Cohort Profile: Shanghai University of Sport (SUS) Longitudinal Cohort Study of Alumni Health Tracking

BackgroundThe Shanghai University of Sport (SUS) Longitudinal Cohort Study (SUS Cohort) was established to investigate the influence of lifestyle and modifiable behavioural factors in early adulthood on the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life. The cohort aims to identify novel biomarkers and explore mechanisms underlying chronic diseases using a multi-omics approach.MethodsThe SUS Cohort study is a prospective cohort study of undergraduate students between 2018 and 2019, with follow-ups conducted every two years during early adulthood and every ten years thereafter. Comprehensive data collection includes body composition measurements, lifestyle surveys, physical fitness tests, and clinical laboratory tests. Multi-omics analysis, including genome-wide genotyping, gut microbiome and serum metabolome, is integrated to provide insights into disease pathophysiology.ResultsA total of 1,758 participants aged 18 to 22(mean age: 18.64 ± 3.15) were conducted from baseline surveys, with a follow-up period between September 2021 and September 2022. The median age at baseline was 18 years, and the proportion of female participants was about 871(49.5%). Of the initial participants, 1,055 individuals (60%) completed the follow-up.ConclusionThe SUS Cohort provides multidimensional data to study how early-life factors influence long-term health outcomes.