International Longitudinal Studies into Ageing
Anna Thorpe
Supplementary material for PhD ‘Attitudes to Ageing: Relationships to Health and Health Behaviours in Midlife’
University of Otago Christchurch
2014
9
10 This is not a complete list of all international longitudinal studies of ageing, but it may be a more comprehensive list than has been previously published. By
definition it could be argued that all studies following participants over time are ageing studies. Studies included here specifically focus on aspects of ageing.
11
12 The following list of study compilations and reviews were helpful sources:
13 https://mmicdata.rand.org/meta/study_descriptions.pdf
14 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3135270/pdf/nihms303332.pdf
15 http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ScientificResources/LongitudinalStudiesAllCurrent.htm
16 http://ialsa.uvic.ca/Plone/long-studies
17 http://www.clsa-elcv.ca/en/external_links/index.html
18 http://ialsa.uvic.ca/Plone/long-studies/IALSA-characteristics
19 http://www.uwpsychiatry.org/sls/publications/Long_Studies_In_Aging_Resch.pdf
20 http://www.geri.duke.edu/china_study/CLHLS9.htm
21 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Study_on_Global_Ageing_and_Adult_Health
22 http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACDA/studies?archive=NACDA&q=longitudinal+aging+studies
23 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12062-013-9082-3/fulltext.html
No.
1.
Study name
Advanced
Cognitive
Training for
Independent &
Vital Elderly
(ACTIVE)
Where
USA
N=
2,802
Ages
65 +
Years
19992001
2.
Age, Gene /
Environment
Susceptibility
Study (AGES)
Iceland
5,764
68-95
20022006
3.
Ageing baby
Boomers in
Australia (ABBA)
Australia
4.
Aging in
Indonesia
Indonesia
?
60 +
19962006
Focus
ACTIVE was a multi-site randomized controlled trial conducted at 6 field sites in the US
with community based participants 65 + at risk of loss of functional independence. The
primary aim of the trial was to test the effects of 3 distinct cognitive interventions,
previously successful in improving elders' performance, on measures of cognitively
demanding daily activities. Trainings consisted of an initial series of 10 group sessions
followed by 4 session booster trainings at 1 & 3 years. The 3 cognitive interventions
focused on memory, executive reasoning, & speed of processing. The design included a
no-contact control group. Participants were assessed at baseline, immediately after
training, & annually thereafter. 26% of participants were African-American.
Data publicly available
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/04248/detail
Covered physiological measures, functional health, physical activity, nutrition, cognitive
measures, social & demographic, health services utilisation, & psychological measures.
Following Reykjavik longitudinal study with 20,000 people from 1967-1994 with CT &
MRI etc.
http://www.hjarta.is/english/ages
ABBA aims to determine the diverse pathways, timing, & processes of retirement from
paid work, & their consequences for adjustment, well-being, & unpaid productivity after
retirement; the impact on quality of life outcomes after retirement; individuals’
expectations for, & experiences of, retirement & the active strategies by which they
attempt to achieve their retirement goals; & assess how expectations for retirement are
shaped by the economic, social, & policy context in Australia as contrasted with the US.
Uses the national, longitudinal Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia
(HILDA) Survey (2001-2010); national telephone survey (2009) & is linked with the life
history component of the NSW 45 and Up Study; and a parallel life history component
in the English Longitudinal Survey on Ageing (ELSA).
Indonesia is the 4th fastest oldest growing nation globally. The study is a comparative,
longitudinal study of the elderly, their family networks, & community structures in 3
5.
Aging in
Manitoba (AIM)
Canada
8,950
60-108
19712001
6.
Aging in Women
and Men
(GENDER)
Sweden
996
69-81
1995
7.
Aging of Veterans
of the Union
Army: Surgeons
Certificates 19601940
USA
81,877
white
men
?
19911999
communities. 80 - 97 % of elderly in 3 communities (East and West Java, West Sumatra)
recruited; with repeat interviews with 20 - 60 elderly in each site, complemented by indepth interviews with adult family members. Collection of life histories enabled
mapping of kin networks, which could be checked by observation of exchanges.
Randomised surveys of household economy & inter-household exchanges with 50
‘young’ households and 50 ‘elderly’ households in each of the 3 communities
substantiated differences in social & economic status within & between networks which
shape family & community responses to older people’s needs; & enabled quantitative
analysis of the role of support from absent network members.
Follow-ups in 2000 & 2005.
http://www.demographic-research.org/Volumes/Vol19/52/19-52.pdf
Covered functional health, physical activity, cognitive measures, social & demographic,
health services utilisation, psychological measures, minorities, lifestyle, service
utilization data (medical, hospital, personal care home, home care from 1970-2004 &
Pharmacare data from 1994-2004), & death certificates of decedents from 1971-2004.
Looked at loneliness, social isolation, dementia, heart functioning, & diet.
http://www.mfus.ca/Publications.php
Follows 498 sets of opposite sex twins born in Sweden between 1906-1925 to assess
gender differences in various measures of health conditions, symptoms, & self-rated
health among older persons by comparing brothers & sisters in a sample of unlike-sex
twins.
http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/57/3/S168.full
With the goal of constructing datasets suitable for longitudinal analyses of factors
affecting the ageing process, the project collected military, medical, & socio-economic
data on a sample of white males from the Union Army during the Civil War. The
surgeons' certificates contain information from examining physicians to determine
eligibility for pension benefits. Socio-demographic factors & military experience
included.
Data publicly available
8.
Aging, Status and
Sense of Control
(ASOC)
USA
2,593
1,378
1,444
18 +
1995-
9.
Alameda County
Study (ACS)
USA
6,928
4,864
17-94
1965-
10.
Americans
Changing Lives
USA
3,617
25 +
1986 -
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/02877/detail
The ASOC study was conducted during 1995, 1998 & 2001 to examine the relationship
between age & changes in the sense of control over one's life. Covers
-Physical health, activities of daily living (eg shopping, walking, & housework),
-Medical conditions (eg heart disease, high blood pressure, lung disease, breast cancer,
diabetes, arthritis or rheumatism, osteoporosis, allergies & asthma),
-Mental health (eg staying focused, sadness, anxiety, & enjoyment of life),
-Health behaviours (eg use of tobacco & alcohol, frequency of exercise, use of medical
service, insurance coverage, & prescription medication use),
-Sense of control over their lives (eg social support & participation, history of adversity
(eg home break-ins or assaults, major natural disasters, unemployment, & times without
enough money for clothes, food, rent, bills, or other necessities),
-Demographic questions (eg age, sex, marital status, education, work status, marital &
family relations, & socio-economic status).
Oversampling of 60 +. Telephone survey.
Data publicly available at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/03334
Focused on influence of health practices & social relationships on the physical & mental
health of a typical sample of the population. Covers functional health, physical activity,
social & demographic, health services utilisation, psychological measures, nutrition,
lifestyle - other. The 1st wave (Health & Ways of Living Study, 1965 Panel) collected
information for 6,928 respondents on chronic health conditions, health behaviours, social
involvements, & psychological characteristics. The 1974 questionnaire was sent to 6,246
living subjects who had responded in 1965, & were able to be located. A total of 4,864
individuals responded in 1974. Questions were asked on marital & life satisfaction,
parenting, physical activities, employment, & childhood experiences. Demographic
information on age, race, height, weight, education, income, & religion also collected.
Data publicly available at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/06838
Focus on differences between black & white Americans in middle & late life, with 4
waves in a national longitudinal panel survey covering a wide range of sociological,
(ACL)
11.
Arnhem Elderly
Study
Netherlan
ds
1,012
65-85
1991-
12.
Australian
Diabetes, Obesity
& Lifestyle Study
(AUSDIAB)
Australian
Longitudinal
Study on Ageing
(ALSA)
Australia
7,296
45+
1999-
Australia
2,087
70 +
1992-
13.
psychological, mental, & physical health items. The 4th wave in 2002 investigated
-How a wide range of activities & social relationships are "productive";
-Adaptation to acute life events & chronic stresses threatening health & functioning, &
-Socio-cultural variations in productive activity & relationships.
Covered are: interpersonal relationships; sources & levels of satisfaction; social
interactions & leisure activities; traumatic life events, perceptions of retirement; health
behaviours; & utilisation of health care services; physical health measures; psychological
well-being & cognitive functioning. Background information includes household
composition, number of children and grandchildren, employment status, occupation &
work history, income, family financial situation, religious beliefs & practices, ethnicity,
race, plus standard demographics.
Data publicly available at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/04690
Based in the Dutch city of Arnhem, relationships between happiness, optimism,
mortality, physical activity & chronic conditions examined.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-008-9127-0/fulltext.html
Focus on examining the natural history of diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension, heart
disease and kidney disease.
http://www.bakeridi.edu.au/ausdiab/
ALSA is Australia’s 1st multi-dimensional population based study of human ageing to
further understand how social, biomedical & environmental factors are associated with
healthy & successful ageing of people 70 +. Comprehensive personal assessment of
neuropsychological & physiological functions at each person’s home, with selfcompleted questionnaires, biochemistry, & additional clinical studies of neuropsychology & physical function. Wave 11 in 2010. Objectives include
-Levels of health & functional status in older population & tracking changes over time;
-Factors that promote & maintain health & well being in an ageing population;
-Risk factors for major morbid conditions, social &, behavioural problems among aged;
-Effects on transitions in health & functional status of age, gender, different patterns of
14.
Australian
Longitudinal
Study on
Women’s Health /
Women’s Health
Australia
Australia
40,000 +
women
18-75
1996-
co-morbidity, availability & nature of informal & formal support arrangements, social &
economic circumstances, health care provision & utilisation etc;
-Effects of disease processes on functional status & the demand for health care services,
& informal / formal long term care;
-Need for & utilisation of informal / formal sources of long-term care as they relate to
social support networks, economic & housing conditions, care giving arrangements &
the availability of appropriate services; &
-Mortality outcomes compared with changes in health & functional status, medical
interventions, self-assessed health, social networks, & individual characteristics.
By including both survey & clinical components, study links objective clinical measures
with details of respondent lifestyle, attitudes & personal histories.
http://www.flinders.edu.au/sabs/fcas/alsa/alsa_home.cfm
Data available upon request
Psychosocial Surveys with over 40,000 Australian women who were aged 18-75 when
the study began, about the health of women as they age. Physical health among
Australian women assessed, including cardio-vascular disease, incontinence,
reproductive health (infertility, menopause, hormone replacement therapy,
hysterectomy), respiratory health (asthma), medication use, cancer, visual and hearing
impairments, osteoporosis, falls, pain, operations, obesity, dental & bone health, &
chronic illness (diabetes, arthritis).
Also mental health issues (depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, & cognitive
functioning), memory, health impact of life events & health behaviours including the
impacts of socio-demographic factors (employment status, economic status, relationship
status, urban/rural/remote area of residence), life satisfaction, neighbourhood
connectedness, unpaid work & care of others, violence, motherhood, smoking, alcohol
use, illicit substance use, detailed diet & physical activity, time use; use of health
services (GP, specialist & complementary/alternative medicine services), as well as
medication use. Surveys self-completed. Part of DYNOPTA.
Questionnaires & data publicly available from http://www.alswh.org.au/
15.
Baltimore
Longitudinal
Study on Aging
(BLSA)
USA
2,900
20-100
1958-
16.
Bambuí Cohort
Study of Aging
Brazil
1,742
60+
19972007
17.
Bangor
Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
(BLSA)
Basal InterDisciplinary
Aging Study
Wales
534
65 +
19791999
Germany
6,400
65-94
1960-
18.
The BLSA from Baltimore is the USA’s longest running study into ageing, being
conducted since 1958. The study population is a series of healthy volunteers of different
ages followed indefinitely with regular follow-ups over time. Aim to characterise normal
& pathological ageing. Goals of the BLSA are
-Anatomical, physiological & functional changes that occur over the ageing process;
-Biological, behavioural & environmental factors that account for these changes;
-Biological & physiological pathways that lead to frailty in older persons;
-What predicts healthy ageing & health-related outcomes across the life-span; &
-Interventions to positively affect the ageing process & prevent age-related diseases.
Covers physiological measures, Functional health, physical activity, nutrition, cognitive
measures, social & demographic, health services utilisation, psychological measures, &
minorities. Collected data on attitudes to old people.
Data publicly available from http://www.grc.nia.nih.gov/branches/blsa/blsanew.htm
To investigate the incidence and predictors of health outcomes in an elderly population
in low socio-economic town of Bambuí. Blood & biochemical tests, anthropometric,
blood pressure measures & ECG included. Socio-demographic characteristics, selfreferred health condition and history of selected diseases, medication use, health service
use, source of medical care, physical activities, smoking, nutritional habits, reproductive
history, physical functioning, life events, social support & mental health. Annual followup. High prevalence of chronic non-transmissible diseases (especially hypertension) and
widespread trypanosoma cruzi infection found.
http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102000000200005
Functional health, physical activity, social & demographic, health services utilisation,
psychological measures. Little on web.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ScientificResources/StudyInfo.htm?id=7
Goal to identify psychological, biological & socio-biographical predictors of well-being,
health & autonomy in old age. Included medical examination, cognitive, memory &
personality testing, medical history, health behaviour, subjective health, psychological
(Basal IDA)
19.
Berlin Aging
Study (BASE)
Germany
516
70-105
1990-
20.
Berkeley Older
Generation Study
USA
470
65-
1980-
21.
Betula Project
Sweden
3,500
35 +
1988-
wellbeing, health-related control beliefs, causal attribution & religiosity.
http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF00161733
Covered physiological measures, functional health, physical activity, nutrition, cognitive
measures, social & demographic, health services utilisation, & psychological measures.
Included: life history; computerised intelligence tests; measures of personality & selfrelated beliefs; coping styles; social life & support networks; brief psychiatric rating
scale; depression scale; medication use, the utilisation of medical care, & subjective
illness beliefs. A full-body, non-invasive medical & dental examination conducted plus
biochemical analysis & computer scanning.
EWAS did comprehensive analysis & comparison:
http://www.ewas.net.nz/Publications/filesEWAS/EWAS%20WP%2010%20ER_CW.pdf
http://www.base-berlin.mpg.de/Introduction.html
Data available upon request
Parents of children born in Berkeley around 1928 (who were educationally, intellectually
& socially advantaged, all married at some time, with living children). Health, close
relations with children & close contacts with friends in earlier life found to contribute
most to a serene old age. Many older people felt satisfied with their lives in their later
decades. Little information on web on this long running study.
http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Seniors/Personality-in-advanced-old-age-continuity-orchange-The-influence-of-health-on-family-contacts-and-.html
Focus on how memory functions change during adult life & old age, to identify risk
factors for dementia & to identify early preclinical signs of dementia.
Episodic memory found to age at a faster rate than other memory systems. Semantic
memory increases in capacity from childhood to about 65, plateauing until about 85
years, before declining. Women generally have a higher memory performance than men
in episodic memory tasks & in executive functions of working memory.
Betula has challenged the linear memory decline of previous longitudinal research, as
memory performance found to be stable until 60-65.
50 new candidate genes examined & genome-wide scan for those having brain imaging.
22.
Biodemographic
Models of
Reproductive
Aging (BIMORA)
USA
156?
women
25-58
19982002
23.
Bogalusa Heart
Study (BHS)
USA
16,000 +
0-40
19732005
Early identification of participants who later will develop cognitive decline or dementia
to offer pharmaceutical help to reduce futher development of Alzheimer’s disease &
other neurodegenerative diseases.
