300,000 women invited to the country's largest survey of women's health

In the coming weeks, hundreds of thousands of Danish women will receive an invitation in their e-Boks. The sender is Aarhus University, and the invitation is to the research project Women's Health and Wellbeing – a nationwide survey that will significantly strengthen research into women's health, quality of life and everyday lives.

The project is led by Professor Henrik Toft Sørensen and Associate Professor Rikke Elmose Mols from the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital.

We know too little about women's health

Although women are more frequent users of the healthcare system than men, much of the existing medical research is based on men. This leaves major gaps in our knowledge of what actually affects women's health throughout their lives.

"To prevent disease in women, we need data on women's own experiences of their health and quality of life. That is precisely the knowledge that respondents' answers can provide us," says Henrik Toft Sørensen.

The survey targets women aged 35–60 – a period marked by significant biological and psychosocial changes, and during which many chronic diseases begin to take shape. It is also the period in a woman's life when early prevention can make the greatest difference.

11 themes covering women's lives

The questionnaire covers 11 themes that together provide a broad picture of women's health and everyday lives, with a focus on areas including wellbeing, sleep, pain, bone health, work, lifestyle and issues related to the different stages of a woman's life.

The survey distinguishes itself from similar projects by addressing topics rarely included in broad health surveys – among them how women experience their contact with the healthcare system, how they manage everyday challenges, and how they assess their own health.

"The answers will help us generate new knowledge that can make a difference to women's health and wellbeing both now and for future generations," says Rikke Elmose Mols.

From knowledge to prevention

The survey is designed with a life-course perspective. In five years, the researchers will follow up with a new questionnaire to participating women, enabling them to track how health develops over time. The long-term goal is to ensure better prevention and treatment of diseases that disproportionately affect women.

The first results are expected to be published in autumn 2026.