[A database for research in public health].

Epidemiological and health system research projects are often delayed due to the difficulties to build validated data basis in personal computers. This papers presents a new computer interactive program for handling numeric data from a given questionnaire to a structured archive. The questionnaire includes the basic variables of the dwelling and of the members of the household. A list of sociodemographic and health variables are selected, although other variables can be easily added, according to special needs. All the intermediate steps regularly needed to construct a data base are included in the package: capture, verification, validation and record linkage. The package is equipped with the basic procedures needed to produce tabulations and basic statistical analysis.