ELSA frequently asked questions

What is the main objective of ELSA?

How often are people interviewed for the survey and who is interviewed?

What formats are the data available in?

Where can I obtain statistics and tables from ELSA?

What is the most detailed regional level for analysis of the data?

Does ELSA use standard coding schemes?

Before I order, how do I find out what questions/variables are included?

When are future waves/sweeps likely to be made available?

What is the main objective of ELSA?

The aim of ELSA is to explore the unfolding dynamic relationships between health, functioning, social networks and economic position. It is in effect a study of people's quality of life as they age beyond 50 and of the factors associated with it.

How often are people interviewed for the survey and who is interviewed?

A sample of people over the age of 50 are interviewed every two years. The ELSA sample was selected from three survey years of the Health Survey for England (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.

What formats are the data available in?

The data are available in SPSS, Stata, SAS and ASCII tab-delimited formats.

Where can I obtain statistics and tables from ELSA?

Details of publications are available on the NatCen Ageing Publications web page.

Downloadable reports are available on the IFS Publications web page.

Details of publications are given in the ELSA resources section of the Guide to the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

What is the most detailed regional level I can analyse the data at?

For information on the availability of geographical variables for each of the major ESDS Longitudinal studies, see the Database of geography variables.

Does ELSA use standard coding schemes?

ELSA uses the following standard measures:

• Rose Angina Questionnaire
• Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire
• MRC Respiratory Questionnaire
• CES-D depression scale (8-item)
• General Health Questionnaire (12-item)
• CASP-19

Before I order, how do I find out what questions/variables are included?

Variable lists and PDF user guides (including questionnaires) are freely available via English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

When are future waves/sweeps likely to be made available?

Wave 5 of the study is due to take place in 2010-2011 and data are expected to be deposited in 2012.