Pilot Data Linkage for the NJ Population Health Cohort (NJHealth) Study

This project will evaluate pilot linkages between the Integrated Population Health Data (iPHD) project and the New Jersey Population Health Cohort (NJHealth) Study. The NJHealth Study investigates the impact of stressors experienced over the life course on health and wellbeing, collecting comprehensive data through multiple modalities from 8,000 New Jersey residents. The proposed pilot has three aims: (1) evaluate the rates and patterns of matching iPHD and NJHealth records, (2) assess differences in health and healthcare experiences measured in iPHD data among NJHealth participants compared to the overall iPHD population, and (3) conduct pilot analyses using linked iPHD-NJHealth data to examine associations between iPHD-recorded “health shocks” and participant-reported outcomes. The NJHealth Study, grounded in ecosocial and life course theories, seeks to understand how enduring and emerging stressors influence population health, particularly among marginalized and understudied groups. This study is recruiting participants aged 14 and older, collecting data from biological measurements and comprehensive surveys. Participant informed consent is obtained for each study component, with about 70% of participants consenting to external data linkages. Linkage procedures will protect the confidentiality of study participants, and only de-identified data will be used in analyses. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals, disseminated to communities of interest and policy audiences, and used to develop future research proposals.