Interest in the sense of smell. Perception of odors found to change over the life span,
affected by neurodegenerative disorders & genetic status & can be a significant
predictive marker of cognitive decline.
Part of a European collaborative study on vascular determinants of brain lesion.
http://www.betula.su.se/en/index.html
BIMORA focuses on the patterns & causes of variation in women's experience of the
transition to menopause in US women.
The BIMORA women were a subset of women belonging to the Tremin Research
Program on Women's Health (TREMIN), a longitudinal, prospective study of menstrual
cycles & female reproductive health that began in the 1930s (in which women recorded
their menstrual cycles, then completed regular health surveys). Some of TREMIN
daughters, along with additional women, were recruited in the 1960’s. 156 TREMIN
women participated in the 5-year BIMORA project, ranging from 25-58 years atr
inception, who were not on hormone treatment & had at least one ovary. Daily urine
specimens, daily record of medication use, health conditions, & menstrual bleeding.
Thus, characteristics of the transition to menopause for the BIMORA women with the
menstrual cycle and health data they have collected for many years for TREMIN.
http://depts.washington.edu/endolab/BIMORA.shtml
To investigate the early natural history of cardiovascular disease in a cohort of children
& young adults in a biracial, semi-rural community (Bogalusa, Louisiana). Lifestyle
attributes (eg tobacco use, physical inactivity, & a high-fat, high calorie diet), begin in
childhood & are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Some subjects have been followed for 30 years with repeated measurements beginning
in childhood. The Bogalusa dataset includes 11,796 participants that attended at least 1
of 7 cross-sectional paediatric exams (0 - 20 years) &/or the 1995-96 adult examination
(20 - 37 years). Questionnaires to determine: education, occupation, smoking habits,
24.
Bonn
Longitudinal
Study of Aging
(BOLSA)
Germany
221
60-75
19651984
25.
Brazilian
Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
(ELSI-BRAZIL)
Brazil
15,000
(goal)
50+
2013-
26.
British Regional
Heart Survey
(BRGS) / British
Women’s heart &
Health Study
UK
8.000 +
men
60-79
1978-
family medical history, reproductive history, & physical activity. Examination
components include blood pressure, anthropometry, & bloods. Population for genotypephenotype studies includes approximately 1,400 siblings.
Data publicly available from https://biolincc.nhlbi.nih.gov/studies/bhs/
Covered physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, social &
demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation, psychological measures, & lifestyle.
Little information on web, though study cited regularly.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2B7051DD-1C7A-4EC5-B7F7D39A6C8B0F30/0/BOLSA.pdf
New study based on ELSA, focused on relationships between health & functioning,
economic position, social participation/networks & wellbeing, as people plan for, move
into and progress beyond retirement; to investigate effects of environmental and genetic
factors on health outcomes. Planning a Review of Longitudinal Datasets on Ageing,
consisting of household interviews every 2 years, annual telephone interview & nurse
visit every 4 years.
Highly mixed population: African, European and Native American ancestry.
Physical measures collected; performance measures conducted (spirometry to measure
lung health, grip strength, walks, & balance tests); blood samples & DNA markers.
Questionnaires include: depression/emotional distress; life satisfaction; positive and
negative affect; well‐being; time use; personality.
Data to be available through HRS
Initially recruited middle-aged men drawn from general practices in 24 British towns, in
1978-1980- to determine the factors behind the considerable variation in coronary heart
disease, hypertension & stroke in UK, seeking to determine the causes & provide a
rational basis for recommendations towards their prevention. Assessed wide range of
physical, physiological, biochemical & haematological measures, plus life style, medical
& family histories. Longitudinal follow-up of all the participants for the incidence of
mortality & morbidity relating to cardiovascular disease, diabetes & cancer. Pioneered
the use of scoring systems for estimating risk of major cardiovascular events,
4,000
women
1999
27.
Bronx Aging
Study (BAS)
USA
488
75-85
19801989
28.
Caerphilly Cohort
Study of Older
Men (CCS)
UK
2,512
men
45-59
19792004
29.
Cambridge City
over 75 Cohort
Study (CC75C)
UK
2,600
75 +
1985-
emphasising value of regular moderate physical activity in prevention of cardiovascular
disease & focused on role of overweight & obesity in the origin of cardiovascular
disease and diabetes mellitus. Response rates were high. 3 further follow-ups of original
cohort.
BRHS extended its observations to younger men & women & children drawn from
schools in 10 of the same 24 towns, then outwards to other UK towns.
Since 1999, a cohort of women from these 24 towns has been recruited to sit alongside
the current cohort of men (British Women's Heart and Health Study).
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/ncdeu/currentresearch/researchprojects/bwhhs/
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/pcph/research/brhs/index.htm
Data available upon request
Focus on identifying risk factors & disease markers for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular,
& dementia causing illnesses in an ambulatory, independent, & community dwelling
population aged 75 - 85 years. Dementia incidence found to continue increasing beyond
85, but the rate of increase appears to slow relative to that of 65 - 85 year-olds,
suggesting that dementia in the oldest old might be related to age-associated risk factors
rather than the ageing process itself.
Linked with Einstein Aging Studies. Limited information on the web.
http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/73/5/356
All men aged 45 to 59 years from the Welsh town of Caerphilly and adjoining villages
contacted in 1978/9; 2512 were examined between 1979 and 1983, and on 4 further
occasions, and they have also completed postal questionnaire. Aim to examine the
development of ischemic heart disease & expanded to look at platelets, psychosocial
variables, stroke, hearing problems & cognitive function.
http://www.epi.bris.ac.uk/caerphilly/caerphillyprospectivestudy.htm
Data available upon request
6 follow-up surveys with cognitive assessment & socio-demographic variables (e.g.
change of residence, household structure, change in marital status, social contact),
activities of daily living, use of health & social services, health problems & medication,
30.
Canadian
Multicentre
Osteoporosis
Study (CaMos)
Canada
9,525
25 +
19962002
31.
Canadian Study
of Health and
Aging (CSHA)
Canada
10,263
65 +
19912001
32.
Canadian
Longitudinal
Study on Aging
(CLSA)
Canada
50,000
45-85
2001 2021
self-rated health & subjective well-being. Blood & saliva samples collected. Brain
donation programme for neuropathological & molecular biological analyses (1of only 6
studies worldwide). 6th follow-up focus on quality of life issues at the end of life, with
carers as well. Functional performance testing & heel ultrasound measurements of bone
fragility introduced, as well as falls data collection.
Data publicly available from http://www.cc75c.group.cam.ac.uk/
Sample was drawn within a 50km radius of 9 Canadian cities. Goals to
-Assess the burden of osteoporosis & fracture in Canadian Women & men;
-Identify the factors associated with osteoporosis & fracture which lead to improved
diagnosis & prevention; &
-Measure the health & economic consequences of osteoporosis & fracture.
Also assessed the cognitive abilities of those over 65.
http://www.camos.org/
Multi-centres study focused on epidemiology of dementia - prevalence, incidence & risk
factors for dementia, & caregiving. Covers physiological measures, functional health,
physical activity, nutrition, cognitive measures, social & demographic, health services
utilisation, psychological measures, & lifestyle.
Includes people in institutions (1,255), & caregiver and proxy interviews.
Data publicly available from http://www.csha.ca/
Largest study if its kind to date in terms of breadth & depth, with 26 institutions across
Canada. Multidisciplinary, covering biology, genetics, medicine, psychology, sociology,
demography, nursing, economics, epidemiology, nutrition & health services.
Main research questions:
-What are determinants of health changes over time and age?
-What is the magnitude of genetic and epigenetic factors in ageing?
-What distinguishes healthy ageing?
-What cognitive functioning in midlife predicts onset of dementia? &
-How do work and family transitions intersect with changes in social networks/social
support & their influence on overall health?
33.
34.
35.
Canberra
Longitudinal
Study
Cardiovascular
Health Study
(CHS)
Australia
1,134
70-
19902005
USA
5,888
65 +
1989-
Canterbury
Health, Ageing
NZ
1,000
50-
2010-
Assessing: -Metabolic (Diabetes, hypothyroidism);
-Cardio/Cerebrovascular (Stroke, hypertension, myocardial infarction, angina);
-Musculoskeletal (Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis - hand, knee, hip);
-Neuropsychological (Dementia, Parkinson's disease, disability, depression);
-Respiratory (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma);
-Psychological Health (cognitive, everyday competence, adaptive functioning, coping,
personality, emotion, psychopathology, values, pain, sleep);
-Lifestyle and Nutrition (Weight fluctuations, nutritional risk, dietary supplement,
physical activity, smoking, alcohol use);
-Social (social networks & social support, work & retirement, stability& change of
place, structural inequalities, perspectives of ageing as a social process, social
characteristics)
Repeated measurements every 3 years.
Linkage with existing databases (medical history & services)
http://www.clsa-elcv.ca/en/welcome/
Focus on the health, memory & cognition of older cohort along with development of
Alzheimer’s. Part of DYNOPTA.
http://cmhr.anu.edu.au/cls.php
Focus on determining extent to which known risk factors predict coronary heart disease
& stroke in the elderly, to assess the precipitants of coronary heart disease & stroke in
the elderly, & to identify the predictors of mortality & functional impairments in clinical
coronary disease or stroke. Data includes information on medical histories, extensive
diagnostic markers of clinical & sub-clinical cardiovascular disease, & cardiovascular
outcomes. Good data is available about “geriatric” outcomes such as functional status &
falls. Additional cohort of African Americans.
http://www.jhsph.edu/agingandhealth/research/projects/chs.html
Data available upon request
CHALICE is a longitudinal study of health & wellbeing focusing on ageing from
midlife. Participants recruited aged 50 years from general and Māori electoral rolls in the
and Lifecourse
Study
(CHALICE)
36.
Concord Health
and Ageing in
Men Project
(CHAMP)
Australia
1,705
70 +
men
2005-
37.
Changing Lives of
Older Couples
(CLOC)
USA
1,532
65 +
men
19871993
Canterbury region to undergo comprehensive health evaluation covering diet, lifestyle,
attitudes, environmental & social factors, cognitive functioning, genetics, heart health &
mental health. The goal being to better understand both health & wellbeing, as well as
factors related to diseases associated with ageing, such as heart, stroke, dementia,
diabetes, eye disease, infections, bowel cancer & depression. Focus on uncovering the
causes & risk factors to reduce the inequities that exist between Māori & non-Māori
health status. Includes blood & urine tests, ECG & Echo, plus fundus photographs. A 5
year follow-up assessment will take place on participants as they reach 55, 60 etc to
track ageing and protection from age-related diseases.
http://www.chalice.org.nz under construction
CHAMP is one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive study of the health of
older men ever conducted, recruiting1705 community-living men aged 70 years plus in
Sydney’s inner west with 2 year follow-ups for at least the next 10 years, with a focus on
cognitive impairment & dementia; falls, fractures & osteoporosis; & urinary problems.
Covers: socio-demographic factors; medical history health service use; smoking and
alcohol; activities of daily living; anxiety; depression; physical activity; social support;
urinary symptoms; cognitive assessment; assessment of vision, muscle strength, gait,
balance; bladder ultrasound & bone densitometry; sexual and reproductive history; and
bloods for testing a wide range of factors, DNA & gene studies associated with
successful ageing.
http://sydney.edu.au/research/opportunities/opportunities/48?faculty=id11
CLOC is a multi-wave prospective study of spousal bereavement with a probability
sample of 1,532 older married men & women from the Detroit. Initial face-to-face
interviews were conducted in 1987 - 1988. Follow-up interviews of bereaved spouses &
controls were conducted at 6, 12 & 48 months after the loss, & continued until 1993.
While primarily a study of spousal bereavement, the dataset also includes a host of other
psychosocial & biomedical variables. The combined dataset includes 1532 cases & over
3000 variables that cover every aspect of social, psychological, & physical functioning
of older adults. The husband of each couple was 65 years or older.
38.
Charleston Heart
Study (CHS)
USA
2,283
35 +
19602000
39.
Chinese Health &
Retirement
Survey
(CHARLS)
China
17,000
45 +
2008-
Data publicly available
http://www.cloc.isr.umich.edu/
The Charleston Heart Study collected data over a 41-year period (1960-2000) from
Charleston, South Carolina, to improve understanding of the natural progression of
ageing in a community-based cohort. The primary focus of the original study (n=2,181)
was to investigate racial differences in the manifestation & risk factors for coronary
disease. Over time, different outcome measurements were incorporated into the reexamination of the participants, including psychosocial, behavioural, ageing, &
functional measures. CHS began with baseline data and added a special cohort of black
men of high socio-economic status (n=102). 3 separate follow-ups. Data includes death
information, age, race, sex, occupation, education, & marital status.
Data publicly available
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/04050
CHARLS is a biennial survey with about 10,000 households & 17,000 individuals 45 +,
with the baseline pilot in 2008, with the following wave in 2011.
CHARLS is part of a set of longitudinal ageing surveys that include surveys in the US,
UK, 19 European countries, Korea, Japan, & India. CHARLS aims to set up a high
quality, nationally representative and publicly available micro-database that provides a
wide range of information about the households of the elderly & also individual
information on elderly respondents & their spouses. The household survey includes
-Demographic Background
-Family
-Health Status & Functioning
-Health Care & Insurance
-Work, Retirement and Pension
-Household & Individual Income, Expenditure & Assets
-Interviewer Observation
There is also a community survey.
Data available upon request
40.
China
Chinese
Longitudinal
Healthy Longevity
Survey (CLHLS)
41.
Cross-European
Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
(EXCELSA)
Austria
Finland
Germany
Italy
Portugal
Poland
Spain
8,959
11,161
20,297
18,549
20,418
35-110
1998
2000-
10,500
35-85
2002-
http://charls.ccer.edu.cn/charls/
Very large study focused on healthy longevity with about 80,000 participants face-toface, using internationally compatible questionnaires. 14,376 centenarians, 18,938
nonagenarians, 20,823 octogenarians, 14,285 65-79, & 10,962 middle-age adults aged
35-64. At each wave, survivors were re-interviewed, & deceased interviewees replaced
with new participants. 17,649 elders aged 65-110 who died between waves - data on
their mortality & health status before dying collected from family proxies.
Aim to understand the determinants of healthy human longevity, out of a large set of
social, behavioural, biological, & environmental risk factors. CLHLS has the largest
sample of centenarians globally. Extensive data collected on oldest-old sample aged 80112, with a comparison group of younger elders aged 65-79. Objectives:
-Collect intensive individual interview data including health, disability, demographic,
family, socio-economic, & behavioural risk factors for mortality & healthy longevity.
-Follow up the oldest-old & the comparison group of the younger elders, as well as some
of the elders’ adult children to ascertain changes in their health status, care needs & costs
plus causes of death, care needs, costs, & health/disability status before death.
-Analysis of impacts of social, behavioural, environmental, & biological risk factors as
determinants of healthy longevity & mortality in the oldest-old.
-Compare the findings with other studies of large populations at advanced age.
http://www.geri.duke.edu/china_study/
Major cross-European study aiming to develop European knowledge base of socioenvironmental, psycho-social & behavioural determinants of changes in health &
competence across the lifespan, with 1,500 from each of 7 European countries.
Covers social relationships, mental abilities, self, satisfaction & wellbeing, personality,
biophysical measures, self-reported health, lifestyle (physical activity, smoking, alcohol,
sleep), mastery & perceived control.
Pilots run in 2000-02, may be waiting for further European funding to continue.
