European Health

Examination Survey

Hanna Tolonen, PhDEHES Project Manager

What is EHES?

• A health examination survey (HES) • Includes both questionnaire and physical

measurements• Based on a random sample of the

general population• For many health indicators, the most

reliable data source• Complementary to EHIS and

administrative registers

Setting up the EHES

Aug 2009

Jan 2010

Dec 2011

Phase I: Pilot phase

Setting up EHES RC

Manual for all EU and EEA/EFTA countries

Training programme

Planning and preparing a national HES, including a pilot survey, in 14 countries

Funding from the EC through Tender and Joint Action

Full-size HES in the pilot countries

Planning, preparing and conducting a national HES in ther countries

Gradual development to a sustainable EHES system

Phase II

Reference Centre

• Established jointly by• National Institute for Health and Welfare

(THL), Helsinki, Finland• Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome,

Italy• Statistics Norway (SSB), Oslo, Norway

Pilot countries

Finland

Germany

Netherlands

Poland

Czech Republic

SlovakiaHungary

Greece

Italy

MaltaSpain

Portugal

UK/England

Norway

EHES target population

• Entire country• Permanent residents, including

institutionalized persons• Age group: 25-64 years

• Can be extend to 18+

Core measurements

• Physical measurements• Weight• Height• Waist circumference• Blood pressure

• Blood samples• Total cholesterol• HDL cholesterol• Fasting glucose

Questionnaire items

• Questionnaire items• Basic background characteristics• Health behaviours• Health status

• Where applicable, EHIS question will be used