Women's Health Study (WHS)
The WHS is an observational study aiming to investigate the determinants of chronic diseases in women. Originally started as a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in 1993, the study transitioned to an observational follow-up in 2005. Participants were recruited from across the United States, consisting of female health professionals aged 45 or older. The cohort consists of over 33,000 women who remained post-trial and are followed up annually to assess long-term health trends, with 28,345 of these participants also involved in the WGHS sub-study.
Study design
Cohort - occupational
Number of participants at first data collection
33,681 (participants)
Age at first data collection
≥ 45 years (participants)
Participant year of birth
Varied (participants)
Participant sex
Female
Representative sample at baseline?
No
Sample features
Country
Year of first data collection
2005
Primary Institutions
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)
Harvard University
Links
maelstrom-research.org/study/wghs
whs.bwh.harvard.edu/images/WHS%20website-Overview%20of%20study.pdf
Profile paper DOI
Funders
Amgen Inc.
Donald W Reynolds Foundation
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Fondation Leducq
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Ongoing?
Yes
Data types collected
- Activity log (e.g. food, sleep, exercise)
- Physical or biological assessment (e.g. blood, saliva, gait, grip strength, anthropometry)
- Secondary data
- Self-report questionnaire – online
- Self-report questionnaire – paper or computer assisted
- None
- None
- Existing research data
- Healthcare data
Engagement
Keywords
