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Title:
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing: Wave 0 (1998, 1999 and 2001) and Waves 1-4 (2002-2009)
(ELSA)

Subject Categories:
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing - Major studies
Social indicators and quality of life - Society and culture
Elderly - Social stratification and groupings

Depositor(s):
National Centre for Social Research

Principal Investigator(s):
Marmot, M., University College London. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
Banks, J., Institute for Fiscal Studies
Blundell, R., Institute for Fiscal Studies
Erens, B., National Centre for Social Research
Lessof, C., National Centre for Social Research
Nazroo, J., University College London. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
Huppert, F.A., University of Cambridge. Department of Psychiatry

Data Collector(s):
National Centre for Social Research

Sponsor(s):
National Institute of Aging
Department of Health
Department for Work and Pensions
Office for National Statistics
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
Department for Education and Skills
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
HM Treasury
HM Revenue and Customs
Communities and Local Government

Other Acknowledgements:
Other than the principal investigators, the following people have been involved in the development, data preparation and/or analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA):

• Lisa Calderwood, Hayley Cheshire, Laura Conway, Kate Cox, Michelle Lee, Rebecca Taylor, Susan Nunn, Elizabeth Hacker, Natasha Wood, Ruth Fletcher and Shaun Scoles (National Centre for Social Research (NatCen))
• Maria Casanova, Zoe Oldfield, Gemma Tetlow and Carl Emmerson (Institute for Fiscal Studies)
• Edlira Gjonja, Martin Hyde, Mary Janevic, Saffron Karlsen, Meena Kumari, Anne McMunn, Mike Wadsworth, Elizabeth Breeze, Panayotes Demakakos, Faiza Tabassum, Paola Zaninotto, and Mary Pierce (University College London)
• Brenda McWilliams and David Melzer (University of Cambridge)
• Nicholas Steel (University of East Anglia)
• David Blane (Imperial College London)
• Mike Hurd and Jim Smith (RAND, California)
• Beth Soldo (University of Pennsylvania)
• Bob Wallace (University of Iowa)
• Bob Willis (University of Michigan)

• Baroness Sally Greengross (Chair), House of Lords
• Mike Bury, Department of Social and Political Science, Royal Holloway, University of London
• Emily Grundy, Centre for Population Studies, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Ruth Hancock, Department of Health and Human Sciences, University of Essex
• Sarah Harper, Oxford Institute of Ageing, University of Oxford
  
• Tom Kirkwood, School of Clinical Medical Sciences Gerontology, University of Newcastle
• Ian Philp, Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield
• Tom Ross (retired), Aon Consulting
• Jacqui Smith, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
• Anthea Tinker, Institute of Gerontology, Kings College London
• Christina Victor, School of Health and Social Care, University of Reading
• Alan Walker, Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield

Abstract:
The ELSA study is a longitudinal survey of ageing and quality of life among older people that explores the dynamic relationships between health and functioning, social networks and participation, and economic position as people plan for, move into and progress beyond retirement.

The main objectives of ELSA are to:

• construct three waves of accessible and well-documented panel data
• provide these data in a convenient and timely fashion to the scientific and policy research community
• describe health trajectories, disability and healthy life expectancy in a representative sample of the English population aged 50 and over
• examine the relationship between economic position and health
• investigate the determinants of economic position in older age
• describe the timing of retirement and post-retirement labour market activity
• understand the relationships between social support, household structure and the transfer of assets

• the Wave 1 core data file contains information obtained from the individual interviews and self-completion questionnaires. The individual interview comprised twelve modules: household demographics (completed by only one person in the household); individual demographics; health; social participation; work and pensions; income and assets (completed by one person in each financial unit); housing (completed by only one person in the household); cognitive function; expectations; psycho-social health; final questions; performance measures. The core file also contains some variables from HSE data for 1998, 1999 and 2001.
• the Wave 1 Pension Wealth Derived Variables file provides the discounted present value of the stream of income that an individual will receive from their pensions between starting to draw these pensions and death, under various alternative scenarios. These variables are derived from information on individuals' current and past circumstances from the Work and Pensions module of Wave 1, along with various assumptions about past and future behaviour.
• the Wave 1 Financial Derived Variables file includes derived summary variables for income and wealth, gathered from Wave 1. The variables are labelled and there is an accompanying Microsoft Excel spreadsheet included in the documentation that matches the derived variables to their source variables and provides further information specific to particular variables. A similar file is also available for Wave 2.

