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Design and Methodology of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing
Author(s) -
Whelan Brendan J.,
Savva George M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.12199
Subject(s) - medicine , irish , ageing , gerontology , longitudinal study , pathology , philosophy , linguistics
Objectives To provide comprehensive data on older people in Ireland and new insights into the causal processes underlying the aging transformation. Design The I rish L ongitudinal S tudy on A geing ( TILDA ) is a population‐representative prospective cohort study with baseline assessment conducted between October 2009 and F ebraury 2011 and follow‐up waves planned every 2 years. Participants were sampled in geographic clusters, with each member of the I rish population aged 50 and older having an equal probability of being invited to participate in the study. Setting Community‐living population of the R epublic of I reland aged 50 and older. Participants Eight thousand one hundred seventy‐five participants aged 50 and older at time of interview participated in the study, along with 329 spouses or partners younger than 50. Measurements The I rish L ongitudinal S tudy on A geing includes detailed assessments of the mental and physical health and social and financial circumstances of participants, which are assessed in a home interview, a self‐completion questionnaire, and a detailed health assessment that takes place at a dedicated health center or in the respondent's home. Results The response rate was 62.0%, with response rate varying according to educational attainment. Data from the first wave of data collection are available for researchers at the I rish S ocial S ciences D ata A rchive. Conclusion The I rish L ongitudinal S tudy on A geing provides an opportunity to study the interactions between the health and social and economic circumstances of the older population in a nationally representative sample.