Cohort profile: The Xinjiang Multiethnic Cohort (XMC) study

Abstract

PurposeTo investigate the potential causal link between heredity, geographical environment, diet and other lifestyle factors with long-term health consequences, we established the Xinjiang Multiethnic Cohort Study (XMC), the first large-scale prospective cohort in Xinjiang, China.ParticipantsXMC commenced in 2018 and enrolled participants from three study sites (Urumqi, Hotan and Ili) in Xinjiang, China. Data collected include standard baseline questionnaire, physical measurement, biological specimen. In addition, about one-third of participants were assessed habitual diet by a more detailed semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire which included 127 foods items at baselineFindings to dateFinally, a total of 30 949 participants, with 32.37% from Urumqi, 41.75% from Hotan, and 25.88% from Ili were recruited in XMC. The average age of participants was 56.21 years for men, and 54.75 years for women. More than 60% of participants in all three survey sites reported an average consumption of fruit and vegetable three or more times per week. In Hotan and Ili, the staple food was wheaten food, whereas, in Urumqi, rice and wheaten food was the food staples. Consumption of white meat, such as fish and poultry, was lower in the three survey locations. Based on self-reported disease from study participants, the five most common chronic diseases among participants across all three survey locations were dyslipidaemia, hypertension, cholecystitis, diabetes, ischaemic heart disease.Future plansFirst, we will collect all health-related records of the study participants in January each year for the previous year. Second, 10% of subjects were randomly selected for telephone follow-up in the final year of cohort building. Finally, as planned, we will revisit the study subjects on site every 2–3 years. Again, we will conduct face-to-face questionnaires and collect biological specimens such as blood and urine from the study subjects.

Association between abdominal obesity indices and risk of cardiovascular events in Chinese populations with type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study

“…In brief, the XMC study was designed to explore the influences of genetics, environmental exposures, and lifestyle on health outcomes. Details of the XMC have been presented in a previous paper [ 29 ].…”

Dyslipidemia trends in young adults in Xinjiang, China

“…Genetic factors and mutations in several genes are closely related to different ethnic lipid levels, and the main problem is considered to be in the diet, and the Uighur and Kazakh eat more noodles, meat, dairy products and high salt foods than the Han. This means that their saturated fats and trans fats content are high [21] . This may indicate that these ethnic blood lipid levels in Xinjiang differ from puberty to early childhood.…”

Characteristics of gut microbiota and fecal metabolomes in patients with celiac disease in Northwest China

“…These factors also lead to the special dietary habits of its residents, diet plays an important role in regulating the composition of human gut microbiota and metabolic activities, and dietary factors in early life may largely determine the risk of future health or disease ( Chen et al, 2018 ; Valitutti et al, 2019 ; Trakman et al, 2022 ). The intake of carbohydrates and fat in the dietary structure of Xinjiang is high, while the intake of micronutrients, dietary fiber and high-quality protein is low ( Yin et al, 2020 ; Tao et al, 2022 ). Because of its unique geographical environment, genetic background, population composition, and dietary culture, the fecal microbial composition and metabolome characteristics of patients with CD was unique in this region.…”