SCCS has provided and will continue to provide valuable data and biological samples for research to identify lifestyle and genetic determinants of cancer and other chronic diseases. - Dr. Wei Zheng, SCCS Principal Investigator
The Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS) is a unique ongoing prospective investigation tracking a population of approximately 85,000 adults, two-thirds African American, recruited in 12 southern states to investigate various chronic disease outcomes.  Most of the participants in the SCCS were identified from community health centers, institutions providing primary health and preventative services mainly to the medically uninsured, so that the cohort is made up of a segment of society (minority, poor, rural) seldom included in sizeable numbers in previous cohort studies.  The major goal of the SCCS is the elucidation of the determinants of cancer and other chronic diseases with special focus on the reasons for the higher incidence and mortality rates of many chronic illnesses among African Americans.  Information which has been and will continue to be produced from the SCCS will be of critical value in advancing understanding of the causes of the major health problems experienced by the American people, regardless of race, and in the eventual mitigation of health disparities.   

The establishment of the cohort and its follow-up have been enabled by R01 grant funding provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to Vanderbilt University and its collaborating institutions.  The SCCS is a chronic disease resource, however, and can be utilized to explore determinants of various health outcomes.  The cohort provides novel opportunities for additional research using the existing investment to take full advantage of the study’s unique capabilities.
KEY FEATURES OF THE ESTABLISHED SCCS COHORT INCLUDE:  
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  • Large study size (~ 85,000 adults) drawn from low-income and rural segments of society seldom previously included in health research
  • Assembly of one of the largest cohorts for assessing health behaviors and risk factors among the African American population
  • Availability of stored biologic specimens from which DNA can be extracted for ~90% of SCCS participants
  • Blood samples collected and stored for over 39,000 participants; urine samples for over 23,000
  • Inclusion of both Blacks and Whites of similar socioeconomic status, enables internal valid racial comparisons and quantification of disparities
  • Collection of extensive baseline information, mainly via in-person interviews, provides characteristics of the participants including:  education, income, occupation, tobacco and alcohol use, diet and nutrition, physical activity, anthropometrics, various prevalent medical conditions, medication use, family history, psychosocial factors, health service utilization and other attributes
  • High prevalence of numerous health conditions among cohort members, including obesity in over 40% and diabetes in 20%, enabling assessment of potentially interactive effects of comorbidities 
  • Routine follow up to ascertain and update mortality, cancer incidence and, for some residents of the cohort, hospitalizations and physician encounters via linkage with national and state registries
  • Periodic direct re-contact with study participants enabling the updating of exposure information