Figure 1. Location and population of Hisayama
Figure 2. Age distributions of the Hisayama residents and all Japan
The Hisayama Study is a population-based prospective cohort study that has been conducted in the town of Hisayama, Japan since 1961.
The town of Hisayama is a typical rural area adjacent to Fukuoka City in Japan (Figure 1).
The reasons why the town of Hisayama were selected for this study were as follows:
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1) The residents of Hisayama have almost the same age and occupational distribution as the national average (Figure 2), making it a representative sample for the typical Japanese population.
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2) The town of Hisayama is located within 10 miles from Kyushu University, allowing us to keep close communications with residents.
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3) Variations of the town’s population have been small, enabling a follow-up survey with a low rate of loss to follow-up.
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4) The mayor and general practitioners in this town have been strongly supportive of the epidemiological research to improve the health condition of residents.