Our Cohorts
The Nurses’ Health Studies
The Nurses' Health Study (NHS) began in 1976, when 121,700 female registered nurses aged 30-55 from eleven states were recruited to participate in a study of risk factors for cancer and cardiovascular disease. In 1989, a second cohort of 116,430 female registered nurses from fifteen states aged 25-42 were similarly recruited into the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II). These cohort studies represent some of the largest analyses of women's health ever conducted, and have yielded telling results regarding health factors from cardiovascular disease to breast cancer to cognitive function. A summary of these outcomes can be found on the Nurses' Health Study website, which also has a more detailed history of the project, examples of biennial questionnaires, and a list of publications of NHS analyses (1978-2010).
The Nurses’ Health Study 3 (NHS3) began in 2010 and enrollment is ongoing with >50,000 participants
enrolled thus far. Eligible participants are nurses of any gender (currently working, not working, or
retired), nursing students of any gender, age 18 and over, born in 1965 or later, and living in the US or
Canada. NHS3 aims to represent nurses’ diverse backgrounds by expanding participation to include
female, male, and Canadian nurses and nursing students.
Growing Up Today Study (GUTS)
In 1996 and 2004, participants in NHS II were invited to enroll their children between the ages of 9 and
14 in a companion long-term study to investigate factors that influence weight change. This study is
called Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), and its scope has expanded to include substance use, eating
disorders, gender, sexual orientation, genetics, and environmental factors. Combined, the Growing Up
Today Study and the Nurses’ Health Study can be considered a cross-generational super-study, leading
to new insights and landmark findings in the field of public health research.
The Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS)
The Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) began in 1986. The purpose of the study is to evaluate
a series of hypotheses about men’s health relating nutritional factors to the incidence of serious
illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, and other vascular diseases. This all-male study is designed to
complement the all-female Nurses’ Health Study.
The Nurses' Health Study (NHS) began in 1976, when 121,700 female registered nurses aged 30-55 from eleven states were recruited to participate in a study of risk factors for cancer and cardiovascular disease. In 1989, a second cohort of 116,430 female registered nurses from fifteen states aged 25-42 were similarly recruited into the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II). These cohort studies represent some of the largest analyses of women's health ever conducted, and have yielded telling results regarding health factors from cardiovascular disease to breast cancer to cognitive function. A summary of these outcomes can be found on the Nurses' Health Study website, which also has a more detailed history of the project, examples of biennial questionnaires, and a list of publications of NHS analyses (1978-2010).
The Nurses’ Health Study 3 (NHS3) began in 2010 and enrollment is ongoing with >50,000 participants
enrolled thus far. Eligible participants are nurses of any gender (currently working, not working, or
retired), nursing students of any gender, age 18 and over, born in 1965 or later, and living in the US or
Canada. NHS3 aims to represent nurses’ diverse backgrounds by expanding participation to include
female, male, and Canadian nurses and nursing students.
Growing Up Today Study (GUTS)
In 1996 and 2004, participants in NHS II were invited to enroll their children between the ages of 9 and
14 in a companion long-term study to investigate factors that influence weight change. This study is
called Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), and its scope has expanded to include substance use, eating
disorders, gender, sexual orientation, genetics, and environmental factors. Combined, the Growing Up
Today Study and the Nurses’ Health Study can be considered a cross-generational super-study, leading
to new insights and landmark findings in the field of public health research.
The Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS)
The Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) began in 1986. The purpose of the study is to evaluate
a series of hypotheses about men’s health relating nutritional factors to the incidence of serious
illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, and other vascular diseases. This all-male study is designed to
complement the all-female Nurses’ Health Study.
