e., paper and pencil or computer-aided interviews) methods and is acceptable to various populations (Gamma, Jerome, Liechti, & Sumnall, 2005; Heffernan et al., 2005; Shakeshaft, Bowman, & Sanson-Fisher, 1998). The present online study examines maternally rated executive function using the BRIEF in children exposed to nicotine during pregnancy. As abnormalities in executive function table 5 may contribute to deficits in school performance as well as a diagnosis of ADHD, these endpoints were also evaluated. Since this is the first Internet-based study to use the BRIEF, some psychometric properties were also determined. Methods Participants Mothers (N = 357) of children aged 5�C18 years were recruited for a child behavior investigation.

Flyers were posted on community boards throughout Doernbecher Children��s Hospital, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), the Portland metro area, western Oregon, and western Washington (e.g., grocery stores, libraries, coffee shops). Links to the study were also displayed on the community and volunteer sections of Craigslist (craigslist.org) as well as on message boards for parents (e.g., iVillage.com). The majority of respondents were from the northwest (68.3% from Oregon, Washington, or Idaho) with other participants mostly from adjacent states of California and Montana. This anonymous online survey was administered through Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), version 1.3.9, a web-based application for building and managing online databases with maximal security for sensitive information (Harris, Taylor, Thielke, Payne, Gonzalez, & Conde, et al.

, 2009). The Institutional Review Board at OHSU approved all procedures. Measures After providing an online consent to participate in this study, the parents began the survey, which typically took about 20 min to complete. The items on the first half were organized Brefeldin_A from less to more personal and included questions about maternal and child demographics (e.g., age, sex, ethnicity), academic performance (e.g., ��Please rate your child��s performance in math with relation to their scores on the state��s standardized test.�� with options of below, at, or above grade level), and child/maternal neurological or psychiatric conditions (e.g., Has your child been diagnosed with any of the following? with options of ADHD, fetal alcohol syndrome [FAS], and brain trauma). Items on maternal drug use (nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and the opiates) were organized into two periods: during pregnancy and specifically during the third trimester. If the respondent answered in the affirmative then additional item(s) about the extent of use (e.g., how many cigarettes did the biological mother smoke each day?) were displayed. The BRIEF accounted for the remaining 86 items.