Web-based information limited.
http://www.uam.es/centros/psicologia/paginas/departamentos/biologia/excelsa.html
42.
Danish
Longitudinal
Future Study
Denmark
43.
Danish Metropolit
Project
Denmark
44.
Dunedin
Multidisciplinary
Health and
Development
Study
NZ
40-64
1987-
7,987
men
8-
1965-
1,037
3-38
1972-
http://www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/9AE25B57-1154-4279-B928F3E51357D93D/0/EXCELSA.pdf
The Danish Longitudinal Future Study has followed in 3 waves 4 generations originally
aged 40-64 years, analysing changing attitudes, expectations & behaviours towards
financial security in later life, their perceptions of the financial situation of people in
later life as well as their own intergenerational solidarity.
http://baywood.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issu
e,6,6;journal,10,20;linkingpublicationresults,1:300330,1
The initial cohort was all the boys born in the Copenhagen region in 1953 with the aim
to establish a prospective study covering early school age to early mid-life:
-Social mobility, especially intergenerational mobility, & the role of education;
-Memberships of groups and formal associations;
-Conformity and deviance; &
-Choice of partner, marital adjustment, & divorce in families.
Family study included interviewing of mothers. Last assessment in 2004. Included
cognitive function, psychiatric & cancer diagnoses, & relationship between intelligence
& CVD/stroke.
Data available on request.
http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/35/3/541
Internationally well-known Multidisciplinary Health and Development study participants
are the 1,037 babies born in Dunedin, for the year following 1 April 1972, at Queen
Mary Maternity Hospital. Of those 1037 babies, 1014 of the original cohort are still alive
today Participant children were first followed up at the age of 3, then at 5, 7, 9, 11, 13,
15, 18, 21, 26 & 32. In 2010, 38 year olds will be assessed, then each 6 years thereafter.
During the ‘assessment phase’, participants return to Dunedin, from wherever they live
(more than 50 of them now live in the UK). Almost all aspects of their physical &
mental health are examined, including teeth, blood samples, psychological testing,
interviews about relationships, behaviour, & family.
Previous assessments have included the parents of the Study Members (the Family
45.
46.
Duke
Longitudinal
Study of Normal
Ageing I & II
(DLSNA I & II)
USA
Dynamic Analyses
to Optimise
Ageing
(DYNOPTA)
Australia
267
60-97
19561976
502
45-69
19681976
50,652
45+
1990-
Health Study), and studies are planned involving the children of the original Study
Members (the Next Generation Study). This will give new information covering 3
generations of the same families. Excellent retention rate (eg almost 96% of current
study members came back to Dunedin for a full day of interviews in 2005 with a few
study members interviewed by staff elsewhere, totalling 972 out of the 1015 eligible
study members).
Questionnaires available & over 1000 publications.
http://dunedinstudy.otago.ac.nz/aboutus.html
First Duke University longitudinal study with 65% white & 35% African-American
participants.
Covered physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, psychological
measures, social & demographic, including religion & life satisfaction.
2nd Duke University longitudinal study with younger white middle & upper class
participants in North Carolina.
Covered physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, psychological
measures, social & demographic, & lifestyle.
Duke studies led to development of the ‘longevity quotient’, evaluating an individual's
rate of ageing. It is calculated by the number of years a person survives beyond a given
time, divided by the expected number of years derived from actuarial tables.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8337904
DYNOPTA has pooled a dataset of information from 9 Australian longitudinal studies of
ageing:
Aust. Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ALSA) 1992- 65+ n=2087
Aust. Longitudinal Study of Women’s Mid & Old Cohort (LSWH mid & old) 199645+ n=13,706 & 68+ n=12,431
Aust. Diabetes, Obesity & Lifestyle Study (AUSDIAB) 1999- 45+ n=7,296
Blue Mountains Eye Study 1992- 50+ n=3,654
Canberra Longitudinal Study (CSL) 1990- 70+ n=1,134
Household, Income & Labour Dynamics of Australia (HILDA) 2001- 45+ n=6,164
47.
Einstein Aging
Study (EAS)
Englis
48. English
Longitudinal
Study (ELSA)
USA
1,769
70-90
1980-
UK
12,100
50 +
2001-
Melbourne Longitudinal Study Healthy Ageing (MELSHA) 1994- 65+ n=1,000
Personality & Total Health through Life (PATH) 2001- 60+ n=2,222
Sydney Older Person’s Study (SOPS) 1991- 75+ n=630
Focuses 4 health domains: cognition/dementia, mental health, mobility & sensory
function, as well as mortality. Covers medical conditions, health behaviours, social
support & health & community service use.
Common health & social variables: gender, education, relationship, socio-ec. status &
employment status, self-rated health, visual impairment, smoking, social contact)
http://dynopta.anu.edu.au/
Interdisciplinary study focusing on the ageing brain, both with normal ageing &
challenges of Alzheimer’s disease & other related disorders, along with chronic pain,
leisure, mobility & genomics. Brain imaging & correlation of clinical behaviour with
changes in brain tissue. 26 % are African-American, as used more refined methods of
recruitment to get a broader ethnic base. Aims to:
-Describe the changes in memory & thinking which occur in normal ageing;
-Develop tests which help identify early Alzheimer’s disease & individuals at high risk
for future disease;
-Study the causes of Alzheimer’s disease;
-Discover the changes in the brain which cause memory loss & other cognitive
symptoms;
-Help devise treatment strategies which delay or reverse such brain changes; &
-Provide information to EAS participants & community about the ageing brain.
http://www.einstein.yu.edu/neurology/program_pages2.aspx?id=10064&PageID=10065
Major British study covering physiological measures, functional health, cognitive
measures, social & demographic, health services utilisation, psychological measures,
physical activity & leisure, & lifestyle, as well as financial situation, paid & unpaid work
situation, pensions received, accommodation, family & household composition, health &
wellbeing, use of public transport, attitudes & expectations about ageing. Looked at
interconnection between wealth & all other aspects of wellbeing, especially health.
49.
USA
Epidemiology of
dementia in Cache
Co, Utah
5,092
65 +
1995
50.
Established
Populations for
Epidemiologic
Studies of the
Elderly (EPESE)
USA
14,456
65 +
19811993
51.
Evergreen Study
Finland
1,155
65 +
1988-
52.
European Male
Aging Study
(EMAS)
3,200
40-79
2003-
53.
European Study
of Ageing & Well
Being (ESAW)
UK
Sweden
Estonia
Poland
Hungary
Italy
Spain
Belgium
Austria
Italy
Luxembur
1,800 –
2,500 in
each
50-90
2002-
Initially participants born in 1953, partners now fully interviewed, & new participants 50
– 53 years interviewed. 5 waves of data collection.
Data available on request from http://www.esds.ac.uk/longitudinal/access/elsa/l5050.asp
Enrolled 90% of older residents of County Cache. Focus on genetic & environmental
factors associated with risk for Alzheimer’s disease & other forms of
dementia.http://www.usu.edu/epicenter/htm/studies/memorystudy
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10784462
Aimed to identify predictors of mortality, hospitalisation, and placement in long-term
care facilities & to investigate risk factors for chronic diseases & loss of functioning
from participants in 4 different geographic locations.
Covered physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, social &
demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation, psychological measures, physical
activity, & lifestyle.
Data publicly available from http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/09915
Study collects data on injurious accidents, use of institutional care and mortality,
analysis on healthy ageing, subjective age, physical activity, and adverse age-related
events.
https://www.jyu.fi/sport/laitokset/tutkimusyksikot/sgt/en/Research/Evergreen
Largest study of ageing in men in the world, which intends to identify the nature and
frequency of some of the symptoms of ageing in men in different regions of Europe, the
relationships between these symptoms to hormonal changes, disability and other risk
factors. Two assessments 5 years apart.
http://www.emas.man.ac.uk/main.asp
ESAW aimed at building a European socio-cultural model able to identify which main
factors, along with personal characteristics & culture, exert a direct causal contribution
on ageing well. Focus on 5 components: physical health & functional status; self-
g
country
Netherlnds 12,490
Sweden
UK
54.
Family Life
Surveys
Malaysia
Indonesia
Guatemala
Bangladsh
4,803
30,000+
2,872
7,000?
18 +
18-35
18+
18+
197619931995
1996
55.
Florey Adelaide
Male Aging Study
(FAMAS)
Australia
1,195
men
35-80
2001-
56.
Framingham
Heart Study
USA
5,209
30-62
1948-
resources (including resilience); life activity; material security; & social support.
Losses found to outweigh gains as people aged. Use of self-resources.
Individual interviews administered with a structured questionnaire to national samples of
1,800-2,500 community based participants, aged 50-90, in Austria, Italy, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Sweden & the UK.
The ESAW Project represents a European sub-group of a larger Global Study of Ageing,
initiated by the Indiana University Center on Aging and Aged.
http://esaw.bangor.ac.uk//
Set of detailed household & community surveys of developing countries conducted by
the RAND Corporation, in collaboration with research institutions in the given countries.
The currently available country surveys cover Malaysia (1976-77, 1988-89), Indonesia
(1993, 1997, 2000), Guatemala (1995), & Bangladesh (1996).
Data publicly available from http://www.rand.org/labor/FLS/
Multi-disciplinary study examining the health & health-related behaviours of men living
in NW Adelaide. Biomedical, socio-demographic, behavioural, physical & psychological
interactions that contribute to the health & health-related behaviours of men assessed.
Main focus: incidence of & risk factors associated with chronic physical & psychological
disorders; endocrinology of the ageing male & its relationship with age, health status &
male-specific conditions (e.g. prostate health, erectile function, lower urinary tract
symptoms); utilisation of health services; ocular health; cognitive function; obesity &
nutrigenomics; motor function in ageing; & osteoarthritis.
http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/dyl279v1
Focus on identifying the common factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease by
following its development over time with people who had not yet developed overt
symptoms of CVD or suffered a heart attack or stroke.
Participants from Framingham, Massachusetts. Since 1948, every 2 years return for a
detailed medical history, physical examination, & lab tests. In 1971, a 2nd generation
enrolled for similar examinations - 5,124 of the original participants' adult children &
their spouses. In 1994, more diverse community of Framingham was recruited with the
57.
Fredericton 80+
Study
Canada
14
238
80 +
19982003-
58.
Gender Study of
Unlike Sex DZ
Twins (GENDER)
Sweden
1,210
80 +
1950’s
59.
Genetics of
Healthy Aging
Study (GEHA)
11
European
countries
5,300 +
2,600
controls
90 +
2004?
60.
Georgia
USA
?
70 +
1988-
1st Omni cohort. In 2002 the study enrolled a 3rd generation of participants, the
grandchildren of the original cohort. In 2003, a 2nd group of Omni participants enrolled.
Data publicly available from http://www.framinghamheartstudy.org/
Focus to investigate the overall life situations of people 80 + annually around health,
social, & psychological dimensions. People 80+ are the fastest growing population group
& the least researched. The Fredericton 80+ Study is linked to 2 other 80+ studies, the
1988 Lund study (Sweden) & the 1993 Reykjavik study (Iceland).
Covers physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, social &
demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation, psychological measures, physical
activity, & lifestyle.
http://www.stthomasu.ca/research/80plus/index.htm
Comparison of 605 brother & sister twin pairs born between 1906 & 1925. Linked with
Swedish Twin Registry & was 1st established in the late 1950s initially to study the
importance of smoking & alcohol consumption on cancer & cardiovascular diseases,
then broadened to study the genetic bases most common complex diseases like
Parkinson's disease & chronic fatigue syndrome. Principal findings on ageing, cancer &
cardiovascular disease.
http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/57/3/S168.abstract
The aim of GEHA is to identify genes involved in healthy ageing & longevity, which
allow individuals to survive to advanced old age in good cognitive & physical function,
with an absence of major age-related diseases with an unprecedented number (2,650) of
long-lived (90 +) sibpairs from 11 European countries. It involves a:
-Genome scan
-Study in cases (i.e. the 2650 probands of the sibpairs) & controls (2,650 young people);
-Genotyping for ageing & longevity (including for gender & ethnicity); &
-Development of mathematical & statistical models capable of combining genetic data
with demographic factors, health status, socio-economic factors, & lifestyle habits.
http://www.geha.unibo.it/page_display.asp?pid=13
A cross-sectional study on the longevity and survival of the oldest old in Georgia state.
Centenarian
Study
61.
Gerontological &
Geriatric
population
Studies in
Goteborg (H-70)
Sweden
1,148
70
19712001
62.
Global Ageing
Survey (GLAS)
25
countries
in Asia,
Americas,
Europe &
Africa
110,000
40-80
2005-
Focus on the unique adaptational characteristics of community-dwelling and cognitively
intact centenarians, octogenarians, and sexagenarians in Georgia state. Includes
longevity genes, neuropathology, & the functional capacity of a population-based sample
of centenarians & controls.
http://www.geron.uga.edu/research/centenarianstudy.php
Describes normal ageing, prevalence & incidence of disease, & potential for preventing
functional decline in later life. Covered physiological measures, functional health,
cognitive measures, social & demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation,
psychological measures, physical activity, & lifestyle.
About 250 papers published from the project with results showing diverse ageing.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8337910
The Global Ageing Survey (GLAS) comprises of interviews with 44,000 people aged
40-80 in 25 countries in Asia, Americas, Europe & Africa, in 3 waves, based out of the
Oxford Institute of Population Ageing in collaboration with HSBC Insurance.
Comparative modules with HRS and SHARE on health & retirement, attitudes,
expectations & behaviours towards later life & retirement, including financial planning
for retirement. It includes interviews with 6000 employers.
Four global survey reports issued
1.The Future of Retirement in a World of Rising Life Expectancies (2005) with 11,000
adults (aged 18+) in 10 countries and territories across 4 continents;
2. The Future of Retirement: What the world wants, with 21,000 adults in 20 countries &
territories across 5 continents (62% of the world’s population). 6,000 private-sector
employers across the same 20 countries & territories surveyed to address their attitudes
to older workers and the issues presented by global ageing & changing models of
retirement;
3. Future of Retirement: The New Old Age (2006-07) explores intergenerational
transfers, social and familial networks, workplace and community contributions, and
expectations and experiences in respect of withdrawal from the workplace; &
4. The Future of Retirement report: Investing in Later Life (2008) with 44,000 people in
63.
Groningen
Longitudinal
Aging Study
Netherlan
ds
5,279
57 +
1992 -
64.
Grant Study of
Adult
Development
USA
724 men
20 +
1938 -
65.
Health, Ageing
and Body
Composition
Study (Health
USA
3,075
70-79
19972004
25 countries & territories around the world, investigating how people prepare for what is
now emerging as the ‘second half of their lives’.
http://www.ageing.ox.ac.uk/research/global/glas
GLAS focuses on the associations between pathology, disability, well-being, utilisation
of care among older people, & how these associations are affected by personal &
environmental factors. Seeking the health determinants of quality of life, especially those
of physical & social disability & subjective wellbeing. Includes: frailty, selfmanagement & successful ageing; determinants of health & wellbeing, health
perception, life satisfaction & specific diseases (eg cancer, cardiac, diabetes),
behavioural measures, physical functioning, activities of daily living, & role-functioning.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9675781
Study of Adult Development is the longest longitudinal study of adult life conducted,
over 70 years, 2 groups of men have been studied from adolescence into late life to
identify the predictors of healthy ageing. Assessed psychological traits, social factors, &
biological processes that characterize adolescents & 40 year-olds who develop into
vigorous & engaged octogenarians. The study has created an unprecedented database of
life histories to view the dynamic character of the ageing process.
