Summary information about BC Generations Project participants is available in an open access (publicly available) dataset. Controlled data, linked data and biosamples are available through an access procedure to approved researchers.
BC Generations Project open access data
The BC Generations Project makes a selection of summary information about its cohort publicly available in its open datasets. This includes summary tables derived from Health & Lifestyle Questionnaire variables, physical measures, biosample preanalytical variables, Residential History Questionnaire variables and cancer data. A Codebook is also available to define the variables used to create the summary tables.
BC Generations Project controlled access data & biosamples
Individual level de-identified data and biosamples collected by the BC Generations Project are available to approved researchers studying the effects of lifestyle, genetics and environment on the development and prevention of chronic diseases.
Researchers seeking access to the BC Generations Project controlled dataset(s) and/or biosamples are to follow the instructions for access request after creating a researcher account.
BC Generations Project linked data access
Participants have consented to have their BC Generations Project data linked with administrative health databases. These data holdings are available through:
BC Cancer Registry
The BC Cancer Registry is a population-based registry that collects information on cancer diagnosis and mortality for the province of British Columbia. The BC Cancer Registry is under the stewardship of the BC Cancer Agency. Researchers seeking access to the BC Generations Project controlled data and linked BC Cancer Registry data can submit a co-request to the BC Generations Project (see Step 3). Researchers are to follow the instructions for access request after creating a researcher account.
Population Data BC
Population Data BC is a multi-university data and education resource that offers access to one of the world’s largest collections of population health data. Population Data BC stores person-specific but de-identified longitudinal health and population data on British Columbia’s 4.4 million residents, including those within the BC Generations Project dataset.
Researchers seeking access to the BC Generations Project controlled dataset and linked health information may contact Population Data BC directly. The BC Generations Project information is available here. Researchers also seeking biosample access must first create a BC Generations Project researcher login account and then follow the instructions for biosample requests.
BC Generations Project and national data & biosamples access
The BC Generations Project is part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project (CPTP). CPTP is the largest health study in Canada, with more than 300,000 participants from five regional cohorts (BC, Alberta, Quebec, Ontario, and the Atlantic provinces). A subset of the BC Generations Project dataset has been harmonized with de-identified data from the other four cohorts to create a national dataset.
Researchers wishing to access the harmonized BC Generations Project dataset along with harmonized data from one or more other CPTP cohorts should request access via the CPTP Web Portal.