Singapore Chinese Health Study
The Singapore Chinese Health Study represents one of the largest population-based Asian cohorts in the world with high quality prospective data on exposure and comprehensive capture of morbidity and mortality. The Study’s founding Principal Investigators (PIs) are Dr Mimi Yu and Emeritus Professor Lee Hin Peng. The current PIs are Professor Koh Woon Puay and Professor Jian-min Yuan (for the NIH grant). The main objective of the Study is to build a stable cohort for long-term study of dietary, genetic and environmental determinants of cancer and other chronic diseases in Singapore. The study was established between April 1993 and December 1998 through the recruitment of a residential cohort of 63,257 Chinese men (n=27,959) and women (n=35,298) who were aged 45-74 years and resided in public housing estates in Singapore. The research from SCHS has received much scientific interest and reputation as evidenced by over 220 publications in high impact journals and continued support in funding from the National Institutes of Health, USA. The Ministry of Health in Singapore regards SCHS as a significant undertaking in the field of epidemiology locally, and is actively collaborating with and supporting the Study.
One of the major strengths of SCHS is its ability to examine potential disease-protective dietary factors that are rarely consumed among the well-studied occidental populations. Given the distinct genetic and lifestyle factors of the SCHS subjects compared with other populations, the information obtained from these studies will not only provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of disease development, but also aid in developing prevention strategies. The wide range of exposure on various foods such as soy, tea and vegetables among the Study’s subjects also allows for an efficient examination of the effects of these dietary compounds on disease protection.
One such study conducted with SCHS data found that adherence to the ‘Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension’ (DASH) dietary pattern was associated with substantially lower risk of coronary artery disease and stroke mortality. Watch a short summary animation of the study’s findings here.