Figure 1

Flow diagram for participant recruitment into the cohort in 1973/74. ^*Reasons for non-participation in first round of recruitment (sample of non-participants, n = 2,382): Recently participated in another health examination (n = 371), work (n = 328), temporarily away (n = 281), no contact (n = 321), change of residence (n = 224), illness at home (n = 152), no remembrance of reason (n = 149), refusal (n = 149), hospitalised (n = 115), did not receive parcel (n = 64), forgot to come (n = 48), old age (n = 35), recently dead (n = 28), long distance to examination local (n = 24), fear of physicians and/or dentists (n = 20), dislike of mass investigations (n = 18), pregnancy (n = 10), other reasons (n = 45). ^†Reasons for non-participation in second round of recruitment: Change of residence (n = 308), no contact (n = 97), recently dead (n = 84), refusal (n = 84), temporarily away (n = 11), hospitalised (n = 10), recently participated in another health examination (n = 5), illness at home (n = 4), dislike of mass investigations (n = 3), fear of physicians and/or dentists (n = 1), work (n = 1), other reasons (n = 10). ^‡Reasons for exclusion: MI event prior to entry into cohort (n = 79), data missing/unreadable (n = 60), no birth date (n = 23), surveyed two times (n = 15), changed personal identification number between 1973 and 1998 (n = 14), incorrect personal identification number (n = 8), duplicated study ID (n = 1).