Table 1

Characteristics of the six cohort studies included in the pooled analysis of the association of alcohol consumption with all-cause and major causes of mortality

Study	Population	Age (years) at baseline survey	Year(s) of baseline survey	Population size	Rate of response (%) to baseline questionnaire	Method of follow-up	In present pooled analysis
							Age (years)	Last follow-up time	Mean duration of follow-up (years)	Size of cohort		Number of total deaths
							Age (years)	Last follow-up time	Mean duration of follow-up (years)	Men	Women	Men	Women
JPHC-I	Japanese residents of 5 public health centre areas in Japan	40–59	1990	61595	82%	Death certificates	40–59	2005	14.2	23283	26199	2412	1204
JPHC-II	Japanese residents of 6 public health centre areas in Japan	40–69	1993–1994	78825	80%	Death certificates	40–69	2005	11.3	28344	32543	3591	1826
JACC	Residents from 45 areas throughout Japan	40–79	1988–1990	110792	83%	Death certificates	40–79	2006	14.6	35926	51672	9061	6884
MIYAGI	Residents of 14 municipalities in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan	40–64	1990	47605	92%	Death certificates	40–64	2004 (all causes), 2001 (cause specific)	13.4 10.3	21552	19166	2240	887
OHSAKI	Residents of 14 municipalities in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan	40–79	1994	52029	95%	Death certificates	40–79	2006	10.0	21552	19766	3793	1841
TAKAYAMA	Japanese residents of Takayama, Gifu, Japan	≥35	1992	31552	85%	Death certificates	35–101	1999	6.9	13355	15724	1163	899
Total									12.4	144012	165070	22260	13541

JPHC, Japan Public Health Center-based prospective Study; JACC, Japan Collaborative Cohort Study; MIYAGI, Miyagi Cohort Study; OHSAKI, Ohsaki National Health Insurance Cohort Study; TAKAYAMA: Takayama Study.