European Prospective Investigation of Cancer Norfolk

The Norfolk component of the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC) recruited over 30,000 people from 1993 to 2000. EPIC-Norfolk participants are men and women who were aged between 40 and 79 when they joined the study and who lived in Norwich and the surrounding towns and rural areas. They have been contributing information about their diet, lifestyle and health through questionnaires and health checks over two decades.

Following baseline data collection the cohort has been followed up at 18 months by questionnaire, 3 years (1997-2000) – second health check and questionnaire, 10 years – health questionnaire , 13 years (2006-2011) – third Health examination and questionnaire.

The primary aim of the ten country half a million international EPIC collaboration is to examine the relationships between diet and incident cancers; that is, cancers which have developed after they joined the study. This broadened to include lifestyle and genetic factors and other diseases

A secondary aim is to study the relationship between dietary intake and other diseases and disease risk factors. In EPIC-Norfolk, these include heart attacks and strokes, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, dementia, eye diseases and many others. We are also studying the link between disease and other factors, such as psychosocial health.

EPIC Norfolk is part of the Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), a multi-million pound public-private partnership to accelerate progress in dementias research.

Last update: 07/12/2017