The first wave of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1). Participant recruitment, fieldwork, and quality management

The purpose of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS) is to repeatedly obtain representative nationwide health data for adults aged 18-79 years living in Germany. The first wave (DEGS1) was carried out by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) from November 2008 to December 2011. The study has a mixed design, which permits both cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. It was carried out on an up-to-date sample from the population registration office and on participants from the 1998 German National Health Interview and Examination Survey (GNHIES98), who were invited to take part again. All newly selected individuals, and those GNHIES98 participants living in the same locations as in 1998, were asked to undergo an interview and examination. GNHIES98 participants who had moved to a different location were asked to take part in a survey based on self-completion questionnaires and telephone interviews. This article describes the practicalities of recruiting participants, planning and carrying out fieldwork, managing data, and taking measures to ensure the quality of the process and data. An English full-text version of this article is available at SpringerLink as supplemental.