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The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is a prospective population-based study. Initial recruitment of pregnant women took place in 1990-1992 and the health and development of the index children from these pregnancies and their family members have been followed ever since. The eligible sampling frame was constructed retrospectively using linked recruitment and health service records. Additional offspring that were eligible to enrol in the study have been welcomed through major recruitment drives at the ages of 7 and 18 years; and through opportunistic contacts since the age of 7. This data note provides a status update on the recruitment of the index children since the age of 7 years with a focus on enrolment since the age of 18, which has not been previously described. A total of 913 additional G1 (the cohort of index children) participants have been enrolled in the study since the age of 7 years with 195 of these joining since the age of 18. This additional enrolment provides a baseline sample of 14,901 G1 participants who were alive at 1 year of age.

The German National Cohort (NAKO) is a multidisciplinary, population-based prospective cohort study that aims to investigate the causes of widespread diseases, identify risk factors and improve early detection and prevention of disease. Specifically, NAKO is designed to identify novel and better characterize established risk and protection factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory and infectious diseases in a random sample of the general population. Between 2014 and 2019, a total of 205,415 men and women aged 19–74 years were recruited and examined in 18 study centres in Germany. The baseline assessment included a face-to-face interview, self-administered questionnaires and a wide range of biomedical examinations. Biomaterials were collected from all participants including serum, EDTA plasma, buffy coats, RNA and erythrocytes, urine, saliva, nasal swabs and stool. In 56,971 participants, an intensified examination programme was implemented. Whole-body 3T magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 30,861 participants on dedicated scanners. NAKO collects follow-up information on incident diseases through a combination of active follow-up using self-report via written questionnaires at 2–3 year intervals and passive follow-up via record linkages. All study participants are invited for re-examinations at the study centres in 4–5 year intervals. Thereby, longitudinal information on changes in risk factor profiles and in vascular, cardiac, metabolic, neurocognitive, pulmonary and sensory function is collected. NAKO is a major resource for population-based epidemiology to identify new and tailored strategies for early detection, prediction, prevention and treatment of major diseases for the next 30 years.

The China birth cohort study (CBCS) is a prospective longitudinal, mega-cohort study and the first national-based birth cohort study, aiming to establish a birth cohort covering representative geographical areas of the whole of China to investigate risk factors for birth defects and develop strategies for their reduction. Pregnant women who are of Chinese nationality, are 6–13⁺⁶ weeks of gestation, plan to attend the routine antenatal examination and deliver in the study site, and give their informed, written consent are eligible to participate in this study. All participants are followed-up through an in-person interview at 20–23⁺⁶ weeks and again at 28–33⁺⁶ weeks of gestation, and at delivery, respectively. CBCS has been divided into three phases from 20th November 2017 to 31st December 2021, and the first two phases have now been completed on 29th February 2020, enrolling 120 377 eligible pregnant women during this period. During the same period a total of 40 837 participants had been followed up to the end of pregnancy. Study recruitment will continue until December 2021 to achieve the target of 500 000 participants. Meanwhile, biological samples including peripheral blood, amniocytes, cord blood, placenta, or umbilical cord tissue have been collected from participants according to various conditions. The incidence of birth defects in this group is 2.5% and congenital heart disease is the most common type of birth defect seen so far. A website is in the advanced stages of planning, to allow seamless data transfer and facilitate collaboration with groups around the world.

