Women’s health study (WENDY) - a protocol of a population-based study assessing gynecological and metabolic health in women
Data Resource Profile
Majority of the study participants were female members of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC) 1986, a population-based birth cohort originally including 9432 live newborns (4567 girls) in the Northern Finland area between July 1985 and June 1986. Invitations were sent to 4292 women, from whom 1544 participated (36%). The WENDY population was also expanded to a randomly selected 1112 women born in the Northern Finland area between August 1986 and December 1987. From these women 374 participated (34%).
The WENDY data included a broad clinical examination, including several different measurements by study nurses and gynecologists, biological samples, ultrasound examinations as well as vast range of question and validated questionnaires on gynecological and reproductive history, physical and mental health, quality of life, lifestyle, life situation, health awareness and opinions. The WENDY data can also be linked to the Finnish national registers and to the earlier birth cohort data collected in the NFBC1986.
WENDY provides a unique and comprehensive data source that can be broadly utilized to gain deeper insight into women's health at reproductive age, gynecological diseases and symptoms and to improve collaborations and women's health worldwide.
Contact information and research group
Contact Information
Principal investigator Professor Terhi Piltonen
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oulu University Hospital, Research Unit of ClinicalMedicine, Medical Research Center, University of Oulu, Terhi.Piltonen(at)oulu.fi
Research group
Riikka Arffman, Marika Kangasniemi, Jenni Kinnunen, Pekka Pinola, Susanna Savukoski, Lotta Vuokila
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oulu University Hospital, Research Unit of ClinicalMedicine, Medical Research Center, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Laura Huilaja, Suvi-Päivikki Sinikumpu
- Department of Dermatology, Oulu University Hospital, Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, MedicalResearch Center, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Tero Rautio, Katariina Kilpivaara
- Department of Surgery, Oulu University Hospital, Research Unit of Translational Medicine, MedicalResearch Center, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Kaisu Luiro-Helve, Maria Rajecki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki,Helsinki, Finland
Material request
Instructions for NFBC material request process and portal and NFBC research plan template are available from
WENDY variable catalogue is currently available only in Finnish. English version will be added later.