An introduction to the
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Workshop on Longitudinal Studies of Ageing.
Newcastle Nov 2004
Elizabeth Breeze & Meena Kumari
University College, London
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Research team

International Centre for Health and Society, UCL

Institute for Fiscal Studies and UCL

National Centre for Social Research (NatCen)

plus researchers from Cambridge, Nottingham,
University of East Anglia, Exeter
Funding from NIA and UK government
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
ELSA investigators & management group
UCL:
Michael Marmot
James Nazroo
Elizabeth Breeze
NatCen:
Bob Erens
Carli Lessof
IFS:
James Banks
Richard Blundell
Cambridge:
Felicia Huppert
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Key Research Areas

Health trajectories

Disability and the compression of morbidity

Determinants of economic position in older age

Relationships between economic position and health

Timing of retirement
& post retirement labour market activity

Household/family structure; the transfer of resources

Social participation & social productivity at older ages
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
ELSA design: basics
Sample
―
approx 12,000 people born before March 1952
–
in household sector at baseline
– also interview spouses outside the age range
– some details on other household / family members
– interview every two years, starting 2002
– from time to time refresh sample for younger end
of age spectrum (wave 3, 2006)
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
ELSA design: basics
Sample drawn from Health Survey for England
(1998,1999, 2001)
―
Annual cross-section of approx 16,000 adults
― Core content
― Varying supplementary modules each year
― Some summary economic and demographic
measures
― Detailed health measures form ELSA baseline
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Broad questionnaire coverage

Demographics: household & individual
 Physical and mental health: disease and symptoms
 Social participation & social support
 Housing
 Employment and earnings
 Pensions and retirement
 Income and assets
 Cognitive function
 Psychosocial; quality of life
 Expectations
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Modes of data collection (1)
INTERVIEWER VISIT
 CAPI (computer assisted interviews)
 Self-completion
 Measurements – timed walk
NURSE VISIT (wave 2, wave 4..)
 Measurements, e.g. anthropometry, blood pressure
 Measures of functioning, e.g. grip strength
 Blood sample

Post back after interview: self-completion, saliva
sample
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Modes of data collection (2)
LINKS TO OTHER SOURCES PLANNED
 Death and cancer registration
 Geographical information (via postcode)
 Hospital episodes
 Social security benefits
NB – not yet achieved last two
ONE-OFF LIFE HISTORY INTERVIEW, 2006
Subject to funding
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Some messages from Wave 1
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Middle age no paradise
% reporting difficulty with mobility or upperlimb functions
100
80
60
40
20
0
50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80+
Age
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Old age not hell
% reporting NO difficulty with basic activities
of daily living*
100
80
60
40
20
0
50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80+
Age
*Dressing, walking across room, bathing, eating, getting in/out of bed,
using toilet
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Social gradient in health persists – both
“objective” and “subjective” social ranking
% excellent or v.g.
health
Self-reported health by wealth and ladder
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1
Quintile 5
ELSA
2
3
4
5
6
Ladder position
Quintile 4
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Quintile 3
7
8
Quintile 2
9
10
Quintile 1
More rapid ageing if lower in social
hierarchy
Poor gait speed by years education:
80%
women
70%
60%
%
50%
<10
40%
30%
10+
20%
10%
0%
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
age group
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
85-89
90+
Wave 2 (1)
NURSE VISIT (wave 2, currently in field)
 Blood pressure
 Grip strength
 Height (standing, sitting)
 Weight
 Waist and hip measurement
 Lung function
 Balance
 Leg rise; Chair raise
 Saliva sample (4 samples to be completed on next
convenient weekday)
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Wave 2 (2)
NURSE VISIT (wave 2, currently in field)

Blood sample –
Assessment of
 lipids,
 (fasting) glucose,
 inflammatory markers
 DNA extraction for subsequent genetic analyses
M.Kumari@ucl.ac.uk
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Harmonisation (1)

Collaboration with US Health and Retirement
Study (HRS)
 Same approach to income and wealth data
 Many health questions same
 Experimental
modules
to
allow
international comparisons where questions
differ
 HRS investigators as consultants
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Harmonisation (2)

Collaboration with Survey of Health and
Retirement in Europe (SHARE)
 Many concepts same
 Overlap of questions but sometimes different
approaches taken (e.g. mental health)
 SHARE PI as consultant to ELSA ; HRS and ELSA
investigators as consultants to SHARE
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
Ethical and practical issues








Data access policy – preserving confidentiality
MREC = time taken to obtain clearance
Flexibility for users vs restriction to specific
hypothesis
Designing next wave before have results of previous
one
Minimising attrition
Representativeness over time
Inclusion of people in long-term care
Proxy information
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing
ELSA looks forward to the contribution
she can make to understanding ageing
www.ifs.org.uk/elsa
ELSA
English Longitudinal
Study of Ageing