Sixty-year-olds from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort invited to an extensive health study

Participants in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966) are approaching the age of 60 and are being invited to take part in a comprehensive follow-up study examining health, wellbeing and the early stages of ageing from a holistic perspective. The study offers a unique view of health development across the entire life course.
The clinical study day programme includes, among other assessments, measurement of hand-grip strength. Photo: University of Oulu / Mikko Törmänen.

The Northern Finland Birth Cohort Study has followed participants since the foetal stage. Data collected over more than six decades have generated significant knowledge about the development of health and wellbeing. The material is widely used in research on both common and rarer diseases, as well as in health promotion.

“This is the first time we can examine the early stages of ageing using such a long-term dataset,” says Professor Sylvain Sebert of the University of Oulu, Scientific Director of the cohort study. “The results will help us understand how early-life conditions, lifestyle choices and environmental factors influence health at the age of 60.”

Invitations to nearly 9,800 participants

The first invitations to participants in the Oulu region were posted in January, with the remaining invitations to be sent in stages during spring 2026. The study begins with a questionnaire and continues with a clinical research day in Oulu. Participants may book their appointment once they have received their invitation letter. The study day lasts a full working day and includes a range of measurements and sample collections.

From autumn 2026 onwards, study days will also be organised in other major cities, beginning with Helsinki.

The study will examine, among other areas, cardiovascular health, brain and oral health, sleep, physical activity and recovery, vision, as well as social and economic wellbeing, career history and retirement. In addition, all participants will undergo a full-body skin examination carried out by a dermatologist.

Digital tools complement follow-up

The study also makes use of digital data collection. A mobile application developed for the study will be available to participants for two years, and participants will also be provided with an Oura Ring for one year. These digital tools allow more detailed monitoring of everyday activity, sleep and recovery, as well as nutrition, lifestyle habits and accidents, among other factors.

“Participants receive valuable information about their own health while helping us to understand the wellbeing of an entire generation,” says Sebert.

The University of Oulu leads the study as part of the EU-funded STAGE project.

Created 12.2.2026 | Updated 12.2.2026