Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), 1998-2001: Family Medical History From Visits 02, 03, and 04

The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) is a multisite longitudinal, epidemiologic study designed to examine the health of women during their middle years. The study examines the physical, biological, psychological and social changes during this transitional period. The goal of SWAN's research is to help scientists, health care providers, and women learn how mid-life experiences affect health and quality of life during aging. The study is co-sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH), Office of Research on Women's Health. The study began in 1995 and is in its seventeenth year. Between 1998 and 2001, 2,829 of the 3,302 women that joined SWAN participated in a collection of family history data. The research centers are located in the following communities: Ypsilanti and Inkster, MI (University of Michigan); Boston, MA (Massachusetts General Hospital); Chicago, IL (Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center); Almeda and Contra Costa County, CA (University of California, Davis and Kaiser Permanente); Los Angeles, CA (University of California, Los Angeles); Hackensack, NJ (Hackensack University Medical Center); and Pittsburgh, PA (University of Pittsburgh). SWAN participants represent five racial/ethnic groups and a variety of backgrounds and cultures.