The Collaborative Study
The Collaborative Study
The Collaborative Study is an occupational cohort study of 6022 men and 1006 women of working age recruited from 27 workplaces throughout the central belt of Scotland. It took place between 1970 and 1973. The primary multiple health examination consisted of a self-administered questionnaire and a 20 minute attendance for screening at a temporary centre for a height and weight check, respiratory function test, 6 lead ECG, blood pressure, chest x-ray, and 10 ml. fasting blood plasma sample for cholesterol, triglycerides and the phenotyping of lipoproteins. The questionnaire differed from that used in the MAIN study as it included more detailed questions on lifestyle and early life.
In 1977 the workplaces were revisited and participants requested to attend for a second time. About 50% did so. All the information collected has been recorded anonymously on computer and is used extensively for epidemiological analysis. Notification of death is received from the office of the General Registrar for Scotland.
In 1996 permission was granted to allow the linkage with hospital admission data and cancer incidence thus extensively increasing the power of the study as a research tool.