• the ELSA Wave 2 interview covered a wide range of topics, which comprise the Wave 2 core data file. It was very similar to the questionnaire used in Wave 1, although every module was reviewed to ensure that it would provide data that measured change over time. This was achieved by repeating some measures exactly (for example, to measure income and assets), by asking directly about change (for example, to capture perceived changes in memory and concentration) and by adapting questions to allow people to update or amend past responses (for example, about work, pensions and specific health conditions). The Wave 2 interview was also expanded to answer a variety of additional research questions. The new items included: quality of health care received; household spending on leisure, clothing and transfers; perceptions of deprivation relative to others; perceptions of ageing; levels of literacy; perceived effort and reward for caregiving; voluntary activities.
• the Wave 2 Nurse data file includes information gathered from core sample members who also received a nurse visit. This was similar to the one that many respondents had as part of the HSE in 1998, 1999 or 2001 and included tests of blood pressure, lung function, blood tests, anthropometric measures and physical performance measures.
• the Wave 2 Mortgage data file includes mortgage data that have been manipulated into a series of 'loops' to facilitate easier analysis. For further details, see documentation.
• the Wave 2 Pension Grid data file includes one record for each private pension mentioned in Wave 2, and therefore contains multiple observations for some respondents, while for others (who have never had any private pensions), no observations are included. See documentation for further details.
• the Wave 2 Financial Derived Variables file includes derived summary variables for income and wealth, gathered from Wave 2. A spreadsheet is also available within the documentation; for details see the description given above for the Financial Derived Variables file for Wave 1.
• the Ryff self-completion data file comprises responses to a self-completion questionnaire based on the 'Ryff Scale of Psychological Wellbeing' (see Standard Measures below for full reference). Concepts covered include autonomy (independence and self-determination); environmental mastery (the ability to manage one's life); personal growth (being open to new experiences); positive relations with others (having satisfying, high quality relationships); purpose in life (believing that one's life is meaningful); and self-acceptance (a positive attitude towards oneself and one's past life). The Ryff questionnaire was distinct from the core self-completion questionnaires that ELSA respondents have been asked to complete at each wave, and was given to a sub-sample of respondents. For further details of methodology and sampling, see Wave 2 documentation.

• as with previous waves, the Wave 3 main survey comprised a personal face-to-face interview and a self-completion questionnaire. Overall, the intention in Wave 3 was to collect data about the same topics as in Wave 2. There were, however, some additions to the content of the interview to respond to new areas of enquiry. Some questions from Wave 2 were omitted as it was decided that they did not need to be asked at every wave. Furthermore, several elements of the questionnaire were amended to take account of responses given at the previous wave. See documentation for further details.
• the Wave 3 Mortgage Grid file includes questions on mortgages, mortgage payments and related derived data
• the Wave 3 Pension Grid covers pensions and related derived data
• the Wave 3 Financial Derived Variables file includes derived summary variables for income and wealth, gathered from Wave 3. A spreadsheet is also available within the documentation; for details see the description given above for the Financial Derived Variables files for Waves 1 and 2.

• The ELSA Wave 4 interview covered a wide range of topics. It was similar to the questionnaire used in Wave 3, although every module was reviewed to ensure that it would provide data that measured change over time. This was achieved by repeating some measures exactly, by asking directly about change and by adapting questions to allow people to update or amend past responses. The Wave 4 interview was also expanded to answer a variety of additional research questions. The new items included: dental health; help with daily activities the respondent may receive; access and use of both public and private transport; and questions on the state pensions forecasts that have been sent out by the government. See documentation for further details.
• At Wave 4, two further types of interview were conducted with specific sub-populations. An 'end of life interview' was sought with a relative, friend or carer of any core members who had died since responding to the first ELSA interview. An 'institution interview' was sought with core members who had moved from a private household after the first ELSA interview into a residential care home or similar institution, or with a proxy who could respond on their behalf. Users should note however that the data collected during these two types of interviews is not included with the Phase 1 deposit.

