ELSA-Brasil is a multicentre cohort study that began in 2008–2010 with 15,105 civil servants from 35 to 74 years of age, affiliated with six public institutions in the Northeast, South and Southeast regions of Brazil. Participants answered face-to-face questionnaires on sociodemographic aspects, health-related habits and behaviours, medical history and mental health and underwent clinical examinations. Additional information on this cohort is available in a previous publication [21].