Cohort study

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Type of epidemiological study in which a defined population of individuals with known exposures to different levels of factors of interest in the risk of particular diseases (e.g. exposure to radiation in respect of the risk of leukaemia) is followed over time to investigate the rate of occurrence of diseases of interest (e.g. lung cancer) at the different levels of exposure. This type of epidemiological study design is frequently used in occupational studies of large groups of workers. Often referred to as ‘prospective study’ or ‘follow-up study’ because members of the cohort are followed prospectively to determine whether or not they develop the disease(s) of interest (although a cohort can be ‘historical’ in that it was defined at a point in the past).

ICRP Publication 150, 2021

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ICRP Glossary 2021

Type of epidemiological study in which a population exposed to different levels of an agent (e.g. radiation) is followed over time for the occurrence of diseases. This type of epidemiological design was applied to the Japanese atomic bomb survivor study (Life Span Study) and most often used in underground miner studies on health effects of radon.

from ICRP Publication 115, 2010

Type of epidemiological study in which a population exposed to different levels of radon and its progeny is followed over time for the occurrence of diseases (including lung cancer). This type of epidemiological design was most often used in underground miner studies. The exposure in time was considered for each individual on an annual basis.