A cohort study protocol to analyze the predisposing factors to common chronic non-communicable diseases in rural areas: Fasa Cohort Study

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 1090
• Main Authors: Farjam, Mojtaba, Bahrami, Hossein, Bahramali, Ehsan, Jamshidi, Javad, Askari, Alireza, Zakeri, Habibollah, Homayounfar, Reza, Poustchi, Hossein, Malekzadeh, Reza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 18-10-2016; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anthropometry; Body composition; Calculators; Cardiovascular disease; Chronic Disease - epidemiology; Chronic Disease - prevention & control; Chronic diseases; Cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; Cohort study; Demographics; Developing Countries; Disease control; Disease prevention; Distribution; Ethnicity; Flow cytometry; Health care networks; Health risk assessment; Health Status; Humans; International policy; Iran; Laboratories; LDCs; Male; Methods; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Mortality; Non-communicable diseases; Nutrition; Physical activity; Physical examinations; Primary care; Public health; Risk analysis; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Risk management; Risk taking; Rural areas; Rural health; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Sleep; Studies; Study Protocol; Suburban areas; Surveys; Towns; Vaccines; Iran; Developing countries; Non-communicable diseases; Cohort study; Risk factors
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3760-z

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the main causes of morbidity and mortality even in rural areas of many developing countries, including Iran. In view of this increased risk, Fasa Cohort Study (FACS) has been established to assess the risk factors for NCDs with the ultimate goal of providing optimal risk calculators for Iranian population and finding grounds for interventions at the population level.
In a population-based cohort, at least 10,000 people within the age range of 35 to 70 years old from Sheshdeh, the suburb of Fasa city and its 24 satellite villages are being recruited. A detailed demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric, nutrition, and medical history is obtained for each individual besides limited physical examinations and determination of physical activity and sleep patterns supplemented by body composition and electrocardiographic records. Routine laboratory assessments are done and a comprehensive biobank is compiled for future biological investigations. All data are stored online using a dedicated software.
FACS enrolls the individuals from rural and little township areas to evaluate the health conditions and analyze the risk factors pertinent to major NCDs. This study will provide an evidence-based background for further national and international policies in preventive medicine. Yearly follow ups are designed to assess the health events in the participating population. It is believed that the results would construct a contemporary knowledge of Iranian high risk health characteristics and behaviors as well as the platform for further interventions of risk reduction in a typical Iranian population. Constantly probing for future advances in NCDs prevention and management, the accumulated database and biobank serves as a potential for state of the art research and international collaborations.