Biomarkers

There have been repeated calls for the collection of advanced biomarkers at the last

three rounds of expert consultations. Broadly, biomarkers refer to a wide range of

‘biological markers’, that is, objective and measurable indicators of medical state in a

person (Strimbu & Tavel, 2010). This can include simple measures already conducted

as part of the Growing Up in Ireland study (i.e. height, weight) but it also includes

biological measurements that are derived from more clinical tests, such as hair, saliva

or blood sampling. From these, molecular, cellular and even genetic information about

an individual can be explored. Understanding the relationship between biomarkers

and health outcomes is an important area of research to further our understanding of

both normal, healthy physiology and the aetiology of disease. From the perspective of

longitudinal research studies, biomarkers can assist in understanding the interaction

between genetic and social/environmental factors as predictors of health behaviour

and development throughout the life course. A distinct benefit of incorporating

biomarker testing in a longitudinal panel study is the unique opportunity to combine

genetic data with the wide range of socio-demographic information that will have

already been collected in such a study.

At the most recent physical health expert consultation, there was collective

agreement amongst academics working in this field that Growing Up in Ireland should

consider collecting a wider suite of biomarkers, a practice that is increasingly common

in other cohort studies. It was noted that Growing Up in Ireland may be behind the

curve in terms of biomarker collection when compared with similar studies in other

countries.

Comparable studies Looking at biomarker collection in comparable studies, biological samples were