Cohort Descriptives
| Variable | Response |
|---|---|
| Cohort Name | The European Prospective Investigation of Cancer - Norfolk |
| Cohort Acronym | EPIC Norfolk |
| DOI | Wareham, N. (2017). EPIC Norfolk [Data set]. Dementias Platform UK. https://doi.org/10.48532/023000 |
| Study Overview | The Norfolk component of the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC Norfolk) participants are men and women who were aged between 40 and 79 when they joined the study and who lived in Norwich and the surrounding towns and rural areas. They have been contributing information about their diet, lifestyle and health through questionnaires and health checks over two decades. Following baseline data collection the cohort has been followed up at 18 months by questionnaire, 3 years (1997-2000) - second health check and questionnaire, 10 years - health questionnaire , 13 years (2006-2011) – third Health examination and questionnaire. The primary aim of the international EPIC collaboration is to examine the relationships between diet and incident cancers, that is, cancers which have developed after they joined the study. The study has since broadened to include lifestyle and genetic factors and other diseases. A secondary aim is to study the relationship between dietary intake and other diseases and disease risk factors. In EPIC-Norfolk, these include heart attacks and strokes, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, dementia, eye diseases and many others. The EPIC Norfolk team are also studying the link between disease and other factors, such as psychosocial health. |
| #Subjects at Baseline | 25,639 have had a Health Check and are being followed. (30,000 consented and filled out a questionnaire) |
| Institution Name | University of Cambridge |
| Department Name | Strangeways Research Laboratory |
| City | Cambridge |
| Study/Database Website | |
| Principal Investigator (PI) | Professor Nicholas Wareham |
| Key Study References | |
| Population Based Study? | Yes |
| Family Based Study? | No |
| Clinical based sample? | No |
| Is there follow-up data available? | Yes |
| Were participants included prior to development of dementia (may refer to controls only)? | Yes |
| Were participants included prior to development of MCI (may refer to controls only)? | Yes |
| How is data collected? | Via a combination of in person and postal |
| Who carries out data collection? | Interviewers, Clinical Staff (Research nurses, research assistants. Specifically trained and annual refresher) |
| Does this take place in participants' homes or at a central location? | Home and Central. Homes for questionnaires. |
| Do participants take part individually or are families/partners involved? | Individually |
| Dementia cases ascertained as part of study: | No |
| How many times followed up? | 4 |
| How regular is follow-up? | Less often: Post baseline: 18 months by questionnaire, 3 years post baseline (1997-2000) - second health check and questionnaire- remit broadened to include bone health, 10 years - health questionnaire , 13 years (2006-2011) third Health Check and questionnaire- broadened remit to include cognitive health and visual health. Currently undergoing 4th Health Check. |
| Study start date | 01/01/1993 00:00:00 |
| Is study ongoing? | Yes |
| Is study still recruiting? | Yes |
| Inclusion criteria | 40-79 years of age at onset. Lives in Norfolk. Contactable via GP register. |
| Exclusion criteria | Diagnosed with cancer. |
Administration
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Study ID | Y | |
| Age | Y | |
| Sex | Y |
Sociodemographic
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Y | |
| Age at last follow-up | Y | |
| Age at time of death | Y | |
| Sex | Y | |
| Ethnicity | Y | |
| Years of education | Y | |
| Level of education | Y | |
| Employment Status | Y | |
| Socioeconomic status measures | Y |
Physical Health Status
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular disease data | Y | |
| Myocardial infarction (Self report and through data linkage) | Y | |
| Medication use for CVD | Y | |
| Hypertension | Y | |
| Systolic/diastolic BP | Y | |
| Mean arterial pressure | Y | |
| Hypotension | Y | |
| Hypercholesterolemia | Y | |
| Olfactory sensitivity | Y | |
| Cancer | Y | |
| Diabetic Status | Y |
Health Care Utilisation
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Medication use: Drug coding system (Self report and through data linkage) | Y | |
| Medication use for CVD | Y | |
| Hospital utilisation | Y |
Psychological Status
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep assessment Questionnaires (EPIC Health Questionnaire) | Y |
