Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study (JPHC)

Lead Contact and/or Principal Investigator (PI):

• Shoichiro Tsugane, M.D., Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)
  Epidemiology and Prevention Group, Center for Public Health Sciences
  National Cancer Center, Japan
• Norie Sawada, M.D., Ph.D. (Project Director)
  Epidemiology and Prevention Group, Center for Public Health Sciences
  National Cancer Center, Japan

Funded Since: 1990
Funding Source: National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund (since 2011) and a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (from 1989 to 2010)
Year(s) of Enrollment: 1990-1994
Study Website: https://epi.ncc.go.jp/en/jphc/index.html

The Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study (JPHC) is conducted as a joint research effort by a designated study group for "research to establish evidence to benefit health maintenance and improvement, including cancer prevention based on multipurpose cohort studies," supported by Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Principal Investigator: Shoichiro Tsugane, Director of Center for Public Health Sciences, National Cancer Center), in collaboration with 11 Japan Public Health Centers (PHCs) nationwide, National Cancer Centers, the National Cardiovascular Center, universities, research institutions, medical institutions, etc.

The JPHC Study conducted a baseline survey in 1990 for Cohort I (61,595 participants) and 1993 for Cohort II (78,825 participants) for 140,420 study participants living in 11 PHC areas. Cohort I included those residents aged 40 to 59 years who had registered their addresses in five PHC areas (Iwate, Akita, Tokyo, Nagano, and Okinawa) and Cohort II included those aged 40 to 69 years who had registered in six PHC areas (Ibaraki, Niigata, Osaka, Kochi, Nagasaki, and Okinawa).

Five- and 10-year follow-up surveys were conducted to update information on lifestyle habits and health conditions. In total, 130,000 participants responded to at least one of the three questionnaire surveys, and 78,000 to all three. The subjects have been followed for vital status and the occurrence of cancer and other diseases. As of December 2011, 24,000 deaths have been documented, as well as 17,000 cases of cancer, 6,000 cases of stroke and 1,100 cases of myocardial infarction.

This study is being conducted to determine what lifestyle habits are relevant to the incidence of diseases, by collecting information about lifestyle habits from approximately 100,000 people living in various parts of Japan, and performing a long-term follow-up of over 20 years regarding the development of their diseases.

This study is scheduled to conduct active follow-up for a total of 30 years.