An introduction to ELSA

Paola ZaninottoDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health

Email: p.zaninotto@ucl.ac.uk

What is ELSA?

• Multidisciplinary study

• People aged 50+ living in England

• Longitudinal 2-year intervals

• Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL

• National Centre for Social Research, NatCen

• Institute for Fiscal Studies and UCL Dept of

Economics

• Universities of Cambridge, East Anglia and

Exeter, and Imperial College

Research Team

Key Research Areas

• Health trajectories, disability and healthy life expectancy

• Two-way relationship between economic position and

health

• Timing of retirement + post retirement labour market

activity

• Nature of social networks, support and participation

• Predictors of wellbeing

Modes of data collection

INTERVIEWER VISIT• CAPI • Self-completion questionnaire• Measurements – timed walk

NURSE VISIT (wave 2, wave 4)

ELSA Wave 1 (2002)Core Interview (11,392)

ELSA Wave 1 (2002)Core Interview (11,392)

HSE + Nurse1998-1999-2001

HSE + Nurse1998-1999-2001

HSE + Nurse2001-04

HSE + Nurse2001-04

Wave 2 (2004)Core int (8,780) Nurse visit (7,666)

Wave 2 (2004)Core int (8,780) Nurse visit (7,666)

Wave 3 (2006)Core int (8,811) Life History (7,848)

Wave 3 (2006)Core int (8,811) Life History (7,848)

Wave 4 (2008)Core interview and Nurse visit

Wave 4 (2008)Core interview and Nurse visit

HSE + Nurse2006

HSE + Nurse2006

The sample

Information collected during the interview

Demographics

Household demographics:Household compositionChanges to household composition

Individual demographics:Age, sex, marital status, etc..Siblings, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildrenInformation about natural parents

Physical health

• General health and longstanding illness

• CVD and other chronic diseases

• Hearing and eyesight

• Falls, hip and knee replacements,

pain, balance

• Disabilities (ADL, IADL, mobility)

• Incontinence

• Smoking, drinking and physical activity

• Dental health, sleep disturbance and menopause

Mental health

• Self reported emotional problems

• Centre for Epidemiologic Study Depression Scale (CESD)

Cognitive Function

• Memory

Self-rated, orientation, word list, prospective mem

• Executive Function

Word finding, letter cancellation

• Basic abilities

Numeracy and literacy

Employment

• All activities done in last month

• Current job details

• Health and work disability

• Retirement

Dimensions of economic status

• Income

Earnings

Public & private transfers Pensions/annuities

• Wealth

Pensions, housing and financial asset

• Consumption

Food, fuel and housing

Other topics included in CAPI

• Expectations

• Access to transports

• Effort Reward

• Final Questions

Timed walk

• Aged 60 and over

• 8 feet

• Included because good predictor of other limitations in functioning developing

Content of the Self-Completion

Self Completion

•Social participation•Access to services•Activities outside the home•Television watching•Altruism•Life satisfaction•Quality of Life•Relationships•Attitude to work•Ladder ranking exercise•Alcohol consumption•Fruit and vegetables consumption

Anchoring Vignettes

• For a given dimension of, e.g. health or functioning:– Individuals first rate themselves– Then are given brief descriptions of hypothetical

individuals

• To quantify whether people evaluate the “same” situation differently

Health and Work Vignettes

Thank you