Nurses' Health Study 3

07/24/2025

Did you know the NHS3 is 15? June 2025 marks the 15th anniversary of the Nurses’ Health Study 3. Over the past 15 years, NHS3 has enriched/enhanced the fields of reproductive health, occupational health, and environmental health, among others. We are incredibly grateful to our participants who have contributed to the study by filling out study questionnaires and providing biospecimens. We can’t wait to see what lies ahead in the next 15 years!

We love to hear from you and value your input, drop a comment below and tell us what you’d like to see from NHS3 in the next 15 years.

07/18/2025

Are all your children the same s*x? It’s not a coincidence! A new NHS3 publication released today investigates the rising questions about whether s*x at birth is truly random.

Key Findings:
-In summary, we found that s*x at birth did not follow a simple binomial distribution when women, rather than pregnancies, were the unit of analysis.
-Both biological factors and reproductive decisions to delay childbearing may contribute to the observed phenotype of s*x clustering within families.
-Future research is warranted to study the extent to which each of these factors explains the s*x clustering within families.
-Until then, families desiring offspring of more than one s*x who have already had two or three children of the same s*x should be aware that when trying for their next one, they are probably doing a coin toss with a two-headed coin.

Read The Full Research Article Here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu7402

06/13/2025

Check out this recent article in the Harvard Gazette featuring NHS researcher Dr. JoAnn Manson. Since the 1980s, Dr. Manson has dedicated her career to the primary prevention of chronic diseases. She began her research career at the Nurses’ Health Study and has gone on to lead cardiovascular research efforts within the Nurses’ Health Study cohorts for the past 26 years. Throughout her research, both in the NHS and elsewhere, Dr. Manson has demonstrated how lifestyle choices impact chronic disease outcomes. She has contributed to over 1,800 publications and is recognized by Research.com as the World’s Top Female Scientist.

Find this article by visiting the NHS3 Insights blog at nhs3.org/insights

05/30/2025

In September 2024, the Nurses’ Health Study 3 (NHS3) established a nurse-led Advisory Board. The Board advises NHS3 leadership on effective strategies to engage current and prospective participants in research and how best to fulfill the study’s Mission & Vision. The Board, composed of nurses with expertise in various disciplines, ensures that nursing perspectives and expertise are integrated into the study's work.

You can read the complete blog post about the board on our website at nhs3.org/insights/

05/12/2025

Check out this recent article that highlights the Nurses’ Health Studies and the significant contributions made over nearly 50 years. Heather Eliassen, co-principal investigator of the first and second generations of the NHS, and Jorge Chavarro, principal investigator of NHS3, discuss how the Nurses’ Health Study “continues to push through barriers to improve public health.”

Key Contributions:
-The NHS has tracked three generations of nurses, examining how factors such as lifestyle, social relationships, and mental health affect overall health.
-Over 4,000 peer-reviewed research papers have been published, with new papers still emerging today.
The NHS has demonstrated that there are many steps we can take to reduce our risk of developing chronic diseases.
-The NHS has influenced U.S. dietary guidelines and labeling, including the landmark findings linking trans fats to heart disease. The subsequent ban on trans fats in the U.S. has prevented an estimated 1 million premature deaths.

Read the full article here: https://mgriblog.org/2025/04/30/how-the-nurses-health-study-transformed-public-health/

05/06/2025

Happy Nurses Week! The theme for Nurses Week 2025 is "The Power of Nurses." Nurses have the power to impact research with their valuable experience and knowledge. Their contributions as researchers and study participants lead to advancements in healthcare, addressing health disparities, improving patient outcomes, and promoting the well-being of nurses. Thank you, nurses, for all you do to advance research. NHS3 would not exist without your dedication!

03/14/2025

Happy World Sleep Day!

Today provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the significance of sleep health. NHS3 is improving scientific understanding of the connections between sleep and health by regularly asking participants about their sleep patterns. Additionally, as part of an NHS3 sub-study, some participants have been provided with consumer wearables to learn even more about how sleep duration and quality impact their health.

Investigator Jaime Hart wrote a blog post discussing NHS3’s contributions to sleep health research. Check out our blog at nhs3.org/insights



World Sleep Society

02/28/2025

Happy Heart Month!

In the US, heart disease is the leading cause of death. American Heart Month aims to raise awareness of the conditions and habits that can impact heart health. NHS3 is working to learn how we can better prevent, diagnose, and treat heart conditions.

NHS3 is funded in part by an infrastructure grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). This grant funds projects that assess heart health and related biomarkers, including collecting medical records related to stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) and evaluating biospecimens for biomarkers that may be associated with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.


For more information about the Biospecimen Collection, visit our website at https://www.nhs3.org/for-participants/sub-studies/

02/21/2025

February is Black History Month, a time to honor the achievements and contributions of African Americans. This year's theme is "African Americans and Labor," which highlights the important contributions of African Americans in the workforce. We’re spotlighting the exhibit “Making a Way Out of No Way” at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. One chapter, "Midwives: Tradition and Transition," showcases the essential role of Black midwives throughout history. In the early 1900s, they were the primary caregivers for pregnant individuals and newborns. Today, Black Midwives continue to support expectant families while advocating for solutions to address the disproportionately high maternal mortality rates among Black women. The Nurses’ Health Study 3 population includes Midwives, reflecting their ongoing significance in modern medicine.

To explore the exhibit, visit the Museum’s website at https://www.searchablemuseum.com/an-enterprising-spirit/

01/31/2025

Check out our latest blog post, highlighting some of NHS3’s achievements from 2024. Over the past year, NHS3 established a mission and vision, published findings, collected new data, and secured funding for future projects. We sincerely appreciate your support and participation in NHS3.

You can read the complete blog post on our website at nhs3.org/insights/ or in our Linktree under “NHS3 Insights”

01/16/2025

Check out our latest blog post featuring Melissa Pérez Capotosto, a dedicated NHS3 participant and research collaborator. We discuss her experiences in the nursing field, her participation in NHS3, and how she has leveraged NHS3 data to advance her own research.

You can find the complete interview on our website at nhs3.org/insights/ or in our Linktree under “NHS3 Insights”

12/19/2024

We are sharing an opportunity to participate in dissertation research from a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. The study is recruiting nurses with a history of cancer to explore their work limitations, cancer symptoms, quality of life, and perceptions of their work environment. Please see the flyer for more information from Studies for Nurses with Cancer.

This research is not affiliated with the Nurses’ Health Study.

Sigma Nursing

Are you a nurse with a cancer diagnosis? Share your insights in a 1-hour research survey to help improve work support for nurses with cancer.