Table 1.
Current and planned data collection in the German National Cohort
| Data type | Number of participants | Details | Data acquisition period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline assessment | Whole cohort: 205,415 | Basic physical and medical examinations, face-to-face interview, touch-screen-based self-report questionnaires, biomaterial collections (Level 1) | 2014–2019 |
| Extended baseline assessment | 56,971 | Additional in-depth physical and medical examinations, additional self-administered questionnaires (touch-screen, teleform, web-based) (Level 2) | 2014–2019 |
| MRI | 30,861 | Whole-body 3T magnetic resonance imaging | 2014–2019 |
| Mortality follow-up | Whole cohort | Ascertainment of vital status, collection and coding of death certificates and clinical/forensic reports | 2014–ongoing |
| Record linkage | Whole cohort |
Statutory health insurances Private health insurances Epidemiological and clinical cancer registries Central Research Institute of Ambulatory Health Care in Germany German Statutory Pension Fund Institute for Employment Research |
2014–ongoing |
| Calibration Study | 5,903 | Repeated extended examination with Level 2 examination modules between 1 and 12 months after the baseline examination to assess short-term measurement variability | 2016–2019 |
| Written Health Follow-up questionnaire | Whole cohort | Self-reported incident events, with verification via medical records and questionnaires provided by treating physicians | 2017–ongoing |
| First re-examination | 135,000 planned | Face-to-face interview, touch-screen-based self-report questionnaires, repeat examinations, biomaterial collections | 2018–2023 |
| Supplementary COVID-19 questionnaire | 160,227 | Pandemic-related questions on general state of health, SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and tests, changes in behaviour and social contacts, psychological effects, changes in employment status, physical activity and consumption of stimulating substances | 05–07/2020 |
| SoccHealth | 500 former professional soccer players (additional cohort) | Additional project assessing long-term effects of high-performance sports. Participants receive the Level 2 programme and MRI of the first re-examination | 2021–ongoing |