Project aimed at narrowing welfare and health inequalities utilises data from THL’s population studies
Data collected in population health studies conducted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) are utilised in a project of THL and the University of Turku that examines the narrowing of intergenerational welfare and health inequalities.
THL’s FINRISK, Health 2000/2011 and FinHealth 2017 studies involved collecting data through interviews, questionnaires and a comprehensive health examination, which also included blood sampling. Genome was also determined from the DNA isolated from the blood samples.
This year, THL will launch the INVEST Full Population Data research project with the University of Turku. The project is related to the INVEST flagship project (the Inequalities, Interventions and a New Welfare State project). The research project will utilise the genome data of the above mentioned THL health studies for the purpose for which they were originally collected.
New knowledge of the effects of the genome on welfare and health inequalities
The objective of the study is to produce new knowledge that is unique also at the international level on genetic mechanisms in an aim to narrow intergenerational welfare and health inequalities.
The data on the genome will be summarised as a risk score describing the hereditary risk of a particular disease or other health-related factor. Although each person’s genome is unique, individuals cannot be identified based on their risk score.
The score is combined with register data describing the socio-economic status and health of the individual and their close relatives. A detailed description of the combined register data is available on the website of the study.
Further information
INVEST Full Population Data research project
Pasi Moisio
Research Professor
[email protected]
INVEST Full Population Data research project
THL’s population health studies
Seppo Koskinen
Director of Research Programme, Research Professor
[email protected]
