The general population cohort in rural south-western Uganda: a platform for communicable and non-communicable disease studies

• Published in: International journal of epidemiology Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 129 - 141
• Main Authors: ASIKI, Gershim, MURPHY, Georgina, MAHER, Dermot, YOUNG, Elizabeth H, KAMALI, Anatoli, SANDHU, Manjinder S, NAKIYINGI-MIIRO, Jessica, SEELEY, Janet, NSUBUGA, Rebecca N, KARABARINDE, Alex, WASWA, Laban, BIRARO, Sam, KASAMBA, Ivan, POMILLA, Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.02.2013
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Communicable Diseases - epidemiology; Data Resource Profiles; Female; Health Surveys; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Life Style; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Population Surveillance - methods; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Factors; Rural Health - trends; Rural Population; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Uganda - epidemiology; Young Adult; Uganda; Africa; Human; general population cohort; Rural environment; Cohort study; Resource; South; communicable and non-communicable diseases; Data resource profile; Uganda; Communicable disease; Public health
• ISSN: 0300-5771; 1464-3685
• DOI: 10.1093/ije/dys234

The General Population Cohort (GPC) was set up in 1989 to examine trends in HIV prevalence and incidence, and their determinants in rural south-western Uganda. Recently, the research questions have included the epidemiology and genetics of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to address the limited data on the burden and risk factors for NCDs in sub-Saharan Africa. The cohort comprises all residents (52% aged ≥13years, men and women in equal proportions) within one-half of a rural sub-county, residing in scattered houses, and largely farmers of three major ethnic groups. Data collected through annual surveys include; mapping for spatial analysis and participant location; census for individual socio-demographic and household socioeconomic status assessment; and a medical survey for health, lifestyle and biophysical and blood measurements to ascertain disease outcomes and risk factors for selected participants. This cohort offers a rich platform to investigate the interplay between communicable diseases and NCDs. There is robust infrastructure for data management, sample processing and storage, and diverse expertise in epidemiology, social and basic sciences. For any data access enquiries you may contact the director, MRC/UVRI, Uganda Research Unit on AIDS by email to mrc@mrcuganda.org or the corresponding author.