Mini-Finland Health Survey
The Mini Finland Health Survey (1977-1980) was the third main stage of the Finnish Mobile Clinic Survey. It was planned as the basis of the Finnish national health follow-up system. The purpose was to study the population health, need for treatment and functional capacity in a diverse and valid way. The main study objects were prevalent national diseases: circulatory organ diseases, respiratory organ diseases and musculoskeletal organ diseases and mental disorders. The survey was carried out in 40 study areas around the country. It focused on a sample of 8000 individuals representing the Finnish population aged 30 or over (Knekt et al. 2017). Later Health 2000 and Health 2011 Surveys, where mainly the same methods were used, have produced follow-up data of the development of national health and its determinants.
The survey included a home visit by a nurse carrying out an interview, a health examination and possibly a re-examination. It was more diverse than before: as new features the health examination included dental examination, spirometry test i.e. pulmonary function test, hand X-ray, muscular power examinations, psychological tests and disease specific questionnaires and interviews. Based on the results of the screening about every third was invited to a re-examination which included a medical examination.
Basic determinations were made immediately out of blood and urine samples. Serum and plasma samples were frozen at -20oC from about 7000 participants and they are still stored. Information from the main national health registries has been linked to the data since the beginning of the survey.
