Annex 1: Inventory of indicators from surveys and registries

health measures: perceived general health, mental health, chronic conditions, illnesses,
disabilities, housing conditions, social relations, use of health services (visits to GP, specialist,
dentist, hospital stays)
SES-measures: household income and composition, personal income, material belongings,
occupational status, educational level, migration status
• European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), Multi-centre
prospective cohort study (life-time follow-up) designed to investigate the relation between
diet, nutritional and metabolic characteristics, various lifestyle factors and the risk of
cancer. Nine countries are participating: Denmark (n=+/-50.000), France (n=+/-80.000),
Germany (n=+/-50.000), Greece (n=+/-30.000), Italy (n=+/-42.000), The Netherlands (n=+/-
40.000), Spain (n=+/-41.400), Sweden (n=+/-31.000), United Kingdom (n=+/-59.000), and
recently Norway joined the project, ntotal=+/-520.000. Project started in 1990, countries
stepped in between 1991-94. Age: 35-40y to 60-74y.
health measures: mortality, cancer incidence, previous and current illnesses and health problems,
dietary behaviour, physical activity, consumption of alcohol and tobacco, use of contraception,
current medication
SES-measures: educational level (not for all countries)
• FINBALT Health Monitor, National Public Health Institute (Finland), collaborative
monitoring system in Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania set up based on the ‘Health
Behaviour among Finnish Adult Population’ since 1990 (countries stepped in gradually), biannual,
15-64y, representative samples of national population, core and extended part.
health measures: perceived health status, health complaints, mental health, blood pressure,
cholesterol, smoking, exposure to passive smoking, dietary habits, physical activity, alcohol
consumption, use of medication, traffic safety, dental health, behaviour change intentions and
attempts (optional), use of health services (visits to the GP), exposure to health promotion
interventions (optional), opinion on health and health policy (optional).
SES-measures: years of schooling, occupation (recommended)
• Socioeconomic inequalities in the health of children and adolescents in Nordic
Countries (1996), Nordic School of Public Health, postal survey carried out in the 5 Nordic
countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden). Sent to parents of n=+/-15.000
children (+/- 3.000/country) aged 2-17, in part a replication of a survey in 1984.
health measures: reported chronic conditions and illness symptoms, stature
SES-measures: educational attainment and occupation of both mother and father, family income
• Data Food Networking (DAFNE), European food data bank based on Household Budget
Surveys, information from: Belgium*, Germany, Greece*, Hungary*, Ireland, Luxemburg*,
Norway, Spain* and the UK, up till now 2 periods of the project (DAFNE I & II).
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