The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT)

HUNT is one of the largest and most comprehensive population-based health surveys ever performed. HUNT is a unique databank of personal and family medical histories, clinical measurements, exposure variables and biological material collected in three consecutive studies from 1984–2008. In total, more than 100,000 persons from the County of Nord-Trøndelag in Norway have participated.

HUNT collaborates with national and international research groups on some of the most important health challenges facing our world today, such as diabetes, cancer, musculoskeletal disease, mental illness, migraine, prostate problems, urinary incontinence, reproduction, weight and cardiovascular disease.

Built on trust
The fundamental strategy of HUNT is to earn and maintain the confidence of the population we work in and with. This strategy has been successful and has resulted in extraordinarily high participation rates. There is enthusiastic public and political support for HUNT and for the HUNT Research Centre. This has created a good basis for further health surveys in the County and an excellent research environment.

Extensive data
The HUNT studies have compiled extensive medical, lifestyle and environmental data associated with each biological sample, comprising in total about 800 exposure variables and nearly 3000 different variables per individual. These datasets allow for prospective correlations to be made between genetic, epigenetic, lifestyle, environmental and health/disease profiles.

Through an individual personal identifier (PIN) linkage to registries at the national level can be established to access additional information. Participants have provided very detailed information through the HUNT surveys. This has been validated in several studies based on HUNT data and has greatly contributed to the overall value of the HUNT Biobank for research projects.