Cohort Profile Update: Expanding the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study into a multigenerational cohort
Katja Pahkala, Suvi Rovio, Noora Kartiosuo, Kari Auranen, Matthieu Bourgery, Marko Elovainio, Mikael Fogelholm, Johanna Haapala, Mirja Hirvensalo, Nina Hutri, Eero Jokinen, Antti Jula, M. Juonala, Jari Kaikkonen, Hannu Kiviranta, Juhani S Koskinen, Noora Kotaja, M. Kähönen, Tomi Laitinen, Terho Lehtimäki, Irina Lisinen, Britt-Marie Loo, Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen, Costan G Magnussen, Pashupati P. Mishra, J Mykkänen, Juho-Antti Mäkelä, Satu Männistö, Jaakko Nevalainen, Laura Pulkki-Råbäck, Emma Raitoharju, Panu Rantakokko, Tapani Rönnemaa, Sini Stenbacka, Leena Taittonen, Tuija Tammelin, Jorma Toppari, Päivi J. Tossavainen, J. S. A. Viikari, Olli Raitakari
Abstract
The longstanding national multicenter Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS) was originally designed to provide information on cardiovascular risk factors and their determinants in children and adolescents of various ages in different parts of Finland [1, 2]. The first examination in 1980 recruited 3596 participants (49.1% boys) aged 3–18 years (mean age 10.4, 5.0 SD) from five cities and their surrounding rural communities. The cohort has been followed up eight times, with large-scale field studies in 1983, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2007, 2011, and 2018–2020. The participation rates have varied between 59% and 83%, and the cohort is dynamic, as the majority of those participants who have not participated in some of the follow-up studies have return to the study in later follow-up phases (Supplementary Fig. S7). In the latest follow-up study, the recruitment was extended to cover three consecutive generations: the original participants as well as their parents and offspring.