Mental Health Status
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Anxiety measure | Y |
Lifestyle
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking | Y | |
| Pack years | Y | |
| Current smoking | Y | |
| Former smoking | Y | |
| Alcohol | Y | |
| Units per day/week vs weekend | Y | |
| Specified beverage type (wine, spirits, beers) | Y | |
| Abstainers/former users | Y | |
| Binge drinking (Might be able to infer from food diaries) | Y | |
| Physical activity and exercise | Y | |
| Type of exercise: heavy, light | Y | |
| Exercise duration | Y | |
| Occupation possible job matrices | Y | |
| Objective measures of activity: Physical activity using a commercial accelerometer, the GT1M | Y | |
| Self-report on physical activity behaviours in three domains: activity at home, work and recreation. | Y | |
| Diet: Carbs, protein, fats, fish oil | Y | |
| Anti-oxidants | Y | |
| Vegetarian? | Y | |
| Shortage of food | Y | |
| Coffee and Caffeine | Y | |
| Vitamin A, B, E | Y | |
| Fat intake MUFA, PUFA | Y | |
| Food questionnaires (Food Frequency Questionnaire) | Y |
Physical Environment
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Living situation | Y |
Biosample Assays
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Plasma (Repeated Collection) | Y | |
| Serum (Repeated collection) | Y | |
| DNA (Repeated collection) | Y | |
| Urine (Repeated collection) | Y |
Physical Examination
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Brachial pressure | Y | |
| Heart rate | Y | |
| Weight (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Height (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Extrapyramidal symptoms (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Usual walking speed | Y | |
| Standing balance | Y | |
| Chair stands | Y | |
| Grip strength | Y | |
| Anthropometry (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Body fat percentage | Y | |
| Cardiovascular examination | Y | |
| Specific assessment of peripheral vascular disease (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Respiratory examination (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| PEFR (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Spirometry (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Gait assessment (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Opthalmic examination (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Visual Acuity (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Visual fields (direct/indirect) (Assessed before onset of dementia) | Y | |
| Ultrasound measure of the calcaneus (heel bone) | Y | |
| Skin ageing | Y | |
| BMI | Y | |
| Hip/waist circumference | Y | |
| Blood lipids (Objectively measured from blood. Full lipid profile and cholesterol) | Y | |
| Metabolic syndrome (Self report, linkage from records) | Y |
Digital Phenotyping
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Visual memory | Y | |
| Verbal memory | Y | |
| Attention | Y | |
| Reaction time | Y | |
| Associative learning | Y | |
| Language | Y | |
| Vigilance | Y | |
| Concentration | Y | |
| Working memory | Y | |
| Latent memory | Y | |
| Planning | Y | |
| Abstraction | Y | |
| IQ data | Y | |
| NART | Y | |
| MMSE (Subgroup) | Y | |
| Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination (CAMDEX) | Y | |
| Addenbrooke's Cognitive Exam (Subgroup) - ACE-R | Y | |
| Physical activity using a commercial accelerometer | Y | |
| Use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) with Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) to observe how environmental factors play a role in determining behaviour | Y |
Imaging
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Structural T1 | Y | |
| Diffusion imaging (DTI/DWI) | Y | |
| Retinal imaging | Y | |
| Macular degeneration | Y |
Genomics
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| GWAS | Y |
Metabolomics
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| CRP (c-reactive protein) (Repeated collection) | Y | |
| Glucose (Repeated collection) | Y | |
| HbA1c (Repeated Collection) | Y | |
| Lipids (Repeated collection) | Y | |
| Liver Function Tests (Baseline only) | Y | |
| Serum creatinine (Repeated collection) | Y | |
| Homocysteine (very small substudy) | Y | |
| Folate (Small substudy) | Y |
Environmental Assessment
| Sub-category | Variable type | Variables generally collected |
|---|---|---|
| Use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) with Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) to observe how environmental factors play a role in determining behaviour | Y |