• Rose Angina Questionnaire: Rose, G. and Blackburn, H. (1986) Cardiovascular survey methods, World Health Organization Monograph
• Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire: Leng, G. and Fowkes, F. (1992) 'The Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire: an improved version of the WHO/Rose Questionnaire for use in epidemiological surveys', Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 45, pp.1101-1109
• MRC Respiratory Questionnaire: Fletcher, C. et al. (1978) The natural history of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, Oxford: Oxford University Press
• CES-D Depression Scale (8-item): Rasloff, L.S. (1977) 'The CES-D Scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population', Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), pp.270-278


• General Health Questionnaire (12-item): Goldberg, D.P. Manual of the General Health Questionnaire, Windsor: NFER-Nelson, 1978
• CASP-19: Hyde, M. et al. (2003) 'A measure of quality of life in early old age: the theory, development and properties of a needs satisfaction model [CASP-19]', Ageing and Mental Health, 7, pp.186-194
• Ryff Scale of Psychological Wellbeing: Ryff, C.D. (1989) 'Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological wellbeing', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, pp.1069-1081, and Ryff, C.D. and Keyes, C.L. (1995) 'The structure of psychological wellbeing revisited', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(4), pp.719-727

Coverage:
Time Period Covered: Most of the data refer to the time period when the interview took place. Some of the questions however did ask about past events (e.g. pension history, respondent's father's employment when respondent was aged 14).
Dates of Fieldwork: Wave 1: March 2002 - March 2003
Wave 2: June 2004 - July 2005.
Wave 3: May 2006 - August 2007.
Wave 4 May 2008 - July 2009.
Wave 0 data were gathered in the 1998, 1999 and 2001 waves of the HSE, but these predate the official start of the ELSA study.
Country: England
Spatial Units: At present the ELSA team are not depositing any variables which will allow analysis by or on spatial units. However, in certain circumstances these data can provided to researchers who want to use it. Details of how to obtain access to these data are given in the User Guide for Geographical Variables, which is included in the study documentation.
Observation Units: Individuals
Kind of Data: Numeric data; Individual (micro) level

Universe Sampled:
Location of Units of Observation:National
Population:The ELSA sample was selected from three survey years of the HSE (1998, 1999 and 2001). Households were included in ELSA if they contained at least one adult of 50 years or older in the household who had agreed to be recontacted at some time in the future when participating in the HSE. The Wave 3 Phase 2 deposit includes data from interviews that were carried out with respondents in institutions.

Methodology:
Time Dimensions: Longitudinal/panel/cohort
The current deposit includes Waves 0, 1, 2 and 3.
Sampling Procedures: Multi-stage stratified random sample
See documentation for further details.
Number of Units: Wave 1: 12,100 cases. Wave 2: 9,433 cases. Wave 3: 9,771 cases (Phase 2 deposit). Wave 4: 10,860 cases (Phase 1 deposit).
Method of Data Collection: Face-to-face interview; Self-completion; Clinical measurements; Physical measurements; Performance measurements, such as the timed walk, were conducted, and Waves 2 and 4 included a nurse visit. See documentation for further details.
Weighting: Weighting used. See documentation for details.
Data Sources: The ELSA sample was selected from three survey years of the HSE: 1998 (held at the UKDA under SN 4150); 1999 (SN 4365); and 2001 (SN 4628). Wave 0 of the ELSA dataset includes HSE data.

Language(s) of Written Materials:
Study Description: English
Study Documentation: English

Access:
Access Conditions: The depositor has specified that registration is required and standard conditions of use apply. The depositor may be informed about usage.
Additional special conditions of use also apply. See terms and conditions for further information.
Availability: ESDS Longitudinal, UK Data Archive
Contact: Help desk: longitudinal@esds.ac.uk

Date of Release:
First Edition: 9 March 2005
Latest Edition: 19 January 2010 ( 13th Edition )

Copyright:
Copyright held jointly between National Centre for Social Research, University College London and Institute for Fiscal Studies

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