German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults

Summary

The health data collected in DEGS are highly valuable as the survey provides extensive, nationally representative data for Germany. The assessment modes are ideal as the DEGS combines personal interviews, self-assessed questionnaires, physical examinations, and tests and analyses of blood and urine samples. The DEGS is the best data set to determine disease prevalence in the population. The DEGS allows for cross-sectional and trend analysis because of the regular assessment of baseline samples with comparable characteristics over time. Furthermore, individual changes in health can be analysed using the longitudinal data of reassessed participants (panel design). The Robert Koch institute has been involved in European initiatives to standardise national health interview and examination surveys, and for that reason, most data is comparable to other datasets in Germany and Europe. Minor weaknesses of the DEGS are the long period between first and re-assessment of participants (10-14 years between GNHIES98 and DEGS1), the under-representation of very old people, people living in institutions, and people with an immigration background. The focus on health also limited the potential of the survey to analyse underlying mechanisms, such as socio-economic status, social relations or health-related behaviour, in addition to the assessed well-known risk factors.

Type of data

Data Source
Survey

Type of Study
Survey same
Crosssection regular

Data gathering method
Face-to-face
Self administered questionnaire
Other: Physical examinations, test and analyses of blood and urine samples

Access to data

Conditions of access
CD after agreement

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
anonymised microdata

Formats available
SPSS, STATA

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
Wave 1: Data collection for the GNHIES98 (German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998) sample was carried out from 1997 to 1999. It included a sample size of 7,124 individuals. Wave 2: Data collection for the DEGS1 sample was carried out from 2008 to 2011. It included a sample size of 8,152 individuals (Panel n = 3,959). Wave 3: Data collection for the next wave will be from 2014 to 2015. A new sample will be drawn in 2017-2018.

First year of collection
1998

Stratification if applicable
Type of community (ten-step BIK classification system, which takes into account the grade of urbanisation, regional population density, and administrative borders) and age (ten-year age groups)

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
National, NUTS3-level (Kreise)

Age range
Baseline samples: 18-79 years; panel sample: 28-91 years

Statistical representativeness
Other, please specify

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
For the GNHIES98 sample (data collection between 1997 and 1999), 637 variables are available in the public use file. The public use file for the DEGS1 sample (data collection between 2008 and 2011) is not yet available. The instruments and constructs of the DEGS1 are more comprehensive compared to GNHIES98. Most importantly, health variables are available in both samples (see Scheidt-Nave et al., 2012). Some health information is assessed for 18-64 year old participants, or for 65 and older participants only (see Scheidt-Nave et al., 2012). The survey covers: self-reported morbidity (e.g. presence of long-standing illness), morbidity assessed by physician or health examination (e.g. cardiovascular disease), medication use, objective health measures (e.g. blood pressure and heart rate), symptoms and complaints (e.g. physical symptoms), mental health (e.g. depressive symptoms), subjective health, gender-specific health issues, injuries, falls, functional health (e.g. mobility), disability (e.g. activities of daily living), health-related behaviour (e.g. smoking, physical activity), living and social conditions (e.g. social support), socio-demographic context variables, and health care service utilisation (e.g. type of health insurance).

Linkage

Standardisation
Majority of instruments are standardised questions and scales. The measuring standards of the Robert Koch Institute comply to European and international recommendations.

Possibility of linkage among databases
Only regional linkage on a district level via NUTS3-level (Kreise) is possible.

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
Raw data is cleaned by the project organisers and checked for inconsistencies.

Breaks
The original sample in 1998 (then: Bundes-Gesundheitssurvey, GNHIES98) was planned as a cross-sequential study, and since 2008, the survey (now DEGS) is funded as a regular longitudinal survey. The assessment of health indicators in DEGS is more comprehensive than GNHIES98. To some extent, updated versions of standardised instruments and measurements are used in DEGS.

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection
No information available yet

Governance

Contact information

Robert Koch-Institut; Fachgebiet 21 - Epidemiologisches Datenzentrum, Biometrie
Postfach 650261
13302 Berlin Germany Phone: +49 (0)30- 18107543326
Email: degs(at)rki.de
Url: http://www.degs-studie.de/english/home.html

Timeliness, transparency
The scientific use file is available about 3 years after data collection.