In conclusion, the UK Biobank cohort is not representative of the general population with regard to a number of sociodemographic, physical, lifestyle, and health-related characteristics. UK Biobank participants generally live in less socioeconomically deprived areas; are less likely to be obese, to smoke, and to drink alcohol on a daily basis; and have fewer self-reported health conditions. All-cause mortality is approximately half that of the UK population as a whole, and total cancer incidence rates are approximately 10%–20% lower. Although UK Biobank is not suitable for deriving generalizable disease prevalence and incidence rates, its large size and heterogeneity of exposure measures provide valid scientific inferences of associations between exposures and health conditions that are generalizable to other populations.