PurposeThe Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) was designed to examine the long-term associations of preschool physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development with biopsychosocial development across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.MethodsQLSCD is an ongoing prospective cohort including 2120 singletons born in 1997/1998 in the Canadian province of Quebec. So far, data have been collected annually or every 2 years from child ages 5 months to 21 years. The cohort currently includes 1245 participants. Data available include a range of environmental (e.g., family characteristics, child behaviour, educational attainment, mental health), biological (e.g., hair cortisol, genetic, epigenetic), and administrative data.ResultsQLSCD has contributed to the understanding of children’s psychosocial development, including the development of physical aggression and anxiety. QLSCD articles have advanced scientific knowledge on the influence of early childhood factors on childhood, adolescent, and young adult mental health, including the effect of participation in early childcare on cognitive and behavioural development, the developmental origins of adolescent and young adult mental health problems and suicide risk, and the development of interpersonal difficulties (e.g., peer victimisation) from preschool years to adolescence.ConclusionQLSCD has given major contributions to our understanding of the link between different aspects of child development and biopsychosocial development during the first two decades of life. Unique features include the presence of environmental, biological, and administrative data, long-term follow-up with frequent data collections, and use of data from multiple informants, including teachers, mothers, fathers, and the children themselves.

The Copenhagen Hospital Biobank-chronic inflammatory disease—inflammatory bowel disease (CHB-CID: IBD) cohort contributes to genetic research in inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Of the 327,084 enrolled and genotyped individuals in the cohort, 10,626 have been diagnosed with IBD as of May 2023. The CHB-CID: IBD cohort includes both patients without IBD and healthy blood donors as control groups. Clinical data is collected from Danish registries and patient records, including details on hospital contacts, co-morbidities, medication, surgical procedures, and laboratory investigations. The cohort features a wide age range (> 18 years), extensive population coverage representative of Danish adults, and validated IBD diagnoses. Finally, the cohort benefits from continuous recruitment and regular updates of clinical information. The aim is to enhance IBD management and ultimately improve patients’ quality of life.

Owning the largest human-made jungle of pistachio, the second largest copper mine, and being located on the trade route of opium transit, distinguish Rafsanjan from many other cities in Iran. The environmental exposures and lifestyle factors associated with these characteristics of Rafsanjan, have raised concern about possible health outcomes for individuals living in and around this city. Thus, local health authorities initiated the Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS), as part of the prospective epidemiological research studies in IrAN (PERSIAN). RCS is a population-based prospective cohort of men and women aged 35–70 years, launched in August 2015. Individuals from diverse socioeconomic levels and lifestyles were recruited from four urban and suburban areas of Rafsanjan (participation rate 67.42%). Questionnaire-based interviews regarding demographics, dietary and environmental exposures, medical and occupational history, as well as anthropometric measurements were completed for all participants. Additionally, bio-specimens (blood, urine, hair, and nail) were collected, and dental and eye examinations were performed. The enrollment phase ended in December 2017, and a 15-year follow-up is planned. A total of 9990 individuals were enrolled in RCS (53.41% females). About 26% of men are pistachio farmers. The baseline prevalence of major non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and opium use were 25.45%, 10.02%, and 23.81%, respectively. The mean ± SD of other common risk factors are as follows: body mass index (27.83 ± 4.89 mm Hg), systolic blood pressure (107.18 ± 17.56 mm Hg) diastolic blood pressure (71.13 ± 10.83), fasting blood sugar (113.27 ± 39.11 mg/dL) and plasma cholesterol (198.78 ± 41.89 mg/dL). These results indicate a concerning prevalence of NCD risk factors in Rafsanjan city, warranting further detailed investigations, particularly regarding the association of NDC with agricultural/industrial pollutants and drug abuse.

PurposeThe Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey Biomarkers Cohort (Healthy Ageing and Biomarkers Cohort Study (HABCS)) was established to investigate the determinants of healthy aging and mortality among the oldest old in China. Besides collecting health status, behavioural and sociodemographic circumstances, the present study also gathers comprehensive data for the elderly by simultaneously collecting, detecting, analysing blood and urine, respectively.ParticipantsHABCS is a community-based longitudinal multiwave study of older men and women aged 65 or above. Baseline survey and the follow-up surveys with replacement for deceased elderly were conducted in eight longevity areas in China, which cover the northern, middle and southern parts of China. Between 2008 and 2017, 6333 participants were included in HABCS, comprising 1385 centenarians, 1350 nonagenarians, 1294 octogenarians, 1577 younger elderly (aged 65–79).Findings to dateWe have found that higher baseline levels of (1) total cholesterol, (2) low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and (3) superoxide dismutase activity were associated with greater cognitive decline. While (4) higher LDL-C level was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality. There was a reverse association between (5) plasma vitamin D and cognitive impairment in cross-sectional and prospective study.Future plansWe are currently exploring the relationships between various biomarkers and different outcomes such as cognitive function and mortality. This longitudinal cohort study will be continued in the future.

