China–Cornell–Oxford Project

{{Short description|1980s observational study on diet in China}} The '''China–Cornell–Oxford Project''', short for the "China-Oxford-Cornell Study on Dietary, Lifestyle and Disease Mortality Characteristics in 65 Rural Chinese Counties," was a large observational study conducted throughout the 1980s in rural China, a partnership between Cornell University, the University of Oxford, and the government of China.<ref name=history>{{cite web |title=A history of the China Study |url=https://nutritionstudies.org/the-china-study/ |website=T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies |accessdate=21 August 2020}}</ref> The study compared the health consequences of diets rich in animal-based foods to diets rich in plant-based foods among people who were genetically similar. In May 1990, ''The New York Times'' termed the study "the Grand Prix of epidemiology".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brody |first1=Jane E. |title=Huge Study Of Diet Indicts Fat And Meat |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/08/science/huge-study-of-diet-indicts-fat-and-meat.html?scp=8&sq=%22T.%20Colin%20Campbell%22&st=cse |accessdate=21 August 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=8 May 1990}}</ref>

== Background == The idea for the study began in 1980–81 during discussions between T. Colin Campbell at Cornell University and Chen Junshi, Deputy Director of Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene at the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. They were later joined by Richard Peto of the University of Oxford—Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology as of 2012—and Li Junyao of the China Cancer Institute.<ref name=history/><ref name="study">{{cite book |last1=Junshi |first1=Chen |last2=Boqi |first2=Liu |last3=Wenharn |first3=Pan |last4=Campbell |first4=Colin |last5=Peto |first5=Richard |title=Geographic study of mortality, biochemistry, diet and lifestyle in rural China |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University |url=http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/~china/monograph/ |archive-date=6 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306122055/http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/~china/monograph/ |accessdate=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Campbell |first1=T. Colin |last2=Junshi |first2=Chen |last3=Brun |first3=Thierry |last4=Parpia |first4=Banoo |last5=Yinsheng |first5=Qu |last6=Chumming |first6=Chen |last7=Geissler |first7=Catherine |title=China: From diseases of poverty to diseases of affluence. policy implications of the epidemiological transition |journal=Ecology of Food and Nutrition |date=May 1992 |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=133–144 |doi=10.1080/03670244.1992.9991235 |bibcode=1992EcoFN..27..133C }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Segelken |first1=Roger |title=Asians' switch to Western diet might bring Western-type diseases, new China-Taiwan study suggests |url=https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2001/06/china-study-ii-western-diet-might-bring-western-disease |accessdate=21 August 2020 |work=Cornell Chronicle |date=25 June 2001 |language=en}}</ref>

== Studies == In 1983 two villages were chosen at random in each of 65 rural counties in China, and 50 families were chosen at random in each village for a total of 6,500 people. The dietary habits of one adult member of each family were examined—half male, half female—and the results compared to the death rates in those counties from around 48 forms of cancers and other diseases during 1973–1975.<ref name="study" /><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Junshi |editor1-first=Chen |editor2-last=Campbell |editor2-first=T. Colin |editor3-last=Junyao |editor3-first=Li |editor4-last=Peto |editor4-first=R. |title=Diet, lifestyle, and mortality in China: a study of the characteristics of 65 Chinese counties |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-19-261843-6}}</ref>

The first two major studies were led by T. Colin Campbell, professor of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell, who summarized the results in his book, ''The China Study'' (2005). Other lead researchers were Chen Junshi, Deputy Director of Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene at the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine in Beijing, Richard Peto of the University of Oxford, and Li Junyao of the China Cancer Institute.<ref name=history/>

==References== {{Reflist}} {{refbegin}} *{{cite journal |last1=Byers |first1=Tim |title=Book Reviews: Diet, lifestyle, and mortality in China: a study of the characteristics of 65 Chinese counties |journal=American Journal of Epidemiology |date=15 May 1992 |volume=135 |issue=10 |pages=1180–1181 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116219 }} *{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/S1095-6433(03)00016-3 |title=Fish consumption, blood docosahexaenoic acid and chronic diseases in Chinese rural populations |year=2003 |last1=Wang |first1=Yiqun |last2=Crawford |first2=Michael A. |last3=Chen |first3=Junshi |last4=Li |first4=Junyao |last5=Ghebremeskel |first5=Kebreab |last6=Campbell |first6=T.Colin |last7=Fan |first7=Wenxun |last8=Parker |first8=Robert |last9=Leyton |first9=Julius |journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A |volume=136 |pmid=14527635 |pages=127–40 |issue=1 }} {{refend}}

Category:1980s in China Category:Epidemiological study projects Category:Health in China Category:Research in China Category:Cornell University Category:Nutrition Category:Health effects of food and nutrition