Data available for sharing
Data
The Finnish Mobile Clinic data and the Mini-Finland Health Survey data consist of information received from participants, biological samples and register follow-up data. They have been used and can still be used for versatile epidemiological research. The table below provides details on the baseline data that is available for research.
The most used biological samples have been frozen serum and plasma samples and ECG-strips. More than 200 different laboratory determinations have so far been carried out from the stored samples mainly in different nested case-control designs. These include e.g. the following measurements:
- hormones (insulin, estrogens, testosteron)
- vitamins (for example vitamin A, vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin D)
- flavonoids
- minerals
- antibodies for viruses and bacteria
- autoantibodies (for example filaggrin- and collagen autoantibodies for rheumatism and endomysial- and transglutaminase autoantibodies for celiac disease)
- Inflammation biomarkers (CRP and orosomucoid)
- fatty acids
- amino acids (homocysteine, cysteine, tryptophan, kynurenine)
- smoking/nicotine biomarkers (cotinine, thiocyanate)
- cancer biomarkers (for example PSA)
- coffee metabolites
- metabolites produced by intestinal bacteria (for example enterolactone)
- environmental toxins (such as PCB and DDT)
So far about 20-25 % of the samples in the deep-freeze storage have been thawed and refrozen. Before using the stored samples for a new assay, their applicability for the purpose has been assessed by testing the analytic repeatability and level of the determination.
The objects of the examination are apart from the diseases asked from the patient also those diseases where the data is collected from the national registers. Additionally, work inability and mortality have been studied.
Outcomes of register based follow-up - table
Validity of data
The participation rate was very high (96 %) in the Mini-Finland Survey. Also in the FMC (83 %) and in the Finnish Mobile Clinic Follow-up Survey (79 %) the participation rates were high. Increasing attention was paid on the quality of the data collected through instructions, use of quality control methods, and technical checks. Hence, the data can be considered representative and of high quality.
Possibilities for use
The data is suitable for different epidemiologic study designs, meta-analyses and health follow-up.
Application examples of the FMC_data.
Epidemiological study designs
Based on the information from questionnaires and the health examination, cross-sectional studies can be performed, and by connecting health related register information to those, prospective cohort studies can be carried out. By using the sample bank data, either retrospective cohort studies or nested case-control studies can be performed. The nested case-control studies are based on disease cases occurring during a certain time frame and on their matched controls. By combining the health examination data and the follow-up data, one can perform repeatability analyses on about a 5-7 year time gap.
Meta-analyses
The data can be combined with other data for meta-analyses.
Health follow-up
The general goal of the Mini-Finland Health Survey was to develop the methods of national health examination surveys for the follow-up of population health, need for treatment and functional capacity and to create the first point for the coming time series. That is why its contents were designed broad, so that the occurrence of the most important national diseases and their consequences could be assessed comprehensively. The comparability with the Mini-Finland Health Survey was one primary goal in planning the contents and the implementation of the Health 2000 and the Health 2011 Surveys. Also the results from the FMC can be included in the health follow-up, but the possibilities are more limited than for the above-mentioned studies, because the objects and methods were not chosen considering that objective and the sample was not representative for the Finnish population. Anyhow, by combining the data from the FMC, the Mini-Finland Health Survey and the Health 2000/2011 Surveys, one can follow changes in many aspects of national health during a time frame of 45 years.
Ethical issues
The Finnish Mobile Clinic Health Examination Surveys and the Mini-Finland Health Survey precede the current legislation on ethics in medical research. All participants were fully informed about the study, they participated in the study voluntarily and the use of the information for medical research was explained to them. Agreeing to participate in the baseline health examination was taken to indicate informed consent. Record linkage of national health registers to the survey data has so far been approved by the register authorities (Social Insurance Institution, National Institute for Health and Welfare, and Statistics Finland).
