The Danish Symptom Cohort (DaSC)

The Danish Symptom Cohort (the DaSC) contains data from two national surveys conducted in 2012 and 2022.

In 2012, 100.000 individuals above 20 years, randomly selected from the Danish Civil Registration System, were invited to participate in an online survey about symptoms and healthcare-seeking. The respondents from 2012 together with 100.000 new randomly selected individuals were invited to participate in a follow-up survey in 2022 (the DaSC II).

The questionnaires from 2012 and 2022 cover a wide range of symptom experiences, including common and frequent symptoms as well as specific and non-specific cancer symptoms. Both questionnaires were developed based on literature search and clinical experience, and they contained both validated scales and questions developed specifically for the purpose. In 2022, a user panel consisting of representatives from the general population was involved in both selecting and formulating topics and testing the questionnaire to ensure the highest possible relevance and understandability. Prior to the final distribution, the questionnaires underwent qualitative pilot tests and quantitative field test. The 2022-questionnaire additionally included different aspects of health literacy.

In the project, questionnaire data is supported by register data from Statistics Denmark, the National Patient Register, and the National Health Insurance Service Registry.

The wording of the questionnaire is available as attachment in “Documents and Links”.