The Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS)

Over the past three decades, China is undergoing rapidly economic development. At the same time, the Western diet and urban lifestyle has been more common than before, which may lead to an increase of incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases, such as diabetes and malignancies. Notably, the current generation of Chinese adults, particularly those in their middle age or older, were born in an era where hardship and rationing was the norm and witnessed a social and epidemiological transition that might have a profound effect on their present health. In contrast, the younger generation is raised in relative material abundance, under the influence of traditional Chinese values such as a strong family orientation and an emphasis on academic success. A birth cohort with would provide an opportunity to examine the short- and long-term effects of exposure in early life on health consequences in this younger generation, in the context of rapid development in China.