The SCCS:
A National Resource for Investigating Health Disparities
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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