2 groups in the study: Harvard cohort, or the Grant Study is a group of 268 Harvard
graduates from the classes of 1939-1944 & Inner-City cohort, or the Glueck Study, is a
group of 456 men from the inner-city neighbourhoods of Boston between 1940 & 1945.
Every 2 years, both the Grant & Glueck men complete questionnaires asking about their
physical & mental health, marital quality, career or retirement enjoyment, etc.
Every 5 years, health information is collected from the men & their doctors to assess
their physical health. Also relationships, careers, & their adjustment to ageing.
http://adultdev.bwh.harvard.edu/research-SAD.html
Covers physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, nutrition, health
services utilisation, psychological measures, & physical activity.
Many aspects of ageing studied & written up.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ScientificResources/StudyInfo.htm?id=97
66.
ABC)
Healthy Ageing
across the Life
Course
(HALCyon)
UK
30,000
50+
1932+
HALCyon is a collaboration of 9 UK cohort studies to understand 3 aspects of healthy
ageing: physical and cognitive capability; psychological & social wellbeing; & the
underlying biology of ageing.
The HALCyon cohorts cover 30,000 individuals born between 1918 and 1958, and aged
50 years or older at inception. The studies are: The Scottish Mental Health Surveys
including the Lothian (Edinburgh based) & Aberdeen based cohorts; 2 Hertfordshire
cohorts; the Boyd Orr Cohort; the Caerphilly Study; the National Survey of Health and
Development; the National Children’s Development Study; the English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing (ELSA). (Caerphilly, ELSA, Lothian, National Survey of Health and
Development are separate entries in this document)
The Scottish Mental Surveys were conducted as a school test of mental ability on the
entire Scottish population aged 11 in 1932 and 1947. Follow-up of cohort members has
been conducted from two centres, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. The Aberdeen cohort
consists of approximately 350 men and women born in 1936 and followed up in 2000-01
at age 64.
The two Hertfordshire cohorts include men and women born during the period 19201939. Follow-up studies were conducted on those born between 1920 and 1930 when
717 men and women aged 63-73 years attended a clinic assessment. Of those born
between 1931 and 1939, 2997 attended a clinic assessment at 59-73 years.
The Boyd Orr cohort is based on a cross-sectional survey of childhood diet and health
involving 4999 children (0-19 years) examined in 16 centres in England and Scotland
between 1937-1939. During 1997-8 a questionnaire was completed by 1648 of the
sample. In 2002-03, 405 participants (aged 64-83 years) living near 4 of the original
centres (London, Wisbech, Aberdeen, Dundee) took part in clinical examinations.
Another 323 participants had blood samples taken by their GP.
The National Children’s Development Study (NCDS) has followed up all 17,000 births
in one week in March 1958 in England Scotland and Wales. These men and women have
been seen 8 times and are currently being followed up again at age 50 years.
http://www.halcyon.ac.uk/
67.
Health &
Retirement Study
(HRS)
USA
22,000+
50 +
1993 -
68.
Healthy Old
People in
Edinburgh
(HOPE)
Heidelberg
Centenarian
Project
UK
603
70-88
1990-
Germany
91
100 +
2001-
Hispanic
established
Populations for
Epidemiologic
Studies of the
Elderly
(H-EPESE)
USA
4,050
65 +
1993-
69.
70.
Large study with 22,000 participants interviewed every 2 years. Covers functional
health, cognitive measures, social & demographic, health services utilisation,
psychological measures, physical activity, & lifestyle. Includes hypertension, diabetes,
cancer, chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke,
arthritis, & psychiatric problems.
In 2006, new physical performance measures, anthropometric measures, blood pressure,
cholesterol, CRP, DNA collected & more psychosocial questions.
Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) merged with HRS in
1998, now biannual survey of 50+. Also called the Asset & Health Dynamics Among
the Oldest Old study (AHEAD).
http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/
http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/sitedocs/databook/HRS_Text_WEB_intro.pdf
Some data publicly available, while some data requires permission
Healthy cohort drawn from initial sample of 1,467 from 10,000 GP patients. Focus on
cognitive functioning, neurology, memory & successful ageing.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8237624
Assessed centenarians’ objective & subjective quality of life & their interrelations in:
cognitive status; functional health; mental health; subjective well-being; use of support
& care.
http://www.gero.uni-heidelberg.de/research/hd100_en.html
Personal household interviews with sample of community-dwelling Mexican-Americans,
aged 65 +, residing in the five southwestern states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New
Mexico, & Texas. Purpose to provide estimates of the prevalence of key physical health
conditions, mental health conditions, & functional impairments in older Mexican
Americans & compare these with non-Hispanic White Americans, African Americans, &
other major ethnic groups. Includes: demographic characteristics, social & physical
functioning, major chronic conditions, related health problems, health habits, selfreported use of dental, hospital, & nursing home services, depression, mental health,
71.
Honolulu Asia
Aging Study
(HAAS)
Hawaii
3,734
71-93
1965-
72.
Hospitalized
Elderly
Longitudinal
Study
USA
1,266
80 +
198997
73.
Interdisciplinary
Longitudinal
Study of Adult
Development
(ILSE)
Germany
1,384
994
41-63
1993
1997
2005
2009
74.
Intergenerational
Growth Study
(IGS)
USA
74
248
218
2+
1928-
family relations, migration history etc.
The 3,050 subjects at baseline are comparable to those of the other EPESE studies & a
further 1,000 participants 75 + were recruited at 10 years.
The baseline interviews were conducted in 1993 & 1994; with 5 follow-up interviews.
Data publicly available
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/MDRC-STUDY/04102.xml
American men of Japanese ancestry followed in 1965, which included MRI & autopsies.
Focus now on dementia & Parkinson's disease. Linked with Honolulu Heart study &
Women's Health Initiative (cancer, cardiovascular disease and osteoporotic fractures
among postmenopausal women in Hawaii).
Covers cognitive measures, social & demographic, health services utilisation, &
psychological measures.
http://www.kuakini.org/ProgramsServices/pro_ResearchPrograms.asp#Honolulu_Heart_
Program
Preferences of hospitalised elderly people in the last 6 months of their lives found to
prefer comfort care over care to prolong life.
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/issr/da/da_catalog/da_catalog_titleRecord.php?studynumber
=I2957V1
Data available upon request
2 birth cohorts born between 1930-1932 & 1950-1952 assessed in cross regional
sampling, with focus on early detection of dementias, osteoporosis, & memory
development.
Covers physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, social &
demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation, psychological measures, physical
activity, lifestyle.
http://www.psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de/ae/apa/research/ilse.html
Very long running combination of 3 studies: Berkeley Growth Study, Guidance Study
and Oakland Growth Study from 1920’s & 1930’s, with spouses & children to study
human development until participants in their 60s.
75.
Irish Longitudinal Ireland
Study of Ageing
(TILDA)
8,000+
50 +
20062016
76.
Italian
Longitudinal
Study on Aging
(ILSA)
Italy
5,493
65-84
1992-
77.
Japanese
Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
(NUJLSOA)
Japan
?
65 +
1999-
http://dvn.iq.harvard.edu/dvn/dv/mra/faces/study/StudyPage.xhtml?studyId=31
Data available upon request
TILDA with people 50 + (& their spouses of any age), aims to assess the:
-health needs of older people;
-social & economic needs of older people;
-health & social needs of families & carers of older people;
-biological & environmental components of 'successful ageing';
-Ageing Perceptions questionnaire used
-contributions that older people are making to society & the economy.
-economic dimension (pensions, employment, living standards etc.);
-health aspects (physical, mental, service needs & usage etc.); &
-social aspects (contact with friends & kin, formal & informal care, social participation)
Data from survey interviews, physical & biological measurements.
Follow-up interviews every 2 years & health assessments every 3 to 4 years for a 10 year
period. Findings are being harmonised with leading international research.
Includes retinal photographs for age related macular degeneration.
http://www.tcd.ie/tilda/
Focus on age & sex-specific prevalence rates of myocardial infarction & other heart
disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, dementia, parkinsonism & disability rates etc.
Also interested in under and over self-reporting of disease in interviews.
Covers physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, social &
demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation, psychological measures, physical
activity, & lifestyle.
http://www.aging.cnr.it/uoe/uo2_099.htm
Designed by Nihon University to investigate health status of the Japanese elderly &
changes in health status over time, & also to investigate the impact of long-term care
insurance system on the use of services by the Japanese elderly & the relationship
between co-residence & the use of long term care. While the focus of the survey is
health & health service utilisation, intergenerational exchange, living arrangements,
78.
Japanese Study of
Aging &
Retirement
(JSAR)
Japan
4,163
50-75
2005
79.
Joseph Rowntree
Foundation
UK
1,500
65 +
198693
80.
Kelly
Longitudinal
Study
US
600
Range
1935 -
caregiving, & labour force participation also included.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/CBPH/nujlsoa/
Questionnaires publicly available & data available upon request
1st wave of data collection in 2007. 2nd wave in 2008-09 across the country. Linked with
SHARE. Considerable variation in life circumstances for midlife & older respondents.
Heavy drinking among those with higher educated & higher income, while heavy
smoking among those with lower educated & income. Lower ‘health literacy’ correlated
with higher use of Outpatients & lower use of dental care.
Very little English available on the web
3 samples of over 1,500 people aged 65 + were followed up between 1986/7 & 1992/3 to
explore what is 'successful' ageing in terms of what sustains well-being & quality of life.
More than 2/3 participants were happy with their overall quality of life with little change
over time in these proportions. Worsening ability to perform everyday tasks & declining
health status was linked with satisfaction, anxiety & depression. The higher the quality
of life, the more likely interviewees were to survive until the follow-up interviews.
Most respondents were found to be well supported by their families & friends, contrary
to popular images of lonely, isolated old people. Among 85 +, men with few social
contacts had a higher risk of death than others, while women who belonged to social
clubs had a better chance of living longer. Earlier detection of treatable health problems
(eyesight, hearing, feet, arthritis, anxiety and depression) might lead to reductions in
depression, anxiety & an increase in life satisfaction for very elderly people.
http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/living-well-old-age
Study of personality & marriage compatibility over 45 years with voluntary sample of
300 engaged couples. Physiological & psychological tests with annual follow-up of
postal survey until WWII. Participants re-contacted in 1954 with new tests. In 1979-81,
394 original participants followed up with tests that included personality, intelligence &
self-opinion. Divorced participants also followed up.
Data available upon request
http://en.scientificcommons.org/48542746
81.
Korean
Longitudinal
Study of Aging
(KloSA)
South
Korea
10,000
45 +
2006
82.
Kungsholmen
Project
Sweden
2,368
75 +
1987-
83.
Leiden Longevity
Study
Netherlan
ds
2,415
Range
1987-
84.
Life and Living in
Advanced Old
Age
(LILACS NZ)
Te Puawaitanga o
Nga Tapuwae Kia
Ora Tonu
New
Zealand
1,200
80 +
20092019
KLoSA is the newest aging cohort study developed in Korea, with a close harmonization
with HRS. Designed as a biennial survey of Koreans aged 45 plus, KloSA baseline
survey data was collected in 2006. Linked with international retirement surveys along
with SHARE & CHARLS. Very little English available on the web.
https://mmic.rand.org/docs/KLoSA_Wave_1.pdf
The study carries out epidemiological studies on different health related aspects of brain
ageing & the elderly, including: the risk factors of Alzheimer’s & dementia; physical
functioning; cognitive functioning & impairment; pharmco-epidemiology; health
economics; wellbeing; public health; & care-giving at home.
http://www.kungsholmenproject.se/
Study of 421 extended families with at least 2 long-lived siblings aged ≥89 years for
men & ≥91 years for women, & 1671 offspring that are genetically enriched for familial
longevity. Control group consists of 744 partners. Identifies genetic and phenotypic
markers to further unravel the biomolecular pathways of the ageing process. Linked with
the Leiden 85-Plus Study.
LangLeven.net/Lang Leven Onderzoek (in Dutch)
LILAC aims to understand ageing in the context of NZ culture, ethnicities, social
structures, environment, & health status – with equal numbers of both Māori & nonMāori, in the oldest 1% of the population. Goals to help people to plan better for their
own health & wellbeing in later life, to allow elderly New Zealanders to share their
wisdom with future generations, & to inform the development of local & national
policies to benefit older people. It is the 1st study about advanced age in NZ.
Plan to follow 600 Māori aged 80-90 & 600 non-Māori aged 85 + from 4 North Island
areas, for 10 years to follow life changes. Follows comprehensive feasibility study.
Participants interviewed about their current lives & what is important to their ongoing
wellbeing. The questionnaire covers the physical, mental, social, spiritual & family
aspects of life. Interviews are conducted in English or Māori.
http://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/faculty/newsandevents/news_details.aspx?ArticleId=68
2
85.
Living
Arrangements &
Social Networks
of Older Adults
(LSN)
Netherlan
ds
4,495
55-89
1992-
86.
Long Beach
Longitudinal
Study (LBLS)
USA
1,795
30 +
1978-
87.
Long Life Family
Study (LLFS)
USA
Denmark
4,800
79 +
2006 –
2011
88.
Longitudinal
Aging Study
Amsterdam
(LASA)
Netherlan
ds
4,019
55-85
1992-
89.
Longitudinal
Aging Survey in
India (LASI)
India
30,000
45 +
2008-
Focus on the importance of the personal relationships for daily functioning, for coping with
life events & for maintaining wellbeing. More specifically the focus is on living
arrangements of older adults & their social networks. Includes: social relationships,
loneliness, gender comparisons, marital status (including lesbian, gay & bisexual
relationships), health, socio-economic status & age.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9675778
Focus on cognition & ageing, to understand change & its predictors in cognitive
processes across the adult life span with 75% of participants over 70, most residing in
Long Beach, or in nearby countries within LA, evaluating
-Individual differences in performance on cognitive measures;
-Socio-demographic phenomena to cognitive performance; &
-How personality, physical & mental health & affect influence on cognitive abilities.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/lbls/
The purpose of the study is to investigate what genetic, environmental & behavioural
factors help certain families to have members who live into their 80s, 90s, & 100s.
Participant families from the US & Denmark have 2 or more siblings aged 79 +, with
their children also studied.
https://longlifefamilystudy.wustl.edu/LLFS/Home.html
LASA focuses on physical, emotional, cognitive & social functioning in late life, & the
connections between these aspects, & the changes that occur over time.
Covers physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, social &
demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation, psychological measures, physical
activity & lifestyle. Falls & injuries, sexuality, & end-of-life planning included latterly.
2 recruitment waves in 1992 & 2002. Men oversampled.
http://www.lasa-vu.nl/index.htm
Data available upon request
LASI focuses on the health, economic & social well-being of India's elderly population.
LASI, partnered with Harvard University, is conceptually comparable to the Health and
Retirement Study (HRS) in the US & is harmonised with other health & retirement
studies, including its sister surveys in Asia e.g. Chinese Health and Retirement
90.
Longitudinal
Interdisciplinary
Study on Aging
(LISA)
Japan
3,093
50-74
1991-
91.
Africa
Longitudinal
Study of Ageing in
Africa (LSAA)
3,500
50 +
2004-
92.
