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cohort studies worldwide, the "National
Cohort" which plans to recruit 200,000
individuals, starting 2013 (see also page
107). In the BMBF funded feasibility studies,
our unit investigated strategies to recruit
migrants. In addition, the unit is involved in
several other sub-projects.
Stroke epidemiology
Project team:
Heiko Becher, Anton Safer, Gabriele Stiegl-
bauer
External Collaborations:
Prof. Armin Grau and Dr. Frederik Palm,
Ludwigshafen; PD Dr. Caspar Grond-
Ginsbach, Heidelberg
For several years, the unit has been col-
laborating with the group of Prof. Armin
Grau, Ludwigshafen, in the field of stroke
epidemiology. Most recently, we have fini-
shed data ascertainment for a case-control
study with 475 cases and 810 controls. The
primary aim of the study is to investigate
inflammation, genetic factors and social
determinants as risk factors for ischemic
stroke and their interaction. In addition,
we analyse, together with the colleagues in
Ludwigshafen, data from the ongoing stroke
registry.
Biostatistical methods in
epidemiology
Project team:
Heiko Becher, Eva Lorenz, Volker Winkler
External collaborations:
Prof. Sauerbrei, Freiburg; Prof Royston, Lon-
don, Prof. Siemiaticky and Prof. Abrahamo-
wizc, Montreal; Prof. Kauermann, München
Developing appropriate statistical methods
for complex epidemiological data is impor-
tant. We focus on two areas. Dose-response
modelling is of particular importance if the
relationship between the dose of an agent
and the disease risk is to be estimated.
Often the distributions of these exposures
are complex, and involve a part of the popu-
lation which is unexposed, and another part
which has a specific, continuously distribu-
ted exposure. Estimating a dose-response
function is more complex in such a situation
and we have developed a method which
can be applied. In this project, funded
by the German Research Foundation, we
investigate further statistical properties and
develop multivariable extension:
›› Analysis of dose-response relationships
in epidemiology with spike at zero
›› Person-year estimation with incomplete
follow-up
›› Using penalized spline to model age- and
season-of-birth-dependent effects of
childhood mortality risk factors in rural
Burkina Faso
Projects in migration/
social epidemiology
›› Changing risk factor patterns for
cardiovascular and cerebrovascular
diseases (CVD) in a large cohort of
migrants in Augsburg
›› Mortality of ethnic German immigrants
from the former Soviet Union in
Germany – The AMOR study
›› Cancer incidence and mortality of
German immigrants in the Saarland
(AMOR-Saar)
›› Nested Case-control study on cardio-
vascular risk factors among Aussiedler
›› Mortality of migrants from the former
Soviet Union to Germany and Israel –
a comparative study
›› The National Cohort – migrant
research, feasibility studies and
cohort recruitment
Mortality from cardiovascular diseases in
Europe: a striking example of the diffe-
rences in health and risk factors between
countries of migrant origin and destination
(dark blue: high risk, light blue: low risk).