Cooperative health research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA)
The KORA study aims to assess the population's health status in Augsburg, Germany and the surrounding area by examining various health factors and diseases. Beginning in 1984, it collectively includes over 18,000 participants recruited at five-year intervals. Specifically, KORA consists of four cohorts, with the first three formed as part of surveys 1 to 3 under the Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) project by the World Health Organization (WHO) until 1995. KORA was formed from MONICA in 1996, with the fourth cohort established in 1999 as part of survey 4. Additionally, KORA includes two cohorts combining participants from surveys 1 to 4: KORA-Age and KORA-Fit. Participants from each survey are followed continuously and regularly through linkage, with follow-up ongoing for more than 40 years.
Study design
Cohort - accelerated, Biobank
Number of participants at first data collection
4,022 (S1 participants)
4,940 (S2 participants)
4,856 (S3 participants)
4,261 (S4 participants)
Age at first data collection
25 - 64 (S1 participants)
25 - 74 (S2 participants)
25 - 74 (S3 participants)
25 - 74 (S4 participants)
Participant year of birth
1920 - 1959 (S1 participants)
1915 - 1964 (S2 participants)
1920 - 1969 (S3 participants)
1925 - 1974 (S4 participants)
Participant sex
All
Representative sample at baseline?
The population in the region of Augsburg, Germany.
Sample features
Country
Year of first data collection
1984
Primary Institutions
Helmholtz Zentrum München Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH)
Profile paper DOI
Funders
Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health (Helmholtz Zentrum München Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, GmbH)
Austrian Heart Fund (Österreichischer Herzfonds)
European Union (EU)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) now known as Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt, BMFTR)
German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG)
Ongoing?
Yes
Data types collected
- Computer, paper or task testing (e.g. cognitive testing, theory of mind doll task, attention computer tasks)
- Interview – face-to-face
- Interview – phone
- Physical environment assessment (e.g. pollution, mould)
- Physical or biological assessment (e.g. blood, saliva, gait, grip strength, anthropometry)
- Secondary data
- Self-report questionnaire – paper or computer assisted
- Wearable devices
- Interviews or focus groups
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Census data
- Geographic, spatial & environmental data
- Healthcare data
- Mortality data
- Other government data
Engagement
Keywords
Consortia and dataset groups
