Study protocol

Rationales, design and recruitment of the Taizhou Longitudinal Study

Xiaofeng Wang^{* 1,2} , Ming Lu^{* 1,3} , Ji Qian^1,2 , Yajun Yang^1,2 , Shilin Li^1,2 , Daru Lu^1,2 , Shunzhang Yu⁴ , Wei Meng⁴ , Weimin Ye⁵ and Li Jin^1,2

¹State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, PR China

²CMC Institute of Health Sciences, Taizhou 225300, Jiangsu Province, PR China

³Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250000, PR China

⁴Institute of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China

⁵Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

BMC Public Health 2009, 9:223doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-223

Published:	10 July 2009

Abstract

Background

Rapid economic growth in China in the past decades has been accompanied by dramatic changes in lifestyle and environmental exposures. The burdens of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, have also increased substantially.

Methods/design

We initiated a large prospective cohort–the Taizhou Longitudinal Study–in Taizhou (a medium-size city in China) to explore the environmental and genetic risk factors for common non-communicable diseases. The sample size of the cohort will be at least 100,000 adults aged 30–80 years drawn from the general residents of the districts of Hailin, Gaogang, and Taixing (sample frame, 1.8 million) of Taizhou. A three-stage stratified sampling method will be applied. Baseline investigations include interviewer-administered questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, and collection of buccal mucosal cells and blood specimens. DNA will be extracted for genetic studies and serum samples will be used for biochemical examinations. A follow-up survey will be conducted every three years to obtain information on disease occurrence and information on selected lifestyle exposures. Study participants will be followed-up indefinitely by using a chronic disease register system for morbidity and cause-specific mortality. Information on non-fatal events will be obtained for certain major categories of disease (e.g., cancer, stroke, myocardial infarction) through established registry systems.

Discussion

The Taizhou Longitudinal Study will provide a good basis for exploring the roles of many important environmental factors (especially those concomitant with the economic transformation in China) for common chronic diseases, solely or via interaction with genetic factors.