Fact Check: "The Nurses Health Study began in 1976 and includes over 280,000 participants."
What We Know
The Nurses' Health Study (NHS) is a long-term epidemiological study that began in 1976. It was initially launched with 121,700 registered nurses who were aged 30 to 55 at the time of enrollment. The study has since expanded to include additional cohorts, such as the Nurses' Health Study II, which started in 1989 and included 116,000 participants, primarily younger nurses. As of the latest updates, the total number of participants across all cohorts of the Nurses' Health Study exceeds 280,000, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of women's health in the world (source).
Analysis
The claim that "The Nurses Health Study began in 1976 and includes over 280,000 participants" is accurate in its assertion regarding the start date and the scale of participation. The original cohort of the NHS indeed began in 1976 with 121,700 participants, and the total number of participants across all cohorts has surpassed 280,000. This figure includes both the original NHS and the subsequent NHS II, which collectively contribute to a wealth of data on women's health issues (source).
The reliability of this information is supported by the extensive documentation and research outputs from the NHS, which are widely cited in academic literature. The sources of this information are credible, as they originate from established health research institutions and peer-reviewed studies.
Conclusion
Verdict: Unverified
While the claim about the Nurses' Health Study beginning in 1976 is true, the specific figure of "over 280,000 participants" is somewhat ambiguous without context. The original cohort had 121,700 participants, but when considering subsequent cohorts, the total does exceed 280,000. Therefore, while the claim is largely accurate, it lacks precision regarding the breakdown of participants across different cohorts.