Ageing in Women and Men: A Longitudinal Study of Gender Differences in Health Behaviour and Health among Elderly

The objective of this study is to investigate gender differences during the aging process.

Overview

Acronym
GENDER
Investigators
Prof. Deborah Finkel
Institute of Gerontology, Jönköping University
Contacts
Prof. Deborah Finkel
Institute of Gerontology, Jönköping University

General Design

Study design
Cohort
Start - End Year
1994 - 2007
General Information on Follow Up (profile, frequency)

GENDER is a study of unlike-sex twin pairs born between 1906 and 1925 (Gold et al., 2002). A survey concerning health and health behavior was mailed in 1994 with responses from 1210 twins from 605 pairs where both responded. Mean age at baseline questionnaire assessment was 74.43 (SD 4.28) and all are Caucasians. A baseline in-person evaluation of 498 twins from 249 pairs between 70 and 80 years of age was undertaken between 1995 and 1997, and included an interview and tests of cognitive and physical functioning. Two additional in-person waves followed at 4-year intervals. Finally, a second survey was mailed in 2007 to all living twins who participated in the first mailed survey.

Recruitment Target
  • Families
Number of Participants
1,210
Number of Participants with Biological Samples
470

Access

Availability of data and biosamples

Possible Access to Data
Possible Access to Biosamples
Other

Marker Papers

Gold, C. H., Malmberg, B., McClearn, G. E., Pedersen, N. L., & Berg, S. (2002). Gender and health: A study of older unlike-sex twins. Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 57B, S168-S176.

PUBMED 11983743

Timeline

Population

GENDER - Population

Population comprises unlike-sex twin pairs born between 1906 and 1925 (Gold et al., 2002). A survey concerning health and health behavior was mailed in 1994 with responses from 1210 twins from 605 pairs where both responded. Mean age at baseline questionnaire assessment was 74.43 (SD 4.28) and all were Caucasians. A baseline in-person evaluation of 498 twins from 249 pairs between 70 and 80 years of age was undertaken between 1995 and 1997, and included an interview and tests of cognitive and physical functioning. Two additional in-person waves followed at 4-year intervals. Finally, a second survey was mailed in 2007 to all living twins who participated in the first mailed survey.

Selection Criteria

Minimum age
69
Maximum age
88
Twins
Countries
  • Sweden
Territory

Across all of Sweden

Other Criteria

Born between 1906 and 1925 and alive in 1994

Sources of Recruitment

General Population
  • Selected sample

Sample Size

Number of Participants
1,210
Number of Participants with Biological Samples
470
Supplementary information about number of participants

Of the 498 persons who participated in the first in-person testing, 470 agreed to provide biological samples.

Data Collection Events

# Name Data sources Data sources - Biosamples Start End
0 GENDER - Baseline survey
  • Questionnaires
1994 1994
1 GENDER - Baseline in-person evaluation
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
1995 1997
2 GENDER - Follow-up 1
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
1999 2001
3 GENDER - Follow-up 2
  • Questionnaires
  • Cognitive measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biosamples
  • Blood
2003 2005
4 GENDER - Follow-up survey
  • Questionnaires
2007 2007

Participating Studies

Acronym Name Study design Countries

Harmonization Initiatives Included

Acronym Name

Datasets

Name Data Collection Events Variables

Areas of Information Collected

Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
Death
Lifestyle and behaviours
Physical measures and assessments
Birth, pregnancy and reproductive health history
Laboratory measures
Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
Diseases
Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
Symptoms and signs
Preschool, school and work life
Medication and supplements
Social environment and relationships
Non-pharmacological interventions
Physical environment
Health and community care services utilization
Administrative information

Variables Content Summary

Areas of Information Collected
No Areas of Information Collected
No Scales Collected
Areas of Information Collected per per Population and Data Collection Event
No Areas of Information Collected
No Scales Collected

Networks

Acronym Name Harmonization Initiatives Individual Studies
Last Update: 2024-01-31T18:13:45.809