The German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS): an overview of its planning, implementation and results taking into account aspects of quality management

The aim of the German Health Interview, and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) was to improve the information available on the health of the up-and-coming generation in Germany and to fill gaps in knowledge. This was to be done using a nationwide representative investigation and survey of children and adolescents aged 0 to 17. From May 2003 to May 2006,17,641 girls and boys took part in the study at 167 locations in Germany; along with their parents' input they provided a unique pool of information. From the point of view of quality management, there is a description of the planning, structures, efficient use of funding, implementation and planned evaluation of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). In this description, the quality achieved is evaluated by comparing what was actually achieved with the targets set. In this manner, a comprehensive overview can be provided of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS): what it concerns, its modular structure, the co-operation partners involved, institutions financing it, regulatory processes accompanying it and strategies for evaluation. At the same time, it is shown how the individual publications in the journal for public health, health research and health protection (Bundesgesundheitsblatt) special issue no. 5/6 2007 connect to one another and to the issue as a whole.