SHIP

Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)​

Main objective:

To assess prevalence and incidence of common risk factors, subclinical disorders and clinical diseases, and to investigate associations and interactions among them.

Research focus:

No focus on specific disease areas, but rather aim to understand the concepts of health and disease in their greatest possible complexity. Consequently, the examination programmes are the most comprehensive that have ever been applied to a general population sample worldwide.

Important examined diseases are:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Diabetes mellitus
• Liver- and gall bladder diseases
• Neurological diseases
• Endocrine diseases
• Dental diseases
• Lung diseases
• Addiction and risk behaviour

Additionally extensive data on familial and professional environment, on nutrition and the use of medical services is collected.

Examinations:

Extensive examination programme of up to 25 hours including, for example, interview and self-administered questionnaires, whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in-depth molecular and genetic analyses

Study region:

Northeast Germany (Vorpommern-Greifswald and Vorpommern-Rügen)

Age at enrolment:

20 to 79 years

Time between examinations:

5 to 8 years

Home institution:

University Medicine of Greifswald, Institute for Community Medicine, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 48, 17475 Greifswald

Head of Institution:

Prof. Dr. Henry Völzke

The offering for JoinUs4Health:

• Start of data collection: 1997
• Total number of participants: 7728 (as of 04/2021)
• Number of cohorts: 3
• Number of follow ups: Up to 4