National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences   —  National Institutes of Health   —  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Sister Study

ANNUAL HEALTH UPDATE ARCHIVE

Calendar Year 2005

Calendar Year 2006
No substantive changes from 2005

Calendar Year 2007
Changes: Added 1a1 and 1a2 (DCIS/LCIS) under breast cancer question

Calendar Year 2008
No substantive changes from 2007

Calendar Year 2009
No substantive changes from 2008

Calendar Year 2010
Changes:

  • Added cancer of the uterus or endometrium
  • Removed skin cancer
  • Changed "any other type of cancer" to "any other type of cancer except non-melanoma skin cancer"
  • Added Other heart disease (e.g. angina, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias)
  • Changed stroke to "stroke, mini-stroke, TIA"
  • Added thyroid disease
  • Added autoimmune disease
  • Combined hip and wrist fracture to "hip, wrist or other fracture"
  • Removed question about having had surgery

Calendar Year 2011
No substantive changes from 2010

Calendar Year 2012
Changes: Added specifications to the cancer of uterus or endometrium: "(please do not include non-cancerous conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, or pre-cancer)"

Calendar Year 2013
No substantive changes from 2012

Calendar Year 2014
Changes:

  • Changed to "melanoma" instead of "malignant melanoma"
  • Added details to thyroid disease question: "e.g. Graves' disease, overactive thyroid/hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, underactive thyroid/hypothyroidism, or other"
  • Added Parkinson's disease
  • Removed asthma
  • Added "Have you gone through menopause?"
  • Added "What month and year did you have your last menstrual period or how old were you when you had your last menstrual period?
  • Added "Have you ever smoked at least one cigarette per day for six months or longer?"
  • Added "What best describes your smoking status?"
  • Added "During the years you smoked, how many cigarettes do/did you usually smoke per day?"
  • Added "Are you currently using hormones for hormone replacement (HRT)? Please include pills and patches. Common brand and generic names are Prempro, Premarin, Estrace, estradiol, Provera, medroxyprogesterone, etc."

Calendar Year 2015
No substantive changes from 2014

Calendar Year 2016
Changes:

  • Minor change to wording of Melanoma: "Please do not include non-melanoma skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma"
  • Added description to any other type of cancer except non-melanoma skin cancer: "such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma"

Calendar Year 2017
Changes:

  • Added question about whether participant or proxy is completing form
  • Replaced "No" with "Never or Before [Reference Date]"
  • Changed "Yes" to "Diagnosed [Reference Date] or Later"
  • Added Thyroid cancer
  • Added space to specify types of other cancer diagnoses before Reference Date
  • Added space to specify types of other heart disease diagnoses before Reference Date
  • Changed "Stroke, mini-stroke, TIA" to "Stroke (this does not include TIA or "mini-stroke")
  • Added Mini-stroke or TIA (transient ischemic attack) as separate question
  • Added space to specify types of thyroid disease diagnoses before Reference Date
  • Added space to specify types of autoimmune disease diagnoses before Reference Date
  • Added space to specify types of hip, wrist or other fracture diagnoses before Reference Date
  • Added space to specify types of other major illness diagnoses before Reference Date
  • Added "Have you had a menstrual period in the past 10 years?"

Calendar Year 2018
No substantive changes from 2017

Calendar Year 2019
No substantive changes from 2018

Calendar Year 2020
Changes:

  • Split “NEVER OR BEFORE [Reference Date]” responses into separate “NEVER DIAGNOSED” and “DIAGNOSED BEFORE [Reference Date]” columns
  • Added the following COVID-19 Questions:
    • “Have you ever been sick with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, whether or not you were tested for active COVID-19 infection at that time?”
      • “What was the approximate date you started feeling sick? If you had this more than once, report for the time when you were the most sick.”
      • “How many days until you recovered? That is, how many days until you felt well enough to resume your normal activities?”
        • If responded “Not yet recovered”, then asked “Approximately how many days have you been sick so far?”
      • “Were you admitted to the hospital? Do NOT include visit(s) to the Emergency Department only.”
        • “How many days in hospital so far? Do NOT include days in long-term rehabilitation/rehab.”
        • “Did you go to a long-term rehabilitation/rehab facility after hospital discharge?”
    • “Have you ever been tested for an ACTIVE COVID-19 infection? This tests for virus causing infection at that time. (Do NOT include antibody tests, blood tests used to measure past infection with COVID-19.)”
      • “Have you ever had a positive test result for COVID-19 infection?”
        • “What was the sample collection date of the first positive test?”
        • “Was it confirmed with a second test?”

Calendar Year 2021
Changes:

  • Added the following COVID-19 Vaccine Questions:
    • “Have you received a COVID-19 vaccine?”
      • “Which of the following applies? I have received...” (response options refer to whether fully vaccinated and whether received 1 or 2 shots)
        • “What month and year did you receive this shot?” for 1 vaccine shot and not fully vaccinated (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna)
        • “What month and year did you receive this shot?” for 1 vaccine shot and fully vaccinated (Johnson & Johnson / Janssen)
        • “What month and year did you receive the 2nd shot?” for 2 vaccine shots and fully vaccinated (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna)
      • “Have you received a booster vaccine shot?” (response options include which specific booster shot)
        • “What month and year did you receive the booster shot?”
  • Expanded COVID-19 infection questions
    • Added “When you were sick with COVID-19 or symptoms similar to COVID-19, which of the following symptoms did you experience? (If you were sick with COVID-19 symptoms more than once, please report for the time you were the most sick.)”
    • Modified “How many days until you recovered?” by adding “OR” between “# Days” and “Not Yet Recovered” responses
    • Added “Are you still experiencing symptoms due to COVID-19?”
      • Added “Which symptoms have you continued to experience?”
  • Revised COVID-19 testing questions
    • Removed “Have you ever been tested for an ACTIVE COVID-19 infection? This tests for virus causing infection at that time. (Do NOT include antibody tests, blood tests used to measure past infection with COVID-19.)”
    • Modified responses for “Have you ever had a positive test result for COVID-19 infection?” by removing “Still waiting for results” response

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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