1. General questions GGD Health Monitor 2024

1.1 What is the GGD Health Monitor 2024?

The GGD Health Monitor 2024 is a national questionnaire about health, well-being and lifestyle of residents of the Netherlands aged 18 and over. The study will start in September 2024. About 1.5 million people throughout the Netherlands are invited to complete the questionnaire. In your GGD region, almost 30.000 residents have received an invitation.

1.2 What is the purpose of the monitor?

Municipalities in the Netherlands have a legal obligation to monitor the health of their residents. This statutory task is carried out for the municipalities by the Municipal Public Health Service (GGD). The GGD does this at least once every four years. The GGD Health Monitor Adults and Eldery 2024 will be used by the GGDs to provide insight into the physical and mental health of adults and elderly at national, regional and municipal levels. The GGDs will also compare the results with the results of previous monitors.

The monitor results form an important basis for the development and implementation of local health policy for municipalities. For example, the results may show that more help is needed for certain groups, or that extra facilities are required in a municipality or neighbourhood. Through cooperation with the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) and Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the monitor will also provide information about health of people in the Netherlands as a whole.

1.3 Which organisations are involved in the monitor?

The GGD, the public health department of the municipality of Utrecht, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and Statistics Netherlands (CBS) are carrying out this monitor together. Ipsos I&O collects the data on behalf of these parties.

CBS receives data from other organisations – such as data on income and population composition – in addition to the data gathered for this monitor. CBS combines these data. This is useful for the GGD because it means fewer
questions need to be added to the GGD Health monitor.

Please note that no personal details can be identified in the merged datasets sent to the GGDs by CBS.

1.4 What is the role of Ipsos I&O?

Ipsos I&O has been asked to carry out the field work for the GGD Health Monitor 2024. This means that Ipsos I&O sends the invitations asking people to complete the questionnaire and collects the answers. To be able to send the invitations, CBS will provide Ipsos I&O with names and addresses. This data will be erased three months after completion of the monitor, in compliance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

1.5 When and where will the monitor be carried out?

The monitor will be conducted in the whole of the Netherlands and the questionnaire can be filled in between 23 September until at least 8 December 2024.

1.6 How will the monitor participants be selected?

The target population for the monitor concerns residents of the Netherlands aged 18 and over. CBS selected people from the Personal Records Database (BRP) for participation in the GGD Health Monitor 2024 at random; this is a random sample. The selected persons together provide an average representation of the Dutch population. Temporary residents, registered in the BRP, can also be invited for the GGD Health Monitor Adults and Eldery 2024.

The people in the random sample receive an invitation to fill in a questionnaire from the regional GGD. The questionnaire can be filled in either online or on paper. People who are not selected will not receive a questionnaire and cannot take part in the monitor.

1.7 Why is it important to participate?

The questionnaire gives us insight in how you are doing. Are you healthy, do you feel happy, and are you satisfied with your local neigbourhood? By participating in this study and providing answers you are giving insight to the municipality and GGD in regards to the overall health and well-being of the residents.

To obtain an accurate picture of health, well-being and lifestyle of residents of the Netherlands aged 18 and over, it is important that as many persons as possible complete the questionnaire. If not enough persons complete the questionnaire, the results will not be a good representation of the whole of the target population, making the research results less accurate, or even inaccurate.

If the GGD and municipality know how you and other residents are doing, the municipality can draw up targeted policies and take action to improve health and well-being of residents. For example, the results may show that more help is needed for certain groups, or extra facilities are required in a municipality or neighbourhood.

1.8 What is in it for me?

By answering questions about your health, you are more likely to think about your own health and well-being. As a result, you may have questions about your health. For this reason, sources of information providing reliable health information are included at the end of the online questionnaire. These websites provide answers to questions that you may have after filling in the questionnaire. Finally, by completing the questionnaire you have a chance to win one of the 50 VVV Gift Cards worth 50 euros.

1.9 Where can I find more information?

For more information or if you have questions about this health monitor, please contact the Ipsos I&O helpdesk. Call Ipsos I&O free of charge on 0800-0191 (7 days a week, 09.00 – 21.00), or send an email to NLhelpdeskGM@ipsos.com.