DIKE's Survey of the Health Profile in Denmark, 1986-87

The purpose of the survey is to examine health and health behaviour in Denmark. A lot of information is available on what people die of in this country. It is also well-known which diseases cause hospital admission. However, people cope with the majority of the symptoms, inconveniences and health problems themselves, and precise information is lacking as regards these issues. Likewise, little is known about what the average Dane does in everyday life in order to remain healthy. The survey also deals with whether people have consulted a nature healer and the reason for employing alternative treatment. # Denmark has joined the WHO-project 'Health For All by the Year 2000' (Sundhed for alle år 2000). As a part of this health political program Denmark has to provide the WHO with a status every third year of the development in the country. It is therefore necessary to carry out this type of representative surveys - otherwise it will not be possible to assess whether the health status has improved or declined. The idea is that in the future the health of the Danish population will be mapped out in this way every third or fourth year. # The survey is based on extracts from DIKE's health database with personal interviews with a representative sample of Danes aged 15 or more. The survey population consists of the national sample supplemented with representative samples from the counties of Frederiksborg and Funen. The data were collected by means of personal interviews in the period 1986-1987 by the permanent interviewing staff of the Danish National Institute of Social Research. Interviews were carried out in three rounds: September 1986, February 1987, and May/June 1987. # A total of 5950 persons were included in the sample, and 4753 of these participated in the survey (response percentage: 80; the loss is characterized by the fact that old people living in the metropolitan area and singles were underrepresented in the survey). In the first interview round the data material was obtained by means of two questionnaires: questionnaire 1 to all respondents, and questionnaire 2 to respondents in the county of Frederiksborg. In the second and third interview rounds three questionnaires were used: questionnaire 1 to all respondents, questionnaire 2 to respondents in the county of Frederiksborg, and questionnaire 3 to respondents in the county of Funen. The majority of the questions (but not all of them) are included in all three interview rounds (two rounds with special questions to the respondents in the county of Funen). # In addition to questions about general background information the questionnaires included questions about, among others, the following main themes: # #- Health and personal well-being (including satisfaction with # life, stress in daily life). #- Long-term or chronic diseases (allergic diseases). #- Symptoms or nuisances. #- Activity reduction owing to illness. #- Health behaviour, use of the health service sector and healers # (degree of satisfaction with general practitioner; alternative # treatment). #- Reduction of physical function (use of technical aids, e.g. # glasses, hearing aid or stick). #- Teeth and dental care. #- External health risks and resources (housing conditions, contact # with/help from other people, working conditions, industrial # accidents and accidents outside place of work). #- Health behaviour and health habits (measures taken in # order to maintain/improve one's health, spare time activities, # sleeping habits, consumption of beer, wine and alcohol, # smoking habits, dietary habits). #- Expenses in connection with illness (membership of the health # insurance society 'Danmark'). #- Priority ordering of problems and challenges which the health # service sector is faced with (waiting lists, preventive # efforts, new types of treatment, closing down of hospitals)