The Thai Cohort

The Thai Cohort Study was established in 2005 in order to study the dynamics, drivers and impacts of the population transition from high maternal and child mortality and infectious disease to low mortality and chronic disease. We call this the ‘health-risk transition’ – synchronised change in causal risks and health outcomes affecting whole populations, with Thailand being a good example in the SE Asia region. This transition can be divided into overlapping or interacting component transitions such as the nutrition transition, the health system transition, sexual transition, the transport transition, the (formal) work transition and the environment transition (including urbanisation). As our understanding improves we are better able to inform governments about changing health service demands and changing prevention needs — with universal
health insurance and Thai obesity research being two prominent examples of national response.

Cohort members are distance-learning students who resided nationwide and were enrolled at the Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University when they responded to a 20-page baseline questionnaire in 2005 (n= 87,151). A four and eight year follow-up were conducted with a response rate of approximately 70% at each follow-up (n=60,569 in 2009 and n=42,785 in 2013). At 2005 baseline, median age was 29 years, roughly half the sample were females, and approximately half were urban residents.

For mortality data linkage, all cohort members have provided their Citizen ID number which was matched with death records from the Thai Ministry of Interior and subsequently linked with causes of death from the Ministry of Public Health. Up until November 2016, there were a total of 1,401 deaths among the Thai Cohort Study participants.

Last update: 22/01/2017

Types General population-based cohort
Participant Types No diagnosis
Countries Thailand
Genders Male and Female
Sample sizes 50,000 to 99,999
Ages 10 to 19|20 to 39|40 to 59|60 to 100
Brain related measures Mental health
Funtional rating
Anthropometric Blood pressure|Height|Weight
Physical
Biological samples
Genotyping
Brain imaging
Brain banking
Lifestyle Alcohol|Dietary habits|Physical activity|Smoking
Socio-economic Education|Ethnic group|Family circumstances|Housing and accommodation|Income and finances|Informal support|Marital status|Occupation and employment|Unpaid care
Health service utilisation Formal health and social care service utilisation including private care
Institute names Thailand’s Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University
Current Sample Sizes 50,000 to 99,999

age at recruitment >15
last updated
recruitment period 2004-5
estimated current sample size number value
cohort acronym
start date 2004-5
pi Professor Adrian Sleigh and Associate Professor Sam-ang Seubsman
website https://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/37/2/266.full.pdf+html
contact details Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University
Chaengwattana Road
Bangpood
Pakkret Nonthaburi
11120
Thailand
abstract  The Thai Cohort is a population study of 87,151 participants between 15 and 88 recruited in 2004-5. The aim of the cohort is to study the impacts or health risk transitions.
funders  International Collaborative Research Grants Scheme, Wellcome Trust UK and Australian NHMRC
contact email PI email: [email protected] PI email: [email protected]
contact phone number 
estimated current sample size
sample sizes 87151