cohorten

Cohorten is the plural form used in Dutch to refer to multiple cohorts, i.e., groups of individuals sharing a defining characteristic who are followed over time in research. The term is common in Dutch epidemiology, demography, and social science literature.

Definition: A cohort is defined by a shared attribute such as birth year, geography, occupation, or exposure status, and is observed longitudinally to assess outcomes.

Applications: Cohorts are used to study incidence and progression of diseases, vaccine effectiveness, aging, migration, or behavioral trends. Researchers may compare outcomes across cohorten or within a single cohort over time.

Methodology: Studies enroll participants into cohorts, collect baseline data, and perform follow-up assessments at intervals. Analyses include incidence rates, survival analysis, and regression models to estimate risk and association while accounting for confounding and censoring.

Etymology and usage notes: The term cohorten reflects Dutch pluralization of the English loanword cohort. German uses Kohorten; English uses cohorts. In Dutch, cohorten appears in plural contexts and is less common in casual speech than the English plural.

See also: Cohort study, Longitudinal study, Epidemiology, Demography.