Longitudinal
Study of Aging l
& II
(LSOA l & ll)
9,447
70 +
19842000
USA
Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) & Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA),
thereby allowing for cross-country comparison. LASI also takes account of features
unique to India, including its institutional & cultural characteristics. The pilot survey is
to be completed by the end of 2010. A full-scale nationally representative LASI is
planned in 2011, with 30,000 people aged 45 + & followed up every 2 years for up to 25
years. No thorough study of this type has ever been carried out in India.
Data publicly available from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/pgda/LASI/about.html
Participants from Koganei City (urban) & Nangai Village (rural) areas.
Covered: medical history & treatment; falls; activities of daily living; functional
capacity; pain; educational & employment history; depression; blood pressure; ECHO;
chest X-ray; dental examination; bone mineral density (DEXA); grip strength; balance;
food-intake pattern & dietary record; living arrangements; lifestyle (smoking, drinking,
exercise, sleeping); social support; & life events.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1444-0594.2003.00088.x/pdf
WHO study covering physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures,
social & demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation, psychological measures, &
physical activity.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ScientificResources/StudyInfo.htm?id=104
LSOA I & II are 2 studies with same group of participants to assess functional health,
cognitive measures, social & demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation,
psychological measures, physical activity, & lifestyle.
LSOA II focus on changes over time in the disability & impairment process, including
-Sequence & consequences of health events (including use & nonuse of medical care &
services employed for assisted community living);
-Physiological & psychosocial consequences of failure to receive adequate assistance, on
social consequences (eg changes in social activities, living arrangements, familial
support, the use of community services, deployment of assisted living strategies
-Use of assistive devices, & accessibility of technological & environmental adaptations;
-Causes of changes in the functioning of older Americans (eg social & demographic
93.
94.
95.
USA
Longitudinal
Study of Cognitive
Change in Normal
Healthy Old Age
(LSCC)
USA
Longitudinal
Study of
Generations
(LSOG)
Longitudinal
Denmark
2,050
2,193
49-96
1982-
2,044
15 +
1971-
4,731
70 +
1995-
characteristics, preexisting & emerging physical illnesses, cognitive& emotional status,
& social & environmental support);
-Individual health risks & behaviours (eg alcohol & cigarette use, use of HRT, health
screenings, body mass & weight loss, physical activity, & diet & nutrition)
Data publicly available
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/lsoa.htm
Self-selected volunteers ‘in normal, healthy old age’, with about 75% female
Focus on cognition, Alzheimer’s, & influence of menopause on cognition.
Age, distance and cause of death, & self-reports of health status & recent medical care,
& activities of daily living found to be predictive of cognitive ability.
Began as a survey of intergenerational relations among 300 3-generation California
families: grandparents (in their 60’s), middle-aged parents (in their early 40’s), &
grandchildren (15-26). Broadened in 1991 to include a 4th generation, the greatgrandchildren of these same families.
The LSOG has a fully elaborated generation-sequential design, allowing comparisons of
sets of ageing parents & children at the same stage of life at different periods. Examining
social change on inter-generational solidarity or conflict across 35 years & 4 generations,
& on the ability of families to buffer stressful life transitions (aging, divorce &
remarriage, higher female labour force participation, changes in work & the economy, &
possible weakening of family norms of obligation), & the effects of social change on the
transmission of values, resources, & behaviours across generations.
Also examines how intergenerational relationships influence individual wellbeing in
transition across life course from early, to middle, to late adulthood. Collects information
on family structure, household composition, values, attitudes, behaviours, role
importance, marital relationships, health & fitness, mental health & wellbeing,
caregiving, leisure activities, & life events & concerns.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/research/4gen/index.htm
LSADT began in 1995 with the assessment of members of like-sex twin pairs born in
Study of Aging
Danish Twins
(LSADT)
96.
Longitudinal
Urban Cohort
Ageing Study
(LUCAS)
Germany
3,326
60+
2000-
97.
Lothian Birth
Cohort Studies
UK
551
700
b1921
b1936
1997 -
98.
Lund 80+ (LUND) Sweden
211
80 +
1988 -
99.
Maastricht Aging
Study (MAAS)
2,043
24-81
1992-
Netherlan
ds
Denmark prior to 1920 (ie at least 75 years old) then followed up every 2 years.
Additional cohorts were also added every 2 years. Surviving twin pairs at least 70 years
old were added biannually.
http://www.sanford.duke.edu/centers/pparc/research/data/lsadt/
Data available upon request
Community-dwelling older persons assessed on 18 health-related domains, including
pre-clinical markers for functional decline, frailty & disability. The LUCAS cohort
integrates medical, functional, psychosocial, biographical & nursing care aspects,
collecting both quantitative & qualitative data around transitions.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2318/12/35/
2 studies recruiting people born in 1921 & 1936 in the Lothian area of Scotland, who sat
the Moray House test (or Scottish Mental Survey) when they were 11 years of age.
Results showed an average IQ of 100, comparable to testing in England & the US. The
study focuses on the lifetime influences on the process of cognitive ageing (changes in
thinking skills with age). Some of the factors that may be important are early life
cognitive ability, social & economic circumstances, & genes.
http://www.psy.ed.ac.uk/research/lbc/LBC.html
Covers functional health, cognitive measures, social & demographic, health services
utilisation, psychological measures, & lifestyle.
The first cohort, born 1908, is tested every year, while the following cohorts recruited
every 5 years, only are tested every 5 years. Identical studies in Fredericton, Canada &
Reykjavik, Iceland.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ScientificResources/StudyInfo.htm?id=92
MAAS focuses on age related memory decline & memory related activities in the
normal population. Also covers the characteristics of people who age successfully, the
causes of age-related cognitive deficits, & the determinants of pathological ageing such
as dementia are assessed. MAAS includes several related studies into biomedical &
psychosocial aspects of cognitive ageing.
Participants are tested at intervals over 12 years to assess functional health, cognitive &
100. MacArthur Study
of Successful
Aging
USA
1,189
70-79
198896
101. Manitoba Followup Study (MFUS)
Canada
3,983
men
23-39
1948-
102. Massachusetts
Women’s health
Study (MWHS)
USA
2,565
45-55
1982-
psychological measures, social & demographic, minorities, physical activity, & lifestyle.
Some data publicly available from http://www.np.unimaas.nl/maas/
Study investigated factors that influence physical & cognitive functioning among
relatively highly functional volunteers between the ages of 70-79. Participants assessed
on physical & cognitive capabilities, overall health status, & social, lifestyle, &
psychological characteristics, & followed for 7 years, to monitor their ageing.
Covered physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, social and
demographic, health services utilisation, psychological measures, physical activity, &
lifestyle.
http://www.aging.ucla.edu/successfulaging.html
Largest & longest running of Canada’s investigations of cardiovascular disease. RCAF
aircrew recruits from WWII living across Canada with high follow-up rates. Includes
medical history, measurement of height, weight, blood pressure, cardiovascular
assessment, & ECG. Annual questionnaire sent to each participant. The participant’s GP
was contacted if there was evidence of inter-current problems.
From 1996, questionnaires focused on criteria of successful ageing, as well as
employment, retirement, & self-sufficiency. Future questionnaires included sections on
diet, leisure activity & perceptions of ageing. Covers physiological measures, functional
health, social and demographic, health services utilisation, physical activity, & lifestyle.
http://www.mfus.ca/About.php
Large longitudinal study that followed a population-based cohort of women as they
proceeded through menopause, the MWHS's goal was to describe their responses &
identify health-related, life-style, & other social factors that affect this transition. Natural
menopause appears to have no major impact on health or health behaviour & that
feelings became more positive as women experienced menopause. Negative attitudes
towards menopause were related to general symptom reporting & depression.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T9F-4G0M57318T&_user=100241&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F1991&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=sea
rch&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1362297236&_rerunOrigin=scholar
103. Medical Research
Council Cognitive
Functioning &
Ageing Study
(MRC CFAS)
UK
12,100
65 +
1991-
104. Melbourne
Longitudinal
Study Healthy
Ageing
(MELSHA)
Australia
1,000
65-
1994
105. Melton Mowbray
Ageing Project
(MMAP)
UK
3,000
75 +
19802003
15,354
50 +
b 1950
2001-
106. Mexican Health & Mexico
Aging Study
(MHAS)
.google&_acct=C000007718&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=100241&md5=1f4
4d234f7153b21a01f4df6374c5df4
Multi-centre, multidisciplinary research programme of health & frailty in ageing
populations. Investigating the prevalence & incidence of cognitive decline & dementia,
the neuro-pathological aspects of brain ageing & the linking of genes with Alzheimer’s,
vascular dementia, mixed dementia & cognitive decline of all types.
http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/35/2/154
Data publicly available from the UK Data Archive
11 waves of data collection with 3 consecutive studies investigating the health, health
behaviours & service use of a representative group of older people living in Melbourne;
biannual health behaviour change & annual measurements of functional ageing, health,
& service outcomes & the ways in which functional ageing, medical conditions, &
health behaviours influence the health, wellbeing, service use & survival of older people.
Healthy ageing examined from biomedical, psychological, behavioural & social
perspectives. Part of DYNOPTA.
http://www.med.monash.edu.au/sphc/haru/melsha/
2 surveys (1981 & 1988) & a follow-up of all patients aged 75+ registered with a large
general practice serving the town & surrounds of Melton Mowbray. Since 1990,
continued surveillance at periodic health assessments. Covers functional health,
cognitive measures, social & demographic, health services utilisation, psychological
measures, physical activity, & lifestyle.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/81CA1915-920C-4CA7-83F52F9A64EA2E27/0/MMAP.pdf
Objectives to:
-Examine the ageing processes & its disease and disability burden in a large
representative panel of older Mexicans;
-Evaluate the effects of individual behaviours, early life circumstances, migration &
economic history, community characteristics on multiple health outcomes; &
-Compare the health of older Mexicans with comparably aged Mexican-born migrants in
107. Midlife in Japan
(MIDJA)
Japan
1,027
30-79
2008-
108. Midlife in the US
Study (MIDUS I
& II)
USA
7,108
25 +
1995
2004-
the U.S. and 2nd generation Mexican-American to assess migrant health advantage.
In-person participant interviews, which included spouse/partners of all ages. Follow-up
interviews with surviving respondents conducted in 2003. Interviews with next-of-kin if
participant deceased.
Data available upon request from http://www.mhas.pop.upenn.edu/english/home.htm
MIDJA goal to conduct a multidisciplinary study of health and well-being in a sample of
middle- and older-aged Japanese adults. Tokyo adults stratified by age (30-39, 40-49,
50-59, 60-69, & 70-79). Covered: socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender,
marital status, educational status); psychosocial characteristics (eg independence /
interdependence, personality traits, sense of control, goal orientations, social support,
family obligation, social responsibility); mental health (depression, anxiety, well-being,
life satisfaction); & physical health (chronic conditions, health symptoms, functional
limitations, health behaviours) with a later related biomarker study planned. Comparison
of Japanese sample (MIDJA) with the US sample (MIDUS) to test the hypothesis that
interdependence predicts wellbeing and health in Japan, whereas independence predicts
well-being and health in the US. Cultural influences on age differences in health and
well-being are also of interest. Response rate was 56%. Data available from NADCA
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACDA/studies/30822/detail
The MIDUS studies were initiated to provide evidence of biological & psychological
ageing from midlife for the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful
Midlife Development. MIDMAC sought to identify the major biomedical, psychological,
& social factors that permit some people to achieve good health, psychological wellbeing, & social responsibility during their adult years.
MIDUS I began in 1995 & was the 1st wave of data collection. MIDUS I included over
7,000 Americans aged 25-74, & focused on health behaviours & practices, life stresses,
psychological & social resources, family background, job conditions, & multiple aspects
of physical health (chronic conditions, health symptoms, functional capacities) & mental
health (depression, anxiety, psychological well-being). It included twins & siblings of
main sample respondents, & ‘satellite’ studies to obtain in-depth assessments in key
109. The Million
Women Study
UK
One
million+
women
50+
1996-
110. Mills
Longitudinal
Study of Women
USA
?
20+
1956-
areas (e.g. daily stress, cognitive functioning). Additional subsamples recruited for indepth investigations (eg coping strategies for stressful experiences, a national study of
daily experiences, & a study of psychological experiences).
MIDUS II, starting in 2004, involved a 2nd wave of data on the 75% of the same
respondents. It included 5 projects:
Project 1 provides follow-up on the psychosocial, socio-demographic, & health
variables assessed in MIDUS I;
Project 2 provides follow-up on the daily diary study from MIDUS I;
Project 3 includes new cognitive assessments for the full MIDUS sample, plus
longitudinal follow-up for the cognitive subsample from MIDUS I;
Project 4 includes comprehensive biomarker assessments (cardiovascular, immune,
neuroendocrine, & neurological) on a subsample of about 1,500 MIDUS respondents; &
Project 5 includes neuroscience assessments on a subsample of respondents in the
biomarker study.
Data publicly available from http://midus.wisc.edu/
The Million Women Study is a national British study of women’s health, involving more
than one million UK women aged 50 +, with Cancer Research UK and the National
Health Service.
The study is investigating how various reproductive and lifestyle factors affect women’s
health, particularly the effects of hormone replacement therapy on health, & also: diet,
exercise, employment patterns, oral contraceptive use, childbirth & breastfeeding, &
family history of illness, in relation to many cancers & other conditions eg fractures,
gallbladder problems & cardiovascular disease.
Women recruited 1996 – 2001, at the time of breast screening, with about a 70%
response rate, making it one of the largest studies of its kind.
http://www.millionwomenstudy.org/
The Mills Longitudinal Study is a 50-year investigation of adult development that has
followed a group of women since they graduated from Mills College in 1958 & 1960. 5
follow-ups with the women, now in their 70’s, the study began as the 1st ever
111. Monitoring of
Trends and
Determinants of
Cardiovascular
Disease
(MONICA)
Denmark
4,807
30 - 60
19821995
112. Mosgiel Study of
Ageing (MLSA)
NZ
761
70 +
19881996
113. National Growth
& Change Study
(NGCS)
USA
10,385
1,368
1,718
985
1,125
16-83
2-96
50-98
50-98
27-87
1980
1988
2007
2008
2009
114. National Health
USA
14,407
25-74
1971-
psychological study of women's leadership and creativity, & has expanded to include:
personality types, personality change & development; work & retirement; relationships
& attachment; health, social & political attitudes; emotional experience, expression &
regulation; life satisfaction & wellbeing; & wisdom.
The Mills Study has produced over 100 publications.
http://millslab.berkeley.edu/
MONICA aimed to test whether specific food intake patterns or changes in food intake
patterns were related to future changes in BMI. Longitudinal observational study, with
clinical & questionnaire examinations at baseline & 2 follow-up surveys after 5 and 11
years with 3785 men and women aged 30, 40, 50 & 60.
Used 26-item food frequency questionnaire, standardised measurements of height &
weight, & a lifestyle questionnaire covering smoking, leisure time physical activity,
education, parity, age & food intake patterns.
Results showed food intake factors did not consistently predict changes in BMI or
obesity development.
65% retention rate.
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v28/n4/pdf/0802598a.pdf
The Mosgiel Longitudinal Study of Ageing from Dunedin was an investigation of
cardiovascular risk factors, nutrition, disability & social support networks with 91% of
the entire population in the community aged 70 +.
http://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publicationsresources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj13/13-ageing-in-place.doc
Programme of research looking into age-related growth & declines of adult intellectual
functioning. More recently, a wider-ranging US national longitudinal study of cognition
is focusing on age-related changes in cognition across cohorts, & the impacts of
cognition on key health & welfare outcomes.
http://kiptron.usc.edu/index.html
Data available upon request
Focus on longitudinal ageing, morbidity, mortality, & functional status, including
and Nutrition
Examination
Survey (NHANES
l) Epidemiological
Follow-up Study
(NHEFS)
115. National
Longitudinal
Mortality Study
(NLMS)
USA
3million
Range
1980-
116. National
Longitudinal
Study (NLS)
USA
10,245
men
10,242
women
14–59
1966-
14-44
1967-
cognitive measures, social & demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation,
psychological measures, physical activity, & lifestyle.
