The HUNT study - a longitudinal population health study in Norway.
The Nord-Trøndelag health study (HUNT) is one of the largest health studies ever performed. It is a unique database of personal and family medical histories collected during three intensive studies. The fundamental strategy is to earn and maintain the confidence of the population we work in and with as is necessary for any successful population study. This strategy has been successful and has resulted in extraordinarily high participation rates. There is enthusiastic public and political support for HUNT and of the HUNT Research Centre. This has created a good basis for further health surveys in the county and an excellent research environment.
HUNT 1 was carried out in 1984-1986 to establish the health history of 75,000 people.
HUNT 2, carried out in 1995-1997, focused on the evolution of the health history of 74,000 people. This included blood sample collection from 65,000 people. The data that accompany biospecimens in the biobank are stored in secured computer systems that run complex database management and analysis software.
HUNT 3 was completed in June 2008. 93,210 people were invited to participate in the study, and as of the 6th of June, 2008, 48,289 people participated (52% participation rate). The data, collected by means of questionnaires, interviews, clinical examinations and collection of blood and urine samples, will be ready for analysis in January 2009.
HUNT collaborates with national and international research groups on some of the important health topics facing our world today using the most modern techniques and our state of the art biobank.
Today, HUNT is a database with information about approximately 120,000 people that integrates family data and individual data and can be linked to national health registries.
Repeated examinations and follow-up of the same population make it possible to ascertain changes in health and vital status at individual and family levels.
The HUNT study is reinforced and supplemented by cross referencing with registries at the regional level (Registries such as radial and hip fractures, venous thrombosis, lung embolism, ischemic heart disease and stroke) and with registries at the national level (The Cancer Register, The Medical Birth Register, and The National Health Insurance Register). Additionally, Statistics Norway provides necessary information from The Population Census Register and The Family Register to create a genealogical database ("family trees").
Recent publications
Nes BM, Janszky I, Aspenes ST, Bertheussen GF, Vatten LJ, Wisløff U.
Exercise Patterns and Peak Oxygen Uptake in a Healthy Population: The HUNT-Study.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 Apr 19. [Epub ahead of print]
Mai X-M, Chen Y, Camargo CA Jr, Langhammer A
Cross-Sectional and Prospective Cohort Study of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level and Obesity in Adults. The HUNT Study.
Am. J. Epidemiol. (2012) doi: 10.1093/aje/kwr456
Sørgjerd EP, Skorpen F, Kvaløy K, Midthjell K, Grill V.
Time dynamics of autoantibodies are coupled to phenotypes and add to the heterogeneity of autoimmune diabetes in adults: the HUNT study, Norway.
Diabetologia. 2012 Feb 2. [Epub ahead of print]
De Ridder KAA, Pape K, Johnsen R, Westin S, Holmen TL, Bjørngaard JH
School dropout – a major public health challenge: a 10-year prospective study on medical and non-medical social insurance benefits in young adulthood, The Young-HUNT 1 study (Norway)
Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2012. Online First doi 10.1136/jech-2011-200047
Åsvold BO, Vatten LJ, Midthjell K, Bjøro T
Serum TSH within the Reference Range as a Predictor of Future Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism: 11-Year Follow-Up of the HUNT Study in Norway.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Jan;97(1):93-9. Epub 2011 Nov 2
Chan Y, Holmen OL, Dauber A, Vatten L, Havulinna AS, Skorpen F, Kvaløy K, Silander K, Nguyen TT, Willer C, Boehnke M, Perola M, Palotie A, Salomaa V, Hveem K, Frayling TM, Hirschhorn JN, Weedon MN.
Common Variants Show Predicted Polygenic Effects on Height in the Tails of the Distribution, Except in Extremely Short Individuals.
PLoS Genet. 2011 Dec;7(12):e1002439. Epub 2011 Dec 29.
Støver M, Bratberg G, Nordfjærn T, Krokstad S.
Bruk av alkohol og medikamenter blant eldre (60+) i Norge.
HUNT forskningssenter, 2012
Bertheussen GF, Romundstad PR, Landmark T, Kaasa S, Dale O, Helbostad JL.
Associations between physical activity and physical and mental health--a HUNT 3 study.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Jul;43(7):1220-8.
Ness-Jensen E, Lindam A, Lagergren J, Hveem, K
Changes in prevalence, incidence and spontaneous loss of gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms: a prospective population based cohort study, the HUNT study
Gut. Online First doi 10.1136/gutjnl-2011-300715
Sørensen T, Danbolt LJ, Lien L, Koenig HG, Holmen J.
The relationship between religious attendance and blood pressure: The Hunt Study, Norway.
Int J Psychiatry in Med, 2011;42(1):13-28
Nauman J, Janszky I, Vatten Lars J, Wisløff U
Temporal Changes in Resting Heart Rate and Death from Ischemic Heart Disease.
JAMA, dec 2011, vol. 306 (23) 2579-2587.
Ask H, Rognmo K, Torvik FA, Røysamb E, Tambs K
Non-Random Mating and Convergence Over Time for Alcohol Consumption, Smoking, and Exercise: The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study.
Behavior Genetics 2011 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-011-9509-7 [Epub ahead of print]
Mork PJ, Nilsen TIL
Sleep problems and risk of fibromyalgia: longitudinal data from the Norwegian HUNT-study
Arthritis Rheum. 2011 Nov 11. doi: 10.1002/art.33346. [Epub ahead of print]
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