Diagnostic histological and cytological specimens are routinely stored in pathology department archives. These biobanks are a valuable research resource for many diseases, particularly if they can be linked to high quality population-based health registries, allowing large retrospective epidemiological studies to be carried out. Such studies are of significant importance, for example in the search for novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers in the era of personalized medicine. Denmark has a wealth of highly-regarded population-based registries that are ideally suited to conduct this type of epidemiological research. We describe two recent additions to these databases: the Danish National Pathology Registry (DNPR) and its underlying national online registration database, the Danish Pathology Data Bank (DPDB). The DNPR and the DPDB contain detailed nationwide records of all pathology specimens analyzed in Denmark since 1997, and an incomplete but nonetheless valuable record of specimens from some pathology departments dating back to the 1970s. The data are of high quality and completeness and are sufficient to allow precise and efficient localization of the specimens. We describe the relatively uncomplicated procedures required to use these pathology databases in clinical research and to gain access to the archived specimens.

The German National Cohort (NAKO) is the largest population-based epidemiologic cohort study in Germany and investigates the causes of the most common chronic diseases. Between 2014 and 2019, a total of 1.3 million residents aged 20–69 years from 16 German regions were randomly selected from the general population and invited to participate following a highly standardized recruitment protocol. The overall response was 15.6% and differed considerably across study centers (7.6–30.7%). Females were more likely to participate than males (17.5% vs. 14.1%) and participation increased with age (10.2% in age group “ < 29 years” up to 20.7% in age group “ > 60 years”). Across all study regions, response was highest in rural areas (22.3%), followed by towns and suburbs (17.2%), and was lowest in cities (14.5%). Compared with the general population in the respective study regions, participants with low and medium education are underrepresented in the NAKO sample, while highly educated participants are overrepresented. Participants with non-German nationality and with a migration background are also underrepresented. Participants living in single households are underrepresented, while participants from larger households (2 or more persons) are overrepresented compared to the general population. Survey weights are made available to researchers along with the study data that account for the sampling design and adjust for differences in the distribution of age, sex, nationality (German vs. non-German), migration status, education, and household size.

The iBerry study is a population-based cohort study designed to investigate the transition from subclinical symptoms to a psychiatric disorder. Adolescents were selected based on their self-reported emotional and/or behavioral problems assessed by completing the strengths and difficulties questionnaire-youth (SDQ-Y) in their first year of high school. A total of 16,736 SDQ-Y questionnaires completed in the academic years 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 by students in the greater Rotterdam area in the Netherlands were screened. A high-risk group of adolescents was then selected based on the 15% highest-scoring adolescents, and a low-risk group was randomly selected from the 85% lowest-scoring adolescents, with a 2.5:1 ratio between the number of high-risk and low-risk adolescents. These adolescents were invited to come with one parent for a baseline visit consisting of interviews, questionnaires, neuropsychological tests, and biological measurements to assess determinants of psychopathology. A total of 1022 high-risk and low-risk adolescents (mean age at the first visit: 15.0 years) enrolled in the study. The goal of the iBerry study is to follow these adolescents for a 10-year period in order to monitor any changes in their symptoms. Here, we present the study design, response rate, inclusion criteria, and the characteristics of the cohort; in addition, we discuss possible selection effects. We report that the oversampling procedure was successful at selecting a cohort of adolescents with a high rate of psychiatric problems based on comprehensive multi-informant measurements. The future results obtained from the iBerry Study will provide new insights into the way in which the mental health of high-risk adolescents changes as they transition to adulthood. These findings will therefore facilitate the development of strategies designed to optimize mental healthcare and prevent psychopathology.