Cohort Profile: The Helsinki Health Study

Abstract

The Helsinki Health Study cohort was set up to enable longitudinal studies on the social and work related determinants of health and well-being, making use of self-reported as well as objective register data. The target population is the staff of the City of Helsinki, Finland. Baseline data for the cohort were derived from questionnaire surveys conducted in 2000, 2001 and 2002 among employees reaching 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60 years of age in each year. The number of responders at baseline was 8960 (80% women, response rate 67%). Additional age-based health examination data were available. A follow up survey was conducted in 2007 yielding 7332 responders (response rate 83%). Measures of health include health behaviours, self-rated health, common mental disorders, functioning, pain, sleep problems, angina symptoms and major diseases. Social determinants include socio-demographics, socio-economic circumstances, working conditions, social support, and work-family interface. Further register linkages include sickness absence, hospital discharge, prescribed drugs, and retirement updated at the end of 2010. The cohort allows comparisons with the Whitehall II study, London, UK, and the Japanese Civil Servants Study from western Japan. The cohort data are available for collaborative research at Hjelt Institute, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.

Change in economic difficulties and physical and mental functioning: Evidence from British and Finnish employee cohorts

“…Also mortality risk associated with non-response is similar at baseline and follow-up (48). In the Finnish data, non-response and attrition analyses suggest that the data are broadly representative of the target population, except that men, younger respondents, those in lower socioeconomic positions, and those with long sickness absence have been slightly over-represented amongst the non-responders (32).…”

Changes Over Time in Absolute and Relative Socioeconomic Differences in Smoking: A Comparison of Cohort Studies From Britain, Finland, and Japan

“…According to nonresponse analyses of the British and the Finnish data, the baseline and follow-up data were largely representative of the target populations. 22,56 Further, item nonresponse was mostly below 10% in the British and Finnish data (Supplementary Appendix Table A1). In the Japanese data item nonresponse was somewhat higher, reflecting in part the structure of the Japanese baseline data which were collated from four separate questionnaires with some mismatch and consequent loss of participants.…”

“…Follow-up data were collected in 2007 (response rate 83%). 22,23 The data analyzed were from white-collar employees participating in both phases (n = 6328, 84% women).…”

“…28 In the Helsinki Health Study, social classes based on occupational titles were derived from the employer's personnel registers for those consenting to linkage (80%) and completed from questionnaires. 22 In the Japanese Civil Servants Study, social classes based on occupational titles were derived from questionnaires using the Japanese national survey for occupations that distinguishes between 13 broad occupational categories.…”

Relative weight and disability retirement: a prospective cohort study

“…The baseline data were derived from mail questionnaire surveys among the employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. The baseline surveys were conducted in 2000, 2001, and 2002 among employees who reached 40, 45, 50, 55, or 60 years during each year (N=8960, response rate 67%) (17). According to non-response analysis, the baseline data represents the target population satisfactorily (17,18).…”