The NHEFS cohort includes 14,407 participants 25-74 years old in 1971-75 with 4
follow-up studies. Included: personal or computer assisted phone interviews with
subjects or their proxies; initially measuring pulse rate, weight, & blood pressure of
surviving participants; collecting hospital & nursing home records of overnight stays; &
collecting death certificates of decedents.
Tracing & data-collection rates in the NHEFS have been very high with 96 % of the
study population successfully traced at some point through the 1992 follow-up.
Data publicly available from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/nhefs/nhefs.htm
Database developed to study the effects of demographic & socio-economic
characteristics on U.S. mortality rates. Based on a random sample of the community
based population of the US, it consists of U.S. Census Bureau data from Current
Population Surveys, Annual Social & Economic Supplements & a subset of the 1980
Census combined with death certificate information to identify mortality status & cause
of death. The study currently consists of about 3 million records with over 250,000
identified mortality cases. Over 60 publications generated.
Data publicly available
http://www.census.gov/did/www/nlms/index.html
Focus on multiple points on labour market activities & other significant life events in 22
waves with younger & older men / women compared.
Data collection focused on topics such as work and non-work experiences, retirement
planning, health conditions, insurance coverage, leisure, middle-age job changes,
retirement expectations & experiences, & re-entry to the labour market after initial
retirement. In 1990, information collected from respondents or widows / next-of-kin if
participants deceased.
5,225 young men aged 14–24 interviewed in 1966, on educational experiences, training,
career choices, marital & fertility histories, work history etc. Interviews ceased in 1981.
The NLS of Mature women were women in their 30’s - early 40s, many of whom were
117. National
Longitudinal
Study of the Class
of 1972 NLS-72)
USA
17,726
18-
1972-
118. National LongTerm Care
Survey (NLTCS)
USA
35,789
65 +
1982 -
119. National
Population Health
Survey (NPHS)
Canada
17,276
0+
1994 -
120. National Social
Life, Health &
USA
3,005
57-85
2005-
re-entering the workforce & balancing the roles of homemaker, mother & worker.
Covered functional health, minorities, social & demographic, health services utilisation,
psychological measures, cognitive measures, & lifestyle.
Data publicly available
http://www.bls.gov/nls/
The National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72) is the
grandmother of the longitudinal studies designed & conducted by the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) & is a rich archive on a single generation of Americans.
Participants in the study were selected when they were seniors in high school in the
spring of 1972, and in a supplementary sample drawn in 1973. Regular follow-up
surveys.
Data publicly available
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/nls72/
Study of changes in the health & functional status of older Americans from National
Medicare enrolment files. It also tracks health expenditures, Medicare service use, & the
availability of personal, family, & community resources for caregiving. 5 follow-up
surveys. Covers physiological measures, functional health, cognitive measures, social &
demographic, minorities, nutrition, health services utilisation, physical activity, &
lifestyle.
Data publicly available from http://nltcs.aas.duke.edu/index.htm
Covers functional health, cognitive measures, social & demographic, nutrition,
psychological measures, health services utilisation, physical activity, & lifestyle.
17,276 households with 2,287 institutions across Canada. 80% aged 65+: depleting
rapidly because of deaths.
Vast number of variables, including parental age & cause of death.
Data publicly available from
http://tdr.tug-libraries.on.ca/SWORDCSITE/DOCS/NPHS/nphsguide.html#NPHS
Focus on health & social factors on a national scale, aiming to understand the well-being
of older, community-dwelling Americans by examining the interactions among physical
Aging Project
(NSHAP)
121. National Survey
of Black
Americans
USA
3,400
13-74
1979
122. National Survey
of Health &
Development
(NSHD)
UK
5,362
0-60
1946-
& mental health, illness, wellbeing, medication & alternative therapies use, cognitive
function, emotional health, sensory function, health behaviours, patient-doctor
communication & social connectedness.
Bio measures collected: measurements; blood pressure; smell; saliva; taste; vaginal
swabs; oral mucosal transudate; vision; ‘get up and go’; touch; & blood spots.
5-year follow-ups to understand how social & biological characteristics change.
Data publicly available from
http://www.norc.uchicago.edu/projects/ByClient/National+Institute+on+Aging/National
+Social+Life+Health+and+Aging+Project.htm
Study explores neighbourhood-community integration, services, crime & community
contact, the role of religion & the church, physical & mental health, & self-esteem. It
also examines employment, the effects of chronic unemployment, the effects of race on
the job, interaction with family & friends, racial attitudes, race identity, group
stereotypes, & race ideology. Demographic variables include education, income,
occupation, & political behaviour & affiliation.
Data publicly available
http://www.blackamericastudy.com/press/Black_America_Today_Overview_Release.pd
f
Oldest of all UK birth cohort studies of men & women born in England, Scotland or
Wales in March. Focus on age-related change in physical & cognitive function & on
biological, psychological & social processes across the life-course behind these changes.
Data includes family characteristics, birth information, family, health (blood pressure,
respiratory function, anthropometric measures, bloods, morbidity & mortality), exercise,
smoking & diet have been collected along the life course.
Data analysis on the relationships between birth, lifestyle, & intermediate risk factors
throughout life. In the midlife cohort, interest in CVD morbidity & mortality, pathways
to physical & cognitive ageing, change in women's health during the menopause
transition, ageing processes, self-care of health, & receptivity to health promotion. New
baseline data on adult function established (e.g. blood pressure, respiratory, cognitive &
123. National Survey
of Self-Care and
Aging (NSSCA),
USA
?
65 +
19901994
124. New England
Centenarian
Study (NECS)
USA
Global
1,500
70-
1994-
125. New Mexico
USA
780
65-98
1978-
musculoskeletal function), health of women’s reproductive system, morbidity, health
related behaviours, use of health services, socio-economic & family circumstances.
Data available upon request
http://www.nshd.mrc.ac.uk/
Population-based, national longitudinal survey of community based Medicare
beneficiaries in 2 waves. Objective to develop a national database on self-care
behaviours practiced by community based older adults, & collect information about
activities of daily living, functional limitations, self-care behaviours, general health,
chronic health conditions, incontinence, health service usage, equipment use,
medication, social support, & social & economic resources.
The follow-up telephone survey was conducted in 1994 & collected information on the
original topics as well as information on changes in health status & nursing home visits
since baseline. Proxies interviewed if participant had died & information on nursing
home admissions & death collected. Institutionalised participant interviews gathered
information on demographic status, previous living arrangements & reasons for
institutionalisation.
http://www.socio.com/age2526.php
Started as a study of all centenarians living within 8 towns in the Boston area focusing
on the prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease & other dementias. Then recruited
centenarians throughout the US & other countries, growing to be the largest
comprehensive study of centenarians in the world. There are currently 1,500 participants,
including centenarians, their siblings & children (in their 70s & 80s) & younger controls.
Centenarians have shown that ‘the older you get the healthier you’ve been’ – in terms of
delays in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s & overall mortality.
Centenarians have history of healthier weight, lower smoking & stress rates, later
childbirth & a family history of longevity. Linked with the Long Life Family Study &
the Genetics of Longevity Study.
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian/studies/http://www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian/
Focus on nutritional changes over time & how these changes are associated with changes
2003
Aging Process
Study (NMAPS)
126. New York
Longitudinal
Study
USA
141
Infants 1956and
1988
families
127. New Zealand
Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
(NZLSA)
NZ
5,000
50-84
2010-
in body composition & organ function in relation to the ageing process & health status.
In-depth information collected about dietary habits, lifestyle, body composition, organ
function, cognitive status, vitamin metabolism, genetic markers, & biochemical
measures of nutritional status, which were then examined in relation to age & health
status.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/6479D7A8-8B32-4121-A795E42DB3360C69/0/NewMexicoStudy.pdf
The New York Longitudinal Study is regarded as a classic study into personality types &
temperament traits over 3 decades.
Conducted amongst young children, direct observation & also interviews with parents
about their children, with 3 individual styles of personality & temperament amongst
children identified – ‘easy’, ‘difficult’ & ‘slow to warm up’.
http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/psychology/chess_thomas_birch.html
NZLSA objectives to highlight factors assisting positive ageing to identify the economic,
social, intergenerational, & resilience factors which improve the participation,
independence, & well-being of older people in NZ in 4 key areas: economic
participation; social & civic participation; intergenerational transfers; & resilience &
health.
Postal surveys on the health, wealth, & wellbeing of 5,000 New Zealanders aged 50+,
with biennial additions of 50-year-old participants every data collection wave. A further
sub-sample of 1000 participants are interviewed face-to-face. NZLSA combines the
existing 2,500 participants in the NZ Health, Work and Retirement sample with a further
1,500 randomly selected participants aged 50-84. Sub-samples of Māori, Asian
immigrants & Pacific peoples interviewed face-to-face, & in a group about
intergenerational exchanges. Special topics of interest such as elder abuse, sexuality,
rural ageing, & ageing in place.
Collaborating with HRS (USA), ELSA (UK), SHARE (Europe), & KLOSA (Korea).
Computer-assisted-personal interview covering vital measures of ageing, such as
cognitive functioning, & physical health (eg balance, reaction time, blood pressure).
128. New Zealand
Health and
Retirement
Longitudinal
Study (HWR)
NZ
6,662
54-70
2006-
129. Nordic Research
on Aging (NORA)
Sweden
Norway
Finland
450
571
388
75
1989-
130. Normative Aging
Study (NAS)
USA
2,280
men
21-81
1963-
http://nzlsa.massey.ac.nz/
Aims to identify the influences on health & wellbeing in later midlife (55-70 years) that
lay the basis for community participation & health in later life, & ultimately a more
independent, healthy retirement. Biennial postal survey to eligible potential sample of
12,494 (5,054 for the general sub-sample & 7,440 for the Māori sub-sample respectively.
Information collected on the physical & mental health of older workers & retirees along
with socio-economic & demographic status as people make the transition from work to
retirement. Includes health, alcohol, smoking, physical activity, access to health services,
role caring for those with illnesses, leisure, work, income, retirement, social support,
wellbeing, & Māori background. Also self-determination, ELSI, quality & meaning of
life, driving anxiety & expected chances of living to 85.
Qualitative component consisted of face-to-face interviews with subgroup of 60
participants in 2006, 2008 & 2010 plus 15 spouses. Additional Māori participants
recruited to assess views & perceptions of work & retirement.
Questionnaires & data analysis for 2006 & 2008 publicly available.
http://hwr.massey.ac.nz/
Comparative study on the functional capacity & health of 1,041 75 year olds throughout
Scandinavia. Covers physical activity, cardiovascular symptoms, depression, chronic
illness, dietary habits, economic situation, family situation & social contacts, health &
personal wellbeing, health behaviour & health habits, functional capacity of daily living
activities, living conditions, occupation, shortness of breath, use of health services, social
support to others & discomfort levels. Physical tests include: anthropometry, spirometry,
psychometrics, balance, muscle strength, hearing, reaction time, tapping rate & vision.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12475128
Study established with Dept of Veterans Affairs, with 95% veterans, to focus on the
biomedical, psychosocial & disease-related changes associated with ageing. Follow-up
every 3-5 years - covering smoking history, education level, food intake & other risk
factors that may influence health. Longitudinal blood lead measured, plus more than 900
have had bone lead measures, as well as urinary cadmium levels. Extensive series of
131. Northern
Manhattan Study
(NOMAS)
USA
4,400
45 +
1990
132. Nottingham
Longitudinal
Study of Activity
and Ageing
(NLSAA)
UK
1,042
65 +
19831993
133. Nun Study (NUN)
USA
678
75-106
1991-
neurocognitive tests, plus tests of motor function, memory & learning. DNA collected to
explore gene by environment interactions, selecting genes associated with Alzheimer’s.
Data on psychosocial variables, such as depression, negative life events, optimism &
perceived stress also collected. Food frequency questionnaires used to assess dietary
intake of important nutrients. This cohort provides a good setting for testing gene by
environment interactions & cognitive decline given its large sample size, archived DNA,
extensive cognitive phenotyping, & longitudinal data on chemical exposures (lead &
cadmium), psychosocial variables, & nutritional intake
http://www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ScientificResources/StudyInfo.htm?id=26
NOMAS is the first study of its kind to focus on stroke risk factors occurrence, &
outcome of stroke in whites, blacks, & Hispanics in northern Manhattan’s multi-ethnic
population (63 % Hispanic, 20 % non-Hispanic blacks & 15 % non-Hispanic whites).
Stroke found to affect blacks & Hispanics more than whites, regardless of socioeconomic status. Caribbean Hispanics had strokes at a younger age than blacks &
whites. There was also a higher rate of stroke-related death in Caribbean Hispanic &
black patients than in white patients. NOMAS is evaluating reasons for race-ethnic
differences in stroke incidence. Confirmed findings of the protective, beneficial effects
of physical activity & moderate, daily alcohol intake.
http://www.columbianomas.org/
Focus on customary physical activity, health & psychosocial status, including levels of
depression, social engagement, life-satisfaction & cognitive impairment.
Covers functional health, cognitive measures, social & demographic, health services
utilisation, psychological measures, physical activity, & lifestyle – other.
http://www.biomedsearch.com/nih/Nottingham-Longitudinal-Study-ActivityAgeing/10408677.html
Famous ageing & development study of Alzheimer’s with sisters from the Notre Dame
congregation. Handwriting from young sisters analysed and compared with health and
mortality data later. Covers physiological measures, functional health, cognitive
measures, social & demographic, nutrition, health services utilisation, & psychological
134. Nurses’ Health
Studies I, II & III
(NHS)
USA
122,000
116,686
______
238,000
women
30-55
25-42
22-42
197619892008-
measures.
http://www.healthstudies.umn.edu/nunstudy/
Large & long running investigations of factors influencing women’s health.
In 1976, the NHS recruited 122,000 married registered nurses aged 30-55 in 11 US states
(expected to respond accurately to brief, technically-worded questionnaires & be
motivated to participate long term). Initially focused on potential long-term
consequences of the widespread use of oral contraceptives. Prevention of cancer is a
primary focus. Landmark data on cardiovascular disease, diabetes & many other
conditions produced. Diet, physical activity & other lifestyle factors found to promote
better health.
Follow-up about diseases & health-related topics including smoking, hormone use &
menopausal status every 2 years. Food frequency questionnaire administered every 4
years from 1980. 68,000 sets of toenail samples to supplement dietary information.
Similarly, to identify potential biomarkers, such as hormone levels & genetic markers,
33,000 blood samples were collected in 1989-90 followed by 2nd samples from 18,700
of these participants in 2000-01.
NHS II started in 1989, with 116,686 women, to study oral contraceptives, diet &
lifestyle risk factors in a population younger than the original cohort. Included women
who started using oral contraceptives during adolescence & were maximally exposed
during their early reproductive life. Follow-up every 2 years about diseases & healthrelated topics, including smoking, hormone use, pregnancy history, menopausal status.
Food-frequency questionnaire administered at 4 year intervals from 1991. Blood & urine
samples from approximately 30,000 nurses collected.
