Our Story
Our Study
Since 2008, TARGet Kids! has grown to be the largest and longest-running cohort study of its kind in Canada. We currently have over 11,000 participants and 35,767 data points from which researchers have made connections between early life exposures in children and health issues such as obesity, micronutrient deficiencies and developmental problems.
Numerous families have also learned about their child’s health and received support with ways to keep their children healthy. We continue to expand our network to increase the diversity and representativeness of our cohort.
At TARGet Kids! we believe that scientific data and knowledge are common goods that should be shared within an appropriate framework. The principles of data access and sharing facilitate the conduct of high-quality scientific research. We have therefore developed a data access policy to enable efficient collaboration and ensure ethical use of our data.
Researchers can apply for access to de-identified data and biological samples collected through TARGet Kids!.
Background Story
The Applied Research Group for Kids (TARGet Kids!) started in 2008 from a desire to improve the growth and development of children in Canada. Recognizing that there was not enough information on the health of young children in Canada, a group of child health researchers had the bold idea to bridge this gap by collaborating with children’s primary care doctors.
Through this collaboration, families with children less than 6 years old would be invited to participate in research through their primary care doctor. Data would be collected from the children and used to determine the relationship between early life exposures in children and health problems later in life.
