75 PLUS Study

The oldest old are in a stage of life in which changes in functioning can occur more rapidly than earlier in life. Moreover, there is a strong absolute increase in the number of oldest old living in the community. At the same time, policy changes in the Netherlands as of 2015 may have affected the access to homecare and residential care for this group. Therefore, between 2016 and 2019, a LASA ancillary study was performed among respondents aged 75 years and over, with increased density of measurement (every 9 months). Three additional nine-monthly measurements were performed between the regular LASA measurement cycles in 2015-2016 (Wave I) and 2018-2019 (Wave J). Together with these regular measurement waves, data from five consecutive nine-monthly measurements are available for studying changes and trajectories of functioning in various domains (physical, mental, cognitive, social).

The procedure was as follows: LASA respondents aged 75 years and over (born before 1941) were invited to participate in this ancillary study (n = 686). Of this group, 601 persons agreed to participate (87.6 %). Data were collected in a face-to-face home interview or in a telephone interview. The interviews covered a selection of measures from regular LASA measurement waves. Respondents who had a face-to-face interview were also asked to fill out a one-week calendar to study changes in some specific variables such as pain, mood and sleep on a daily basis.

More information on the LASA 75 PLUS Study can be found in this publication:

Hoogendijk, E.O., Deeg, D.J.H., de Breij, S., Klokgieters, S.S., Kok, A.A.L., Stringa, N., Timmermans, E.J., van Schoor, N.M., van Zutphen, E.M., van der Horst, M., Poppelaars, J., Malhoe, P., & Huisman, M. (2020). The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam: Cohort update 2019 and additional data collections. European Journal of Epidemiology, 35, 61-74. DOI: 10.1007/s10654-019-00541-2 (OPEN ACCESS)