The EPITeen longitudinal project - the cohort of 1990 - started with a research team from ISPUP, Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, and is the first longitudinal study ever organized in Portugal.
It began in 2003/4, constituting a database of individuals born in 1990 and attending all schools (public and private) in Oporto, and has been following the health and pathways of 2942 individuals throughout their life. They were surveyed at 13, 17 and 21 years old.
Its main goal is to understand how the habits and behaviors acquired in adolescence are going to reflect on adult health.
A multidisciplinary team of health professionals has collected information through questionnaires and objective measurements related to health such as blood pressure, weight and height, bone mineral density and respiratory function. Blood tests are also carried out. Additionally, a wide range of questions relating to several social indicators, both of the youngsters as of their parents, were included.