NHS III is a national web-based study launched in 2008 with an invitational mailing to
one million nurses aged 22-42, with women from more diverse ethnic backgrounds than
previously. Examines impact women’s health from hormone preparations, dietary
patterns, & nursing occupational exposures. Includes fertility, pregnancy events, a
greater focus on adolescent diet & breast cancer risk, & social status.
Data publicly available from http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/
135. Ohio Longitudinal USA
Study of Aging &
Retirement
(OLSAR)
1,274
50-94
19751995
136. Old Age &
Autonomy
(OASIS)
Israel
Norway
Germany
Spain
UK
6,000
25 +
20002003
137. OCTO – Twin
Project:
Octogenarian
Twins
Sweden
702
80 +
1990-
138. Okinawa
Centenarian
Study
Japan
900+
70 +
1975-
2 decade-long study to follow nearly 50 + every resident of Oxford, Ohio (without
dementia), as they went through transition to retirement. The panel was surveyed 6 times
until 1995, beginning with 1,274 respondents & ending with 335.
Combination of quantitative & qualitative methods, with observations, postal
questionnaires, structured interviews, observations in a variety of formal & informal
settings & in-depth, open-ended interviews. 3 preventive health behaviours were tested:
(a) eating a balanced diet, (b) exercising, & (c) following prescribed medication
directions - showing that positive self-perceptions of ageing predicted preventive health
behaviours after retirement, resulting in people with more positive views about ageing
living an average of 7.6 years longer than those of a similar age, gender, health & socioeconomic status without those views, & also had less hearing loss.
http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/57/5/P409.full.pdf+html
Focus on the role of social service systems & intergenerational solidarity between 1,200
older parents with health problems & their children aged 25 +.
Goal to further understand the interplay between family culture, intergenerational
relations, & service systems, along with their impact on older parents’ autonomy, quality
of life; access to & satisfaction with service systems; competence & coping.
http://oasis.haifa.ac.il/
351 twin-pairs born 1913 or earlier were recruited out of all 80 + twin pairs in Sweden,
where both in the pair are still alive. 5 waves of data collection at 2 year intervals.
Importance of genetic & environmental factors contributing to continued well-being,
health, & functional capacity with questionnaires, health assessments, & extensive
cognitive testing. Broad spectrum of bio-behavioural measures of health, wellbeing,
interpersonal functioning, as well as memory & cognition. Evidence for substantial
genetic influence on cognitive abilities in later life & to a lesser extent on memory.
http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=13903&a=30151&l=en
This study into 900 Okinawan centenarians and numerous other elderly in their 70’s,
80’s & 90’s has shown that longevity due to both genetic & environmental factors.
About a third of human lifespan may be heritable with physical activity, diet,
139. Ontario
Longitudinal
Study of Aging
(OLSA)
Canada
2,000
men
45
195991
140. Oregon Brain
Aging Study
(OBAS)
USA
258
55-107
19892004-
141. Personality &
Total Health
(PATH) Through
Life Project
Australia
7,485
20-24
40-44
60-64
2000-
psychosocial factors clearly influencing longevity. Phenotypes that suggest slower
ageing, such as survival to 90+ years, may have an even stronger genetic basis, which
explains why centenarians and near-centenarians tend to cluster in families. Mortality
patterns of centenarian siblings also studied. The Okinawa study has been 1st to identify
so called “human longevity genes”.
http://www.okicent.org/study.html
Focus on effects of ageing on socio-economic status, health & retirement adjustments.
Covered perceived health, health change, annual income & income change, educational
level, occupational change, smoking history, subjective wellbeing, social participation &
diagnoses, functional health, cognitive measures, social & demographic, nutrition, health
services utilisation, psychological measures, & lifestyle. Little on web.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/BB392637-1801-4053-B5F4AA61E576D0CE/0/OLSA.pdf
Focus on effects of ageing on the brain. Initial recruitment of people aged 55 +,
exceptionally healthy, & living in the community
2nd arm started in 2004 were 85 +, of more average health.
Participants are contacted every 6 months & seen annually for their lifetime for
neurological & neuropsychological tests, tests of mental functioning (concentration,
memory, & problem-solving skills) a MRI scan of the brain, & balance tests. Majority
of participants committed to donating their brains after death, so relation between brain
function & structure of healthy elderly individuals can be investigated.
http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centersinstitutes/neurology/alzheimers/research/research-studies/oregon-brain-aging-study.cfm
Data available upon request
The PATH Through Life Project is a 20-year longitudinal cohort study of 7,485 young
(aged 20 – 24), midlife (aged 40 – 44) & older (aged 60 – 64) adults randomly sampled
from the Australian Capital Territory & Queanbeyan city. Part of DYNOPTA.
The original aims of the project were to: track the course of depression, anxiety,
substance use & cognitive ability with increasing age across the adult life span; identify
142. Personnes Agees
Quid (PAQUID)
France
3,777
65 +
1988-
143. Quebec
Longitudinal
Study on Aging
(QUELSA)
144. Rancho Bernardo
Health and
Chronic Disease
Study
Canada
780
60 +
1997-
USA
6,000
20 +
1972 -
environmental & genetic risk & protective factors influencing individual differences in
the course of these characteristics; & investigate interrelationships over time between
depression & anxiety, substance use, &, cognitive ability & dementia.
Additional aims incorporated into the 3rd & current wave of data collection focus on: mental-health related impact of various personal, social & lifestyle transitions & events
experienced by the different age cohorts, including in/fertility & pregnancy, changes in
family structure, relationship formation & separation, menopause, &
retirementhttp://cmhr.anu.edu.au/path/ - Top#Top.
Genetic, biological (including MRI), psychosocial & lifestyle risk & protective factors
for mental health & wellbeing across the full adult lifespan, studying the development of
age-related changes in memory & cognition.
Questionnaires publicly available from http://cmhr.anu.edu.au/path/
Sample recruited from southwestern France to study the effects of different
environmental, behavioral, & social vectors of age-related medical conditions &
diseases. One of the major research goals was to determine some of the causes of
dementia & Alzheimer’s disease (e.g. the correlation between the levels of aluminum in
drinking water & the occurrence of dementia).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAQUID_cohort
Analysed stressful events to investigate how people negotiate important changes in life
& gain a better understanding of what helped maintain their vitality.
http://www.csss-iugs.ca/cdrv/from_fckeditor/fichiers/ENCRAGE-ANGLAIS/encrageaut2003-A.pdf
One of the longest-running longitudinal studies in the world, as study of heart disease
risk factors & high cholesterol with 82% of upper & middle-class white adults living in
community of Rancho Bernardo, California. Chosen because community of 10,000,
close to UCSD & residents were extremely cooperative, also stable population, which is
easier for follow-up clinical evaluations every 3-5 years. 30 years & 9 follow-ups later,
70 % of surviving cohort continues to participate. Focus is on measuring cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, & Alzheimer's disease & to identify risk factors such as
145. Retirement
History
Longitudinal
Survey (RHLS)
USA
10,169
58-63
19691979
146. Rotterdam Study
I, II & III
(RS I. II & III)
Netherlan
ds
7,983
3,011
3,932
55 +
55+
45+
199020002006-
diet, smoking & reproductive history. Also identifying healthy behaviours that prevent
the occurrence of these diseases. Ethnic diversity assessed with African-American
women, Latina cohort (osteoporosis) & Filipina Women's Health Study. Rate of followup with those who have moved or died has been exceptionally high.
Includes bone & heart scans, blood samples, heart disease risk factor measurements such
as lipid levels & cognitive function assessment. 400 papers published on cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, hormones, & the connections between lifestyle,
behaviour & health.
http://www-chancellor.ucsd.edu/araneta.html
Men and unmarried women as they approached retirement age in a series of 6 surveys.
Focused on the connections between work-life characteristics, retirement timing, & the
transition to a retirement lifestyle in the US. Biennial follow-ups. Retirement process
recorded. Included labour force history, retirement & retirement plans, health,
household, family & social activities, income, assets, debts for respondents & spouses,
functional health, psychological measures, social & demographic measures & health
services utilisation. Interview with spouses of deceased respondents.
Linked with Health and Retirement Study.
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/DSDR/STUDY/07684.xml
Data available upon request
The aim of the Rotterdam Study is to investigate the occurrence of cardiovascular,
neurological, ophthalmological, endocrine, & psychiatric diseases. The initial cohort
(RS-I) started in 1990 with 7,983 men & women aged 55 years + with 3 follow-up visits.
In 2000, a 2nd cohort was established (RS-II).
The 3rd cohort of the Rotterdam Study (RS-III) started in 2006, with participants 45 +
with 3,932 participants.
Information collected on: current health status, medical history, smoking habits, socioeconomic status, drug use, use of medical facilities, dietary habits, alcohol consumption,
& physical activity. During 2 visits, measurements for cognitive function, indicators for
Parkinson's disease, bone mineral density, X-rays, ophthalmologic examination, ECHO
147. Scottish
Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
(THSLS)
Scotland
10,000
45+
2013-
148. Seattle
Longitudinal
Study (SLS)
USA
5,000 &
1,800
family
21-101
1956-
149. Seattle Midlife
Women’s Health
Study (SMWHS)
USA
205
women
35-55
20012006
& ECG, blood pressure, blood sample & physical examination.
http://www.erasmus-epidemiology.nl/research/ergo.htm
New study of health and population issues in Scotland, similar to ELSA, TILDA or
SHARE. Planning to interview around 10,000 individuals every 2 years, with a full
medical examination, physical activity using accelerometers & GPS, CAPI, in-home
nurse interview & tracking of participants over residence.
Will match survey data to medical records.
Younger starting age than most ageing studies justified by the relatively poorer health
experience in Scotland compared to most other high income countries.
http://gero.usc.edu/CBPH/network/resources/studies/thsls.shtml
Focus on psychological development during the adult years: the change, pace &
magnitude of intelligence patterns over time; patterns & magnitude of generational
differences; reasons behind individual differences in age-related change in adulthood; &
whether education can reverse intellectual decline with increasing age.
Covers physiological measures, cognitive measures, social and demographic, nutrition,
health services utilisation, psychological measures, physical activity, & lifestyle.
Starting in1956 with 500 participants from 21-late 60s, there have been 7-year followups, which also added, in new cohorts. Approximately 6,000 people have participated at
some time, with only 26 original participants remaining from the start.
Data also collected over time from many adult children as well as siblings of main
participants to determine the extent of family similarity in mental abilities & other
psychological characteristics. In 2002, grandchildren of the main study also began to
participate, making the SLS the first 3-generation study of cognitive abilities in the US.
Some participants aged 64 years & older have received cognitive training designed to
slow or remediate cognitive age changes.
http://geron.hhdev.psu.edu/sls/
Study of the changes in midlife for women through the menopausal transition & into
post-menopausal. Of particular interest are changes in symptoms (measured in a
quarterly three day diary); ovarian and adrenal hormones (measured by quarterly urine
150. Singapore
Longitudinal
Aging Study
(SLAS)
Singapore
2,804
55 +
2003-
151. Social
Environment and
Biomarkers of
Ageing Study in
Taiwan (SEBAS)
Taiwan
991
65 +
2000
152. Southampton
Ageing Project
(SAP)
UK
340
65 +
19771998
specimens); menstrual cycle changes (measured with a menstrual calendar & a yearly
questionnaire); stress (measured in the diary, urine specimens & in the questionnaire); &
use of health services & hormone use (both measured with the yearly questionnaire).
Stages of the menopausal transition identified: Pre-transition; early transition; middle
transition ; late transition; & postmenopausal.
http://www.son.washington.edu/departments/fcn/smwhs/default.asp
Multi-ethnic, multi-lingual study in north-east Singapore.
Baseline data in a range of demographic, biological, clinical, psychosocial, behavioural
& nutritional characteristics. Extensive battery of structured health interviews,
Assessments & blood tests. Follow-ups after 2 & 4 years. Particular interest in tea and
curry consumption & interaction with depression, cognitive impairment & genetics.
78 % response rate
http://www.alz.co.uk/adi/conference/files/2009/ngtzepin.pps
Focused on the relationship between life challenges & mental / physical health, impact
of social environment on the health & wellbeing of the elderly & biological markers of
health & stress. Self-reports of physical, psychological & social well-being collected,
plus extensive clinical data. Health outcomes include chronic illnesses, functional status,
psychological wellbeing, & cognitive function. Life challenges focused on perceived
stress, economic difficulties, security / safety, & the consequences of major earthquakes.
http://www.bhp.doh.gov.tw/bhpnet/English/file/ContentFile/200803260415522968/An%
20Introduction%20to%20Social.ppt
2 Phases: health & wellbeing, then self-esteem & identity. Assessments on medical,
social & psychometric variables, depression scales, self-esteem scales, life satisfaction,
clinical & self-reported health measurements, & psychometric items.
Covers physiological & psychological measures, functional health, cognitive measures,
social & demographic, health services utilisation, physical activity, & lifestyle.
http://www.dataarchive.ac.uk/findingData/snDescription.asp?sn=4118&catalogue=&descform=0
Questionnaires publicly available
153. Spanish Aging
Longitudinal
Study (ELES)
Spain
50+
154. Do Stage
Transitions Result
in Detectable
Effects (STRIDE)
155. Study on Global
Ageing and Adult
Health (SAGE)
USA
732
women
40-65
20052010
China
Ghana
India
Mexico
Russian
Fed
Sth Africa
China
Ghana
India
Mexico
Russian
Fed
65,964
18 +
2002-
ELES is an interdisciplinary panel study created to track the ageing Spanish population
born before 1960, for 20 years, every 2 years, to: analyse evolutionary processes of
persons aged 50 +; provide study the complex relationship between health, family, work
etc; identify critical periods in the life course for preventive planning; analyse impact of
variables on the ageing process; have public information on biomedicine, economy,
sociology, psychology, demography & ageing epidemiology; scientific data to improve
the planning of health and social policies for the ageing.
http://www.ingema.es/projects/spanish-ageing-longitudinal-study-eles
STRIDE is a study of midlife women in all stages of menopause transitions, covering
menopause symptoms, sleep disturbance, body weight, sexual wellbeing, infertility,
childbearing, quality of life & sense of purpose.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18188135
SAGE is run by the WHO as part of the Longitudinal Study Programme compiling
comprehensive longitudinal data on the health & wellbeing of adult populations, & the
ageing process across different countries.
SAGE baseline data was collected data from 2002 as part of the WHO's World Health
Survey. 2nd round of data collection started in 2007 & has expanded the sample sizes in
A baseline cohort for the 6 participating countries was created as part of the WHS with
data on 65,964 adults aged 18 +, including over 20,000 people aged 50 +. Samples of
these respondents followed-up as a part of SAGE 2007-09 data collection in 5 / 6
countries. SAGE adapted methods & instruments used by the WHS &/or from 16
surveys on ageing (including the US Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) & the UK
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) to collect household data on persons aged
50 + in 23 countries, including links to other data collection efforts (eg Study on Health,
Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), the Chinese Health and Retirement Survey
(CHARLs), the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Study_on_Global_Ageing_and_Adult_Health_(SAGE)
Data is publicly available upon request through WHO (for China, Ghana, India, Mexico,
Russian Federation & South Africa) at
156. Study of Health
and Living Status
of the Elderly in
Taiwan
Taiwan
4,049
50 +
1989-
157. Sydney Older
Person’s Study
(SOPS)
Australia
630
75+
19922003
158. Study of
Osteoporotic
Fractures (SOF)
USA
10,366
women
65 +
1988-
159. Study of Women’s USA
Health Across the
Nation (SWAN)
3,302
women
40-55
1994-
http://www.who.int/healthinfo/systems/sage/en/index1.html
Goals to: provide information on current status & longitudinal trends of social,
economic & health status of the elderly in Taiwan; investigate factors associated with the
elderly social, economic & health issues; understand current needs and to assess future
needs of the elderly; explore the elderly’s expectations of what should be done by
government; & apply findings & recommendations to policies & programmes.
