Danish Omnibus Survey, August 1994

The Danish National Institute of Social Research and Danmarks Statistik have carried out the so-called omnibus surveys regularly from January 1974 to October 1991. The purpose of these surveys is to collect data on a variety of issues in the same interview. This means that the background information may be used in several surveys, thus reducing the costs of the data collection. # The omnibus project was established as the Danish National Institute of Social Research, Danmarks Statistik, a number of other government institutions and researchers often experienced a need for examining major or minor problems without initiating independent surveys. # Thus, the omnibus surveys have contributed to an improvement of the possibilities of solving the following types of tasks: # #1. Minor surveys which, apart from the traditional background # variables (cf. below), only include so small a number of # variables that an independent data collection is not # economically justifiable. #2. Explorative surveys (pilot surveys) the purposes of which are # to assess the distribution of the main variables in a planned # survey, to assess the size of certain person categories, or # to assess the frequency of certain attitudes which are # important for the completion of a planned survey. #3. The establishment of a backgound material, e.g. the # distribution or frequency in the population of factors which # form part of a more intensive survey comprising a special # population group. #4. The establishment of a basis for comparison or a control group # for existing data materials which only concern a special part # of the population. #5. Follow-ups of qualitative surveys. By using central questions # from intensive surveys it is possible to examine to what an # extent conditions and correlations mapped out in qualitative # surveys are present in the population as a whole. #6. Additional data collection, e.g. in cases where the analysis # of a previously collected data material reveals problems which # have not been taken into account or which have, by accident, # not been thoroughly examined during the data collection of # the main survey. #7. Replication of previous surveys. As regards a number of # previous surveys it would be desirable to measure some of the # main variables of the survey at regular intervals. # #The formal co-operation between the Danish National Institute of Social Research and Danmarks Statistik regarding the omnibus surveys stopped at the end of 1991. However, the Danish National Institute of Social Research has kept and has developed the interviewing staff, and in February 1993 the Institute initiated a new series of omnibus surveys characterized by a very flexible design, i.e. an omnibus is available as a basic model, which may be extended. # #The basic model: #The new omnibus is carried out by means of telephone interviews with a simple random sample of the population aged 16 or more. The size of the sample is set so that 1000 persons will be interviewed. There is a fixed form with background variables dealing with the following information on the respondent: #- sex and age; #- school education and vocational education; #- occupation; #- marital status and children; #- type of dwelling; #- education and occupation of the respondent's spouse/cohabitant. #Only written interviewer instruction is available. The plan is to carry out the omnibus surveys four times a year: in the beginning of February, in the beginning of May, at the end of August and in the beginning of November. # #Possibilities of extension: #1. The sample may be enlarge - in general or as extra # samples (e.g. parts of the country and/or specific age # groups). #2. The omnibus may be carried out as a combination of telephone # interviews and interviews in the home or as interviews in the # home. #3. Instruction meetings may be held. #4. It is possible to get files with one's own questions in # addition to background questions. # #The omnibus survey from August 1994 deals with: # #- Whether the respondent because of health problems has difficulties regarding: #- walking #- using the arms #- using the fingers #- personal care #- going to the lavatory #- incontinence #- the eyesight #- the hearing #- conversing with other people #- social relations with other people #- memory and intelligence #and #- type of sideline/moonlighting, if any #- extent of sideline/moonlighting #- omission of income on the tax return #- use of unwarranted tax deductions on the tax return #and furthermore #- the respondent's tan in the summer #- extent of sunbathing #- whether the respondent has ever been sun-scorched #- attitudes to various statements on sunbathing #- attitudes to various statements on the sun's effects on the # skin #- habits regarding protection against sunburn #- use of solarium