Epidemiological studies investigate the prevalence and incidence of diseases and their risk factors. Most studies focus on a few individual, specific diseases such as myocardial infarction, stroke and diabetes mellitus. However, one’s health status does not only depend on the presence or absence of disease, but is also determined by a number of other influencing factors which often interact and have complex effects. These factors include social and job-related factors, detrimental health behaviours as well as many mental and physical disorders and diseases.
Because all over the world, there exist only a few studies that examine health all-embracing, a main reason for initiating the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) was to shed light on the complex nature of health.
Another important aspect for the commencing of SHIP was a lack of information concerning population relevant diseases and their risk factors in Eastern Germany following the German reunification in 1990. High morbidity and mortality rates were mainly seen in the North Eastern part of the country which clearly needed further investigation.
Aims
The SHIP study´s main aims include the investigation of health in all its aspects and complexity involving the collection and assessment of data relevant to the prevalence and incidence of common, population-relevant diseases and their risk factors. The important medical areas of investigation include:
- cardiovascular diseases
- diabetes mellitus
- liver and biliary tract diseases
- neurological diseases
- thyroid diseases
- dental diseases
- lung diseases
- addiction and risk behaviour
In addition extensive data were collected concerning family and work environment, social relationships, chronic diseases, nutrition and health care utilisation. Standardised methods are used to allow collaboration and comparison with results of other studies from around the world and also to draw conclusions from regional differences.
