 

The new themes introduced at 10.5 years old concern the factors of variation in the pubertal development of children and in particular according to exposure to environmental contaminants; the factors of variation in the motor skills of 10-year-old children; the quality of life of 10-year-old children; biological abnormalities (in particular on fat and blood sugar levels) and blood pressure detectable at 10 years; the child’s relationships with others before entering adolescence. 

The main objectives of the telephone survey at 10.5 years old were to update information concerning the child’s environment (family, social, economic, cultural, food, toxic environment, etc.), to question parents about their educational and cultural practices and to document health events (seeking care, pathologies).

The aim of the home visit was to collect information directly from the child about their daily life, their aspirations and their relationships with others. This meeting with the children also made it possible to take measurements of weight, height and breathing, and to have them do some exercises, logic and word recognition games in order to explore their physical, motor and cognitive abilities.

Biological collections, partly carried out at home and partly in an analysis laboratory, were also offered to children with the aim of obtaining different biological markers, linked to their exposure to certain pollutants.

On the survey base of 12,884 Elfe families, the telephone survey at 10.5 years could be carried out completely or incompletely among 9,529 Elfe families and the home visit among 7,387 families.