ABSTRACT
The Alameda County Study was designed as a prospective epidemiologic study to evaluate the role of social and psychological factors in health with a particular emphasis on cancer outcomes. Although follow-up in traditional epidemiologic studies has generally been concerned with the measurement of disease outcomes and mortality, the inclusion of repeated measures of risk factors, confounders, and effect modifiers have made traditional epidemiologic studies such as the Alameda County Study an excellent source of longitudinal information that can be used to study aging processes. Kaplan’s excellent presentation provides an introduction to the possibilities inherent in the study.
