Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)
The SWAN study is a multi-site longitudinal, epidemiological study designed to examine the health of women during their middle years in the United States of America. The study examines the physical, biological, psychological, and social changes during this transitional period. SWAN participants consist of women aged 42 to 52 years at baseline who had a uterus and at least one intact ovary, reported a menstrual period within the past three months, and had not taken hormone medications in the three months prior. A total of 3,302 women completed the baseline study (1,550 Caucasian, 935 African American, 286 Hispanic, 250 Chinese, and 281 Japanese). As of September 2024, SWAN has completed the screening, baseline, and 16 follow-up visits. Visits have taken place approximately every year.
Study design
Cohort
Number of participants at first data collection
3,302 (participants)
Age at first data collection
42 - 52 years (participants)
Participant year of birth
Varied (participants)
Participant sex
Female
Representative sample at baseline?
No
Sample features
Country
Year of first data collection
1994
Primary Institutions
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
Rush University Medical Center (Rush)
University of California, Davis (UC Davis)
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Links
Profile paper DOI
Funders
Department of Defense (DoD)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Ongoing?
Yes
Data types collected
- Activity log (e.g. food, sleep, exercise)
- Computer, paper or task testing (e.g. cognitive testing, theory of mind doll task, attention computer tasks)
- Interview – face-to-face
- Physical or biological assessment (e.g. blood, saliva, gait, grip strength, anthropometry)
- Self-report questionnaire – paper or computer assisted
- Wearable devices
- None
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- None
Engagement
Keywords
