One advantage of UK Biobank is the recruitment of participants from ethnic minority groups in sufficient numbers to enable meaningful comparisons of different ethnic groups. Ethnic groups are known to differ in their risk of a number of conditions including cardiovascular disease and mental health. For example Pakistani people have a high risk of heart disease and chinese people a high risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Understanding these differences and the reasons for them is of assistance in ensuring the appropriateness and effectiveness of screening, investigation and treatment interventions.
The aim of this study is to compare the different ethnic minority groups in terms of the amount and type of disease, the distribution by age, sex and socioeconomic deprivation and the lifestyle and environmental factors that are associated with the presence of disease.
In this study we will access only questionnaire and measurement data and compare ethnic sub-groups in terms of these data. At a later date, once available, we will be able to compare these sub-groups in terms of their biochemistry assays and follow-up events. Therefore, this initial study will focus on comparisons of risk and only later will we be able to make comparisons of actual disease occurrence.