Questionnaires and interviews
Basic questionnaire: The pre-information was collected using a basic questionnaire to be filled out at home (AU01). The questionnaire was sent to the individuals invited two weeks before the scheduled examination day.
Based on the questionnaire the following information about the participant was obtained:
- socioeconomic factors (age, birthplace and place of residence, marital status, one’s own and family head’s current occupation (Nordic classification of occupations1963) (Method folder 2.9), type of occupation, current activities, family size, social class (Rauhala 1966) (Method folder 2.10), one’s own and family head’s education (Method folder 2.11), unemployment, and past occupation (AU01_part A)
- ability to work and number of days absent from work (AU01_part A)
- health status and diseases (perceived health, chronic diseases and disability diagnosed by a doctor, perceived need for a doctor’s care for each of the diseases mentioned and realized treatments) (AU01_part B) (Method folder 2.6). Next, there was a list of diseases accompanied with a number of disease-specific questions. After the disease list there were questions about disabilities due to an accident and some other diseases as well as incidents after the previous Mobile Clinic Health Examination.
- use of prescribed medicines during the past 3 months, 7 days and two days (AU01_part C). The names of the medicines were recorded and coded. Next, there were questions about other medicines. The classification was that of Remedia Fennica (Heinonen 1973-1976) (Methods folder 2.7).
- attending health examinations and use of medical services (AU01_part D).
- health behaviour (smoking (Method folder 2.12), alcohol consumption (Methods folder 2.13)), physical activity and exercise (motion at work and exercise during leisure time, walking and cycling on the way to work) (Method folder 2.15) , coffee drinking, sauna bathing habits (frequency of bathing, duration of sitting in the sauna, and number of sessions, temperature and use of alcohol during and after bathing) (AU01_parts E, F, G, I).
- pregnancies, periods and use of contraceptive pills (AU01_part K).
- diseases and causes of death of the parents (AU01_part H).
The dietary survey was completed in the 12 municipalities of the Mobile Clinic Follow-up Survey. A modified dietary history interview method aimed at to reveal habitual food consumption over the year preceding the interview (Seppänen et al. 1976, Järvinen 1996) was used to collect the data. In total dietary data were provided by 4343 persons, of whom 1844 were interviewed also in the Mobile Clinic Health Examination. The interview was guided by a preformed questionnaire (AU24) based on the form used in the Mobile Clinic Health Examination with some modifications and additions. Artificial food models and pieces of real food were available to assist in estimating the amounts of food. Generally, the time taken for the interview was 30 to 40 minutes however the individual variation was great. Two interviewers had education in nutrition and home economics.
The intakes of different food items and nutrients were calculated based on the interview data. The nutrient composition database used initially was founded on the contemporary Finnish food composition tables (Turpeinen and Roine 1973). During late eighties, the nutrient composition database was updated based on the food composition tables published by the Finnish Social Insurance Institution (Rastas et al. 1989). Data on tocopherols and tocotrienols, carotenoids and retinoids, carbohydrates and fiber and fatty acids (Piironen 1986, Heinonen 1990, Varo et al. 1984a, 1984b, Hyvönen et al. 1993, Hyvönen Lea, unpublished data) were completed utilizing the analyzed values of Finnish foods from eighties. More detailed description of constructing the data as well as comments and explanations for selected variables are found in additional information (Method folder 2.17.1-2.17.2, 1.15.3-1.15.4).
2.17.1 Diet study
2.17.2 Dietary variables, comments
1.15.3 Diet study, data processing (in Finnish)
1.15.4 Diet study, data processing, appendix (in Finnish)
Artificial food models and pieces of real food were available to assist in estimating the amounts of food in the dietary history interview.
Coronary interview
A standard coronary interview (AU19) (Rose and Blackburn 1968, Pyörälä et al. 1974, Reunanen 1977) was carried out to all individuals who were 30-59 years old at the previous Mobile Clinic examination (Method folder 2.8). The same 4 trained nurses carried out all interviews during the examination. The interview identified persons having exertional dyspnea, pain suggesting coronary heart disease or possible myocardial infarction, or intermittent claudication.
AU19 Coronary interview (in Finnish)
Supplementary interviews: Individuals who had signs of one of the diseases of interest (coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, urinary tract infection or disturbance in lipid metabolism) according to findings of the previous Mobile Clinic examination or their own reporting, participated in a supplementary interview concerning the disease in question and its treatment (Method folder 2.20).
- Supplementary coronary interview (AU64): The interview was carried out with persons reporting effort related chest pain and/or chest pain suggesting myocardial infarction in the basic coronary interview, and those reporting that a doctor had diagnosed coronary heart disease or myocardial infarction in the basic questionnaire.
- Supplementary blood pressure interview (AU75): The interview was administered to those referred to a doctor or hospital for examinations because of high blood pressure in the previous Mobil Clinic examination or reporting hypertension in the basic questionnaire.
- Supplementary diabetes interview (AU76): The interview concerned persons referred to a doctor or hospital for a follow-up examination in the previous Mobil Clinic examination because of diabetes or who reported diabetes in the basic questionnaire.
- Supplementary urinary tract infection interview (AU77): The interview was administered to women who in the previous Mobile Clinic examination were referred to a doctor or hospital because of urinary tract infection, and their controls.
- Supplementary interview due to glucose tolerance test (AU78): The interview concerned examinees referred to doctor or hospital because of high glucose tolerance test value in the previous Mobile Clinic examination.
- Supplementary interview on hyperlipidaemia (AU99): The interview was administered to persons referred in the previous Mobile Clinic examination to a doctor or hospital because of hyperlipidaemia, or who had reported the diagnosis of high blood cholesterol or triglycerides in the basic questionnaire.
AU64 Supplementary coronary interview
AU75 Supplementary blood pressure interview
AU76 Supplementary diabetes interview
AU77 Supplementary urinary tract infection interview
AU78 Supplementary interview due to glucose tolerance test
AU99 Supplementary interview on hyperlipidaemia
