What is the JPHC-NEXT?
The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT) is being conducted to obtain evidence to support the maintenance and improvement of healthy life, including cancer prevention, and to contribute toward the establishment of personalized healthcare. The study is supported by the National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund (Principal Investigator: Shoichiro Tsugane, Director of Center for Public Health and Sciences, National Cancer Center) in collaboration with 16 cities, towns and villages in 7 prefectures, national centers, regional public health centers, universities, research institutions, medical institutions, etc.
Background of Study
Elucidating preventive factors against barriers to a healthy life, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease - major causes of death which lower quality of life (QOL) - is important in expanding healthy life expectancy in Japan. Beginning in 1990, we have conducted the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (JPHC Study), consisting of 140,000 residents aged 40 to 69 years who lived within 11 public health center-based areas nationwide in 1990-1994. The JPHC Study has since yielded more than 300 papers published on associations between potential etiologic factors and the incidence of or mortality from cancer, cardiovascular disease and other diseases associated with shorter life expectancy.
However, lifestyle and life-environment factors among the Japanese population have undergone drastic changes during these decades, and many molecular epidemiological studies have reported associations between genetic and environmental factors and diseases and identified biomarkers that may be useful in predicting disease risk in individuals. The addition of such biomarker information to environmental factors will be helpful in establishing personalized healthcare.
Japan has experienced a rapid aging of the population, resulting from a decline in the birthrate. In 2017, the proportion of deaths due to cancer, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease were 28.7%, 15.2% and 9.4%, respectively. In addition, the 2016 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan showed that dementia and fractures or falls are the major causes of the need for assistance or long-term care, accounting for 24.8% and 10.8% of in-home recipients, respectively. Given that average life expectancy in Japan is already among the highest in the world and is increasing, efforts to extend healthy life expectancy will require the elucidation of preventive factors for not only life-style related diseases but also functional disability. Therefore, research on the extension of healthy life expectancy in an aging society is an urgent issue.
Aim
The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT) was launched in 2011 to elucidate the risk and protective factors for lifestyle-related disease, and to contribute to the development of personalized healthcare.
Baseline survey
The JPHC-NEXT is population-based cohort study being conducted in 16 municipalities of seven prefectural areas across Japan (see map). The target population for the JPHC-NEXT is the total of 260,000 residents aged 40-74 years who were registered in the basic resident register at the time of enrollment, in 2011-2016. We distributed a self-administered questionnaire to all members of the target population and asked them to report their lifestyle; for example, their personal medical history, smoking, alcohol drinking, and dietary habits (including 172 food items), and also asked them to participate in a long follow-up study. We also asked the participants to donate blood and urine samples for research purposes on the occasion of their routine health check-up and comprehensive medical examination by their local government. We also settled the occasion of blood and urine donation for solely this study.
Cohort participants
In the baseline study, 115,385 persons (44.1% of total residents; 53,210 men and 62,175 women) consented to participate in the study, including for completing the questionnaire, the collection of information on medical history, medical expenses, health care insurance, cancer registry, residence registry and death certificate.
Additionally, 55,278 people of these enrollees also provided biospecimens (blood and urine), with informed consent, including genetic analysis.
Article about design and participant
Article about design and participant in the JPHC-NEXT was published.
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