English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Following the lives of people aged 50 and over
About this study
One in three people living in Britain today is aged 50 and over. The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing is the only study in the UK to follow the lives of people aged 50 and over. You can read reports of the findings from each survey wave:
Learn about the current wave 6
Read how people were recruited in wave 0
The study is primarily concerned with the health, economic
position and quality of life of its participants.
By collecting data from people every two years we gain
extraordinary insights into how people's experiences vary and how
their circumstances change over time.
The survey covers lots of topics that taken together paint a
detailed picture of what life is like for the UK's aging
population. Topics include:
- health, disability and life expectancy,
- the relationship between economic position and physical and cognitive health,
- retirement,
- social networks and support,
- household and family structure,
- and changes in assets.
Potential policy impact
Our study helps the Government plan health care services and
pension systems to meet the needs of this ageing population.
By comparing findings from this study with equivalent studies in
the US and Europe we gain greater understanding of just how much
impact national policies and contexts have on people's lives.
Methodology
We have selected people aged 50 and over who previously took part
in the Health Survey for England to take part in the English
Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
We interview these people every two years. The advantage of
interviewing the same people who took part in Health Survey for
England is that we can combine existing data with new data to learn
much more about people's health, economic position and quality of
life over time.
To find out more about how this study is carried out please
read about the methods.
Further
analyses and publications are listed at the ELSA web site. Or
click the links below for details of each study.
You can:
Of interest:
- NatCen Social Research
- 35 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0AX
- Charity no. 1091768
- info@natcen.ac.uk
