We regularly ask our participants to complete questionnaires to better capture lifestyle and health information, for example on chronic pain and mental health.
These questionnaires are sent to all of our participants for whom we have an email address (about 330,000), and are also accessible via the participant website. We also sometimes ask our participants to complete questionnaires on a touchscreen during their visits to one of our centres.
Questionnaire data at a glance
Diet
Some participants filled out a detailed questionnaire about what they ate in the last 24 hours during their first visit. On four occasions in 2011, we repeated this 24-hour food recall survey via online questionnaires.
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Current availability- 210,000 participants across all instances.
Cognitive function
In 2014, participants completed a series of online puzzles and questions to assess cognitive function. A follow-up survey was conducted in 2021. Most of the memory tests were similar to the ones participants completed during their baseline visit.
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Current availability
- 215,000 participants across both instances
Occupational history
In 2015, participants reported details of their work history over their lifetime.
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Current availability
- 120,000 participants
Mental health
In 2016, we asked participants about their mental health and wellbeing. A follow-up survey is ongoing since 2022 (see below).
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Current availability
- 160,000 participants (2016 survey)
Digestive health
This questionnaire from 2018 aimed to find out why some people develop digestive problems and others do not.
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Current availability
- 175,000 participants
Pain
In 2019, we asked participants about their experience with chronic pain. A follow-up survey has started in 2024 (see below)
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Current availability
- 170,000 participants across both instances
Food preferences
In 2019, participants detailed their food preferences.
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Current availability
- 180,000 participants
Health and wellbeing
In 2022, participants provided details about their mental health and wellbeing.
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Current availability
- 175,000 participants
Open questionnaires
This questionnaire is gathering information to understand the factors that lead to poor sleep and the consequences of sleep disruption.
This questionnaire is gathering information on visualisation and memory retention.
This questionnaire is gathering information to understand how social interactions, focus, and the quality of relationships impact health and wellbeing.
This questionnaire gathers more information about experiences of chronic pain.
This questionnaire is gathering more information about mental health and wellbeing.
Access UK Biobank questionnaire data
Researchers can explore all questionnaire data on our data browser, Showcase.
Questionnaire data research stories
Read a selection of stories about how healthcare is being changed by discoveries made with questionnaire data.
UK Biobank participants’ genetic data and questionnaire answers reveal some of the biological underpinnings of pain – raising hope of new therapies for the billions of people who experience persistent pain.
Almost 180,000 UK Biobank participants answered over 160 questions about their sleeping habits. The results could revolutionise treatments for sleep disorders and reveal how sleep keeps us healthy.
World’s largest DNA analysis of people with depression reveals hundreds of inherited genetic differences, which could eventually help to match people with an antidepressant that works for them.
Explore our other data categories
Magnetic resonance images, bone-density scans, carotid artery ultrasound and more
Proteins, metabolites, infectious disease markers and other biomarkers
Genotyping, exome and whole-genome information
Linked electronic medical records, including hospital stays, cancer diagnoses and causes of death
Baseline data from physical exams, vision and hearing tests, activity monitor and more
Participants’ self-reported data on health and lifestyle
Derived data on participants’ environment, such as local air and noise pollution