Additional objectives include determining the prevalence of proximal risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, body mass index (BMI) and insulin resistance as well as of more distal risk factors of diet, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity, and the association between cardiovascular health and its risk factors with general measures of well-being and mental health. The new cohort includes collection of qualitative and quantitative data in an effort not only to describe the current health status of the cohort and assess individual level determinants but also to provide the appropriate context to interpret the role of behavioural factors and social circumstances on health.
Recruitment was completed on a new cohort of 2047 men and women aged 50-69 years from patients attending a single large primary care centre, the Living Health Clinic in Mitchelstown, a town with a population of 43000 in county Cork. The Living Health clinic includes eight GPs, and the practice serves a catchment area of 20 000, with a mix of urban and rural residents. Participants were randomly selected from all registered attending patients in the 50-69-year age group.
