JECS : About the Study

About the Study

Background

Our social environment is changing rapidly. In Japan and overseas, people are increasingly concerned about the impact of hazardous chemical substances in the environment. Of particular importance are the many substances which negatively influence children's health.

Children's environmental health has long been high on the international agenda. In 1997, the Miami Declaration on Children's Environmental Health was agreed upon by the G8 Environment Ministers` Meeting. The same group agreed on international cooperation in epidemiological studies when they met in Siracusa, Italy in 2009. The JECS is aimed to protect children's health by contributing to the safe management of chemicals and environmental pollution prevention.

Aims

The major aim of this study is to identify harmful factors in the environment affecting children's growth and health, and to investigate the relationship between such factors and children's health condition. On the basis of the results of this study, the Japanese government will make regulations and take measures to control the use of harmful materials which have undesirable effects on children's health. The final aim of this study and government action is to build a secure environment; where children can grow up healthy and parents can raise children with confidence in the safety of their environment.

Study Overview

The Japan Environment and Children's Study will recruit expecting mothers for 3 years beginning January 2011. Follow-up research of the participating children's health condition and environment will continue for 13 years. The study is scheduled to conclude in 2032, including the period for data analysis.

Follow-up programs will periodically examine children's health condition, beginning at the early stage of pregnancy until the participating child reaches the age of 13. In total, 100,000 children and their parents will take part in this study across fifteen regions of the nation. It is the first time in Japan to conduct such a nation-wide and long-term birth cohort study about children's health and environment.

Flow of the Study

flow of the study

Study Documents

This page shows the related documents of the JECS. (You will need to install acrobat reader to view the documents below.)