Federal Institute for Population Research

Mortality Follow-Up of the German National Cohort (GNC)

Content and Objectives

The German National Cohort is a large-scale, long-term health study, in which approximately 200,000 people in Germany between the ages of 20 and 69 are medically examined and asked about their habits over a period of at least 10 to 20 years. In this way, the researchers hope to gain valuable insights into how genetic factors, environmental conditions, social background and lifestyle interact in the development of diseases. The findings are intended to facilitate the creation of strategies for better prevention, early detection and treatment of the primary widespread ailments such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and dementia.

The objective is the accompanying vital status survey of all participants in the German National Cohort as well as the associated collection and analysis of the causes of death for subjects who died in the course of the study. Going beyond the variables identified in the mortality statistics such as age and sex, additional characteristics (such as family status, occupation, diseases at the time of death etc.) can also be identified, thereby offering insights into the history and causes of mortality and the prevention of premature deaths. Other aspects, such as regional differences in the cause of death structure can be studied in more detail.

Duration

2015–2023 (1st and 2nd funding period)

Partners

Helmholtz-Zentrum München; Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin; Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung; Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie – BIPS GmbH; Deutsches Diabetes Zentrum; IUF – Leibniz-Institut für umweltmedizinische Forschung GmbH; Universität Duisburg-Essen; Universität Freiburg; Universität Halle-Wittenberg; Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf; Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung; Universität Kiel; Universität Heidelberg; Universität Münster; Universität Greifswald; Universität Regensburg; Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum; Krebsregister Saarland; Robert Koch-Institut; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Universität Magdeburg; Fraunhofer MEVIS

Selected Publications

Kuss, Oliver; Becher, Heiko; Wienke, Andreas et al. (2022):

European Journal of Epidemiology 37. : Springer: 429–436.

Westerman, Ronny (2020):

Biodemography and Social Biology 65(1): 73–87.

Westerman, Ronny; Mühlichen, Michael (2019):

Frontiers in Public Health 7(187): 1–11.

German National Cohort (GNC) Consortium (2014):

European Journal of Epidemiology 29(5): 371–382.

More Publications

GBD Chronic Respiratory Disease Collaborators (2020):

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 8(6): 585–596.

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