Measured physical functioning, changes in survival probabilities & biomarkers.
High response rates in 5 waves, with 50 year olds introduced in some waves.
http://www.bhp.doh.gov.tw/bhpnet/English/ClassShow.aspx?No=200803270009
Study of healthy ageing covering chronic disease, self-rated health, disability,
medication, service use, social networks, unmet needs, depression, life satisfaction, carer
stress and risk factors. Part of DYNOPTA.
http://eprints.qut.edu.au/8565/
Focus on assessing risk factors for fractures among women over 65. Expanded to study
links between breast cancer & osteoporosis, sleep, cognitive function & falls.
Established banks of serum & x-rays of spine, pelvis & hands. Includes 662 women of
African-American descent.
Data available upon request from http://sof.ucsf.edu/Interface/
Focus on women’s health at midlife, covering physiological measures, functional health,
social & demographic, health services utilisation, cognitive measures, psychological
measures, nutrition, physical activity, & lifestyle.
SWAN was designed as a multi-site, observational study in 3 phases.
The 3rd phase involved pre-menopausal women 42-52 years old. Annual visits
including: physical measures (weight, height, hip, waist, & blood pressure), fasting
morning blood draw & questionnaires. Women complete monthly menstrual calendars
over the next year. All questionnaires are translated into Spanish, Cantonese, & Japanese
with bilingual interviewers.
SWAN dataset archived at the National Archive of Computerized Data on Ageing
(NACDA). Go to NACDA website, click on search holdings & type in SWAN.
USA
160. Supplement on
Aging I & II (SOA
I & II)
161. Survey of Income
and Program
Participation
(SIPP)
USA
16,148
55 +
1984-
9,447
70 +
1994-
14,00046,500
15+
1982-
http://www.swanstudy.org/
SOA was conducted by National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) & the National
Institute on Aging (NIA) as a supplement to the 1984 National Health Interview Survey.
The sample consists of 16,148 NHIS participants aged 55 + with personal interviews.
Objectives of SOA I to evaluate: health & social status of people 55 + in the USA;
interaction of psychosocial & environmental factors with health to influence ageing;
knowledge base for preventing & postponing disability & dependency; care, social
support, & coping for older people who become disabled; influences on peoples’ ability
to live independently in community as they grow older; & to form the basis for a
prospective study, the Longitudinal Study of Aging.
SOA II replicates the first SOA about 10 years later with a new cohort of people 70 + to
analyse important temporal changes in health and functioning among older Americans.
The SOA II aims to: determine changes in the level & prevalence of disability among
older people; provide information on the path & consequences of health events,
including utilisation of health care & services for assisted community living;
physiological consequences of disability (eg pain & fatigue); social consequences (eg
changes in social activities, living arrangements, social support, & use of community
services); & the use of assisted living strategies, & accessibility of technological &
environmental adaptations; & serve as the baseline for the first national 2nd generation
prospective study focusing on older Americans, the Second Longitudinal Study of Aging
(LSOA II).
Data publicly available
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/lsoa/soa2.htm
Focus on income, labour force, programme participation & demographic characteristics
(personal history, child care, wealth, child support, utilisation & cost of health care,
disability) to measure the effectiveness of existing federal, state, & local programmes;
estimate future costs & coverage for government programmes; & provide improved
statistics on the distribution of income & measures of economic well-being in the US.
Data publicly available
162. Survey on Health,
Ageing &
Retirement in
Europe (SHARE)
163. Swedish Adoption
/ Twin Study of
Aging (SATSA)
Denmark
45,000+
Sweden
Austria
France
Germany
Switzerlnd
Belgium
Netherlnds
Spain
Italy
Greece
Israel
Czech R
Poland
Ireland
Estonia
Hungary
Portugal
Slovenia
Sweden
4,300
50 +
2002 -
40-84
1984-
http ://www.census.gov/sipp/vs.html
SHARE is a multidisciplinary & cross-national panel database of micro-data on health,
socio-economic status & social & family networks of more than 45,000 individuals aged
50 +, as a European Longitudinal Ageing Survey. SHARE implemented from the
European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures. Modelled on HRS (US) & ELSA
(UK). 3 waves expanding progressively throughout Europe. The survey’s 3rd wave of
data collection, SHARELIFE, collects detailed retrospective life-histories in 13 countries
in 2008-09. Data collected include health variables (self-reported health, health
conditions, physical & cognitive functioning, health behaviour, use of health care
facilities), bio-markers (grip strength, body-mass index, peak flow, blood pressure, waist
circumference, dried blood spots), psychological variables (psychological health, wellbeing, life satisfaction), economic variables (current work activity, job characteristics,
opportunities to work past retirement age, sources & composition of current income,
wealth and consumption, housing, education), & social support variables (assistance
within families, transfers of income and assets, social networks, volunteer activities).
The 4th wave (2010-11) includes a new network module included Estonia, Hungary,
Portugal and Slovenia.
SHARE database publicly available
http://www.share-project.org/
SATSA was started in 1984 with several longitudinal components. A comprehensive
questionnaire was initially sent to all twins separated at an early age & reared apart along
with a control sample of twins reared together from the Swedish Twin Registry. The
questionnaire included items concerning rearing, working environment, health status,
health related behaviours (eg alcohol, tobacco, & dietary habits) as well as attitude &
personality measures. Longitudinal changes as well as the relationships within & among
domains (e.g. the importance of genetic effects for mediating the relationship between
physical health & cognitive decline) for the elderly are of primary interest. Molecular
genetic methods are also being applied to the data.
164. Swedish Panel
Survey of Ageing
and the Elderly
(PSAE)
Sweden
165. Swiss
Interdisciplinary
Longitudinal
Study in the
Oldest-Old
(SWILSO-O)
166. Sydney Older
Person’s Study
(SOPS)
6,000
55-64
2002-
Switzerlnd 340
377
80-85
19941999-
Australia
630
75+
1991-
167. Tampere
Longitudinal
Study on Aging
(TamELSA)
Finland
1,059
60-89
19791999
168. Tecumseh
Community
Health Study
169. Te Hoe Nuku
Roa: Best
Outcomes for
Māori
USA
2,754
20-69?
19591987
NZ
1,600+
15 +
1994-
http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=13903&a=30148&l=en
Focus on living conditions, employment of older workers, retirement, social inclusion,
family relationships & health development and the need for help and care among the
oldest old. Two waves. Integrated into Statistics Sweden’s Annual Survey of Living
Conditions. Found that health problems contributed to half of all retirees stopping work.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=4566804
Multi-disciplinary study with particular focus life & health trajectories for the elderly
(overall rating, habits, accidents, aids etc), factors associated with social & support
networks (familial situation, social network, engagement in activities, social
participation) & its consequences in terms of wellbeing & quality of life.
https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=7811
Took over from the Sydney Older Veterans Health and Services Project & from 1991
included others, with regular testing of mental and physical function.
http://www.sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au/powh/arc/dwnlds/SOPS%20Project%20Summary.
pdf
Part of European Longitudinal Study on Ageing, with 3 waves.
Covers functional health, social & demographic, health services utilisation, cognitive
measures, psychological measures, nutrition, physical activity, & lifestyle.
http://www.fsd.uta.fi/english/data/catalogue/all_archived_by_series.html#treter
Data publicly available
Heart, employment, personality typing, handedness looked at.
Data scattered on web.
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/116/1/123
‘Te Hoe Nuku Roa’ is a random survey of Māori household’s in NZ using a Māori
relevant framework to gauge personal & family development. Bilingual face to face
interviews with random sample of more than 1,600 Māori individuals & 700 Māori
households in respondents home, & followed up every 3 years in 9 areas throughout NZ.
Aims to: examine participant Māori relationships with societal structures at local,
170. Terman Lifecycle
Study of Children
with High Ability
USA
1,528
Range
1922-
171. Time Use
Longitudinal
Panel Study
USA
620
3+
197581
regional & national levels, as well as their relationship with Māori structures; holistic
approach to personal & family development, cultural, social & economic dimensions; &
longitudinally chart the natural history of Māori individuals & families, to assess the
impact of policies & programmes.
Focusing on: current status & aspiration information in relation to health, education,
housing, employment, income, Māori language, Māori cultural indicators, electoral
involvement, & lifestyles.
http://www.tehoenukuroa.org.nz/
The Terman Study of 1,470 children began by comparing a group of children with high
IQ’s (135+) with groups of children in the general population, to reveal similarities &
differences. Research was continued from the initial collection date of 1922, with
follow-ups at about 5-year intervals, to explore long-term development of these children.
In 1927, 58 siblings of the participants were added as a comparison group. Of the 1,528
participants in the study, the average date of birth for the sample was 1910.
Parents & teachers completed questionnaires describing the child's birth and previous
health, educational & social experiences, interests, & conducts. Over time, children had
IQ, achievement, & personality tests etc. The1945 follow-up focusing on the effects of
the WWII military effort on the participants. From 1972, follow-ups were oriented to
ageing (eg life satisfactions, retirement, living arrangements, health & vitality). The
1986 data included changes in well-being, time use, importance of religion, perspectives
on life accomplishments, & changes in family relationships, concerns & goals.
http://dvn.iq.harvard.edu/dvn/dv/mra/faces/study/StudyPage.xhtml?studyId=255&study
ListingIndex=0_a4c19506c89d87e6f8c694e9f63d
Data publicly available
Data collected from 620 respondents, their spouses, if married, & up to 3 children aged
3-17 living in the household. Repeated in 1981. In both of the data collection years, adult
individuals provided four time diaries as well as extensive information related to their
time use in the four waves of data collection. Little information on web.
http://abacus.library.ubc.ca/handle/10573/41742
172. UNC Alumni
Heart Study
(UNCAHS)
USA
Canada
7,007
4,989
1,154
4,402
3,736
3,337
16-50
1964
1986
1992
2004
2006
2009
173. Victoria
Longitudinal
Study (VLS)
Canada
1,594
55-85
1986-
174. Whitehall Study
UK
10,308
35-55
19671985-
Spouses of participants invited to join the study in 1992. Detailed measures of
personality & life events from 40-60 years of age. Questionnaires mainly completed on
line now. Initially looked at whether hostility predicted heart disease. Went on to look at
optimism/pessimism, personality, gender, BMI, dietary quality, alcohol preference &
health habits.
http://www.uncahs.org/
http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00005398
Data publicly available
2 locations in Canada with 3 independent cohorts. Assessing memory & cognition,
neuropsychological status, biological & sensory functioning, neurological & cognitive
impairment, adaptivity & successful ageing. Aims to investigate: what changes occur
with ageing; what the magnitude and direction of these changes are; predictors or
controls of these changes; & reasons for individual differences in rate, level, or outcome.
Covers physiological measures, functional health, social & demographic, health services
utilisation, cognitive measures, psychological measures, physical activity, & lifestyle.
Comparison group of 100-200 younger participants.
http://www.ualberta.ca/~vlslab/
The 1st Whitehall study in 1967 included 18,000 men in the British civil service. It
showed that men in the lowest employment grades were much more likely to die
prematurely than men in the highest grades, even accounting for differences such as
smoking. In 1985 the Whitehall II study was set up to investigate social class differences
in health with civil servants from London to determine other factors that might
contribute to this social gradient in death and disease, with 1/3 being women. There have
been 9 phases of data collection including some with medical examinations.
Psychosocial factors such as work stress, unfairness, & work-family conflict found to
add to socio-economic inequalities in heart disease & diabetes. Over 250 research papers
have been published based on data collected as part of the Whitehall II study (see here).
The Marmot Review ‘Fair Society, Healthy Lives’ which came out in February 2010 laid
out the most effective strategies for reducing health inequalities in England.
175. Widowhood
Adaptational
Longitudinal
Study (WALS)
176. Wisconsin
Longitudinal
Study (WLS)
Netherlan
ds
143
55 +
1992-
USA
10,317 +
4,800
siblings
18 +
1957-
177. Women’s Health
and Aging Study
(WHAS)
USA
3,841
women
65 +
19921995
178. Women’s Health
Initiative Memory
Study (WHIMS)
USA
7,480
women
65-79
19962008
Data is available through http://www.ucl.ac.uk/whitehallII/data-sharing
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/whitehallII/
Subset of Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) participants focusing on
experience of older adults during 2 ½ years of widowhood.
http://www.lasa-vu.nl/data/side_studies/widowhood.htm
Data available upon request
First of the large American longitudinal studies, following teenagers though to their 60’s
with graduates from Wisconsin High in 1957 who were mainly born in 1939.
In 1970’s, looked at careers, marriage, children & community activities.
4,800 siblings of graduates added by 1992.
In 1992/3, looked at work, family, health, plans for the future including retirement.
In 2003, looked at family life, health, work, retirement, experiences with doctors, health
care system & finances. Subgroup questioned on volunteering, religion, hobbies,
compute & internet use & plans for the future.
Covered functional health, social & demographic, health services utilisation, cognitive
measures, psychological measures, physical activity, & lifestyle.
http://www.wisls.com/
Data publicly available through http://appls.dacc.wisc.edu/WLS/wisarch.htm
Health & social characteristics of women with moderate to severe physical disabilities.
Covers physiological measures, functional health, social & demographic, health services
utilisation, cognitive measures, psychological measures, physical activity, & lifestyle.
Data publicly available through
http://www.grc.nia.nih.gov/branches/ledb/whasbook/title.htm
This study evaluated the effects of female hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the
development & progression of memory loss in older women enrolled in the Women's
Health Initiative (WHI) study. With the frequency of dementia doubling every 5 years
from 60, WHIMS tested whether there is a link between menopause & poorer memory
function & whether estrogen &/or progesterone help improve women's health by
protecting against memory decline.
179. 45 and Up Study
Australia
266,848
+
45 +
2006-
http://www2.wfubmc.edu/whims/
Data publicly available through http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00685009
Largest study of healthy ageing in the Southern Hemisphere, from across NSW (about
10% of this age group) through Medicare Australia followed over the coming decades.
Oversampling in rural areas and aged 80 +. Postal follow-up every 5 years.
Aims include: improving the understanding of how to prevent & provide the best health
care for common health conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis,
depression, Alzheimer’s disease & diabetes.
Self-reported: lifestyle; health & health service use; education; ethnicity; type of
housing; physical activity; smoking; alcohol consumption; medications, history of
disease & surgical procedures; functional capacity & psychological distress ; social
support; & paid & unpaid work & income.
Data linkage includes: use of health & aged care services (including GP services,
emergency department visits, hospitalisations, medications, aged care; & deaths.
Planned physical measurements & blood samples/buccal smears.
Projects include: impact of social, economic and geographic disadvantage on the health
of Australians in mid-to later-life; transition to retirement; influence of later life, family,
disease, & disability on patterns of aged care service use; & obesity, ageing &
hospitalisation.
Policy-In-Action Roundtable (from government and non-government agencies) to ensure
that study data to be used for the most policy-relevant research.
http://www.45andup.org.au/
Much data available and collaborations upon request for approved projects