REAL 2.0 Longitudinal Cohort

Uses

Comparisons

Background

Evidence quality

Highlighted claims

• REAL 2.0 enrolled 278 participants aged 26 to 33, achieving a 30.4% completion rate among eligible individuals. — Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyle (REAL) 2.0: 15-year follow-up study of eating disorders and weight-related trajectories, mental health and substance use health from early adolescence to early adulthood—a Canadian cohort profile
• REAL 2.0 participants completed a 30–45-minute online questionnaire via REDCap covering 22 instruments across six health domains. — Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyle (REAL) 2.0: 15-year follow-up study of eating disorders and weight-related trajectories, mental health and substance use health from early adolescence to early adulthood—a Canadian cohort profile
• The original REAL study was conceived in 2003 and recruited 3,043 students from 43 Ottawa schools between 2004 and 2010. — Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyle (REAL) 2.0: 15-year follow-up study of eating disorders and weight-related trajectories, mental health and substance use health from early adolescence to early adulthood—a Canadian cohort profile
• REAL 2.0 respondents were significantly more likely to be female and from higher-income households than eligible non-participants, limiting generalisability. — Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyle (REAL) 2.0: 15-year follow-up study of eating disorders and weight-related trajectories, mental health and substance use health from early adolescence to early adulthood—a Canadian cohort profile
• REAL 2.0 is one of very few Canadian cohort studies to simultaneously examine eating and weight-related symptoms alongside mental health and substance use outcomes from adolescence through early adulthood. — Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyle (REAL) 2.0: 15-year follow-up study of eating disorders and weight-related trajectories, mental health and substance use health from early adolescence to early adulthood—a Canadian cohort profile
• 44.2% of REAL 2.0 completers consented to future re-contact, with no participants actively declining, making additional follow-up waves feasible. — Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyle (REAL) 2.0: 15-year follow-up study of eating disorders and weight-related trajectories, mental health and substance use health from early adolescence to early adulthood—a Canadian cohort profile
• Because data collection occurred in the post-COVID era, measures of COVID-19's impact on mental health were included and can serve as a covariate or outcome in future analyses. — Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyle (REAL) 2.0: 15-year follow-up study of eating disorders and weight-related trajectories, mental health and substance use health from early adolescence to early adulthood—a Canadian cohort profile