The Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing 

Project Outline:
ALSA is a cross-disciplinary prospective study of adults aged 70 years and over that began in Adelaide, Australia in 1992. It is a population based bio-psycho-social and behavioural study of 2087 older adults residing in the community and in residential care.

The general purpose of this research is to gain further understanding of how social, biomedical, and environmental factors are associated with age-related changes in the health and well-being of persons aged 70 years and older. Emphasis is given to the effects of social and economic factors on morbidity, disability, acute and long-term, care service use, mortality and ‘successful’ ageing. The aim is to analyse the complex relationships between individual and social factors and changes in health status, health care needs and service utilisation dimensions.

The sample for the study was randomly generated from within the Adelaide Statistical Division using the State Electoral Database as the sampling frame. The sample was stratified by gender and the age groups 70-74, 75-79, 80-84 and 85 and over. Both community and institutional dwelling individuals were included in the list of specified persons.

The baseline data collection for ALSA began in September 1992 and was completed in March 1993. Components of this wave included a comprehensive personal interview, conducted via Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI), a home-based assessment of physiological functions, self-completed questionnaires, and additional clinical studies. Personal interviews were carried out at this first wave for 2087 participants, including 566 couples (that is , persons 70 years of age and over and their spouse, if 65 and over). Clinical assessments were obtained for 1620 of the participants.

After an interval of one year from the initial interview, respondents were recontacted by telephone. These interviews included questions regarding changes in domicile, current health and functional status, new morbid conditions, changes in medication, major life events, general life satisfaction, and changes in economic circumstances. In wave 2, 1779 participants were re-interviewed.

The third wave of the study began in September 1994. This phase was a complete re-assessment, with face-to-face interviews, clinical assessments, self-completed questionnaires, and other clinical and laboratory studies were again carried out. A separate, shorter, proxy instrument was developed and used in this third wave, which proved very successful in maintaining a high participation rate. A total of 1679 interviews were carried out at wave 3, and 1423 clinical assessments were conducted.

Data collection for the fourth wave, a short telephone interview similar to wave 2 began in November 1995 and was completed by the end of February 1996. 1504 interviews were completed.

A fifth wave of telephone interviews was conducted during February 1998 resulting in 1171 completed interviews. A sixth wave of comprehensive data collection commensurate with waves 1 and 3 is planned to commence in October 2000.

In addition to the primary data collection from respondents, ancillary data collection has been ongoing since the initiation of the study. Data has been collected from secondary providers, including Domiciliary Care and Rehabilitation Services, Meals on Wheels, and The Royal District Nursing Society. Lists of ALSA participants are compared bi-annually with the agencies’ lists to determine the prevalence and incidence of receipt of services from these organisations.

Extensive analyses utilising the longitudinal data will continue, and have been carried out in both Australia and the United States. Active groups of collaborators are analysing data relating to ADL/IADL performance, cognitive function, co-morbidity, cardiovascular disease and risk factors, dental health, diet and nutrition, diabetes, exercise and physical activity, family relationships and support, formal service use, hearing function, injuries and falls, mortality, sensory function, social activities, social interactions between couples, ‘successful’ ageing and other parameters.

Data from ALSA has been progressively archived with Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).

Project Researchers: Professor G Andrews, Professor M Luszcz, Dr M Clark, and others
Organisation: Centre for Ageing Studies, Flinders University
Funding: Australian Rotary Health Research Fund, $50,000; South Australian Health Commission, $76,900; US National Institute on Aging, $967,521; South Australian Government $50,000; Elderly Citizens Homes PL (ECH) $50,000
Status: Current
Timetable: 1992 – 2000+
Keywords: Population characteristics, health status, well-being

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Last updated 2 March 2001