Figure 2
From: Rationale and study design of the Japan environment and children’s study (JECS)
Provider-mediated community-based recruitment. Regional Center requests all obstetric facilities which expecting mothers residing within study areas are thought to visit for prenatal exams and childbirth to cooperate with JECS. Obstetric facilities confirming cooperating in JECS will be designated as cooperating health care providers, and invite all expecting mothers residing in the study areas who visit there to participate in JECS. In order to achieve a coverage ratio in excess of 50%, for example, the Regional Center shall exert its best efforts to receive cooperation from obstetric facilities to cover over 70% of all births in the study areas and the respective cooperating health care providers (cooperating obstetric facilities) shall recruit over 70% of eligible expecting mothers at their first prenatal examination.