Information for researchers
E-News for Researchers
July 2010
Welcome to the 6th issue of the 45 and Up Study e-News, a bulletin for members of the 45 and Up Study Research Network, researchers, policy makers and others with a professional interest in Australia’s largest cohort study. In this e-News we have included information about the Study’s progress, upcoming events and new uses of Study data for research projects.
Study progress
Data entry for the 45 and Up Study is complete, with over 266,000 men and women aged 45 and over across NSW having joined the Study.
Full cohort dataset is now available
The full cohort dataset for the 45 and Up Study baseline questionnaire is now available. The dataset comprises 266,848 eligible participants. We have contacted lead investigators with information on how to obtain a copy. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact Alison Cowle or email.
Excluded data information
Users of the latest release of baseline questionnaire data from the 45 and Up Study may have noticed that some variables that are not being routinely released.
These restrictions ensure the privacy of participants by limiting the provision of data that could make them identifiable. Where possible, we have provided other data in place that should suit the needs of the majority of researchers, but we recognise that some researchers may have legitimate scientific requirements to access these data. These variables and the process for requesting them are listed here.
New data book available
The data book for the full cohort of 266,848 is now available here.
Useful SAS Syntax for baseline data
To help researchers using The 45 and Up Study baseline questionnaire, click here to see some useful SAS code. This syntax has been developed by The 45 and Up Study and two other researchers, and includes code to:
a) score widely used scales such as the K10 and MOS-PF
b) clean and calculate time and sessions spent in physical activity, and
c) derive single categorical variables from multi-item questions such as level of private health insurance and work status.
These have been checked and will work on the April 2010 dataset of the full cohort. Some of this code will not work directly on previous versions of the baseline dataset (noted below), users can contact the Data Users Group for a version that will work with older versions.
Recent research outputs
To date, 13 papers using data from the Study have either been published or accepted for publication in peer reviewed national and international journals. Click here for more detail or to download publications.
Additional research underway
There are now 41 projects underway using information from the 45 and Up Study to look at a very wide range of health issues. All of these projects have met our criteria for research quality and ethics and are in the public interest. More detail on each of these projects as well as other approved projects can be found here.
First sub-studies underway
Seven sub-studies have commenced that will collect additional information from Study participants:
- The SEEF Project will mail a questionnaire to the first 100,000 individuals recruited to the 45 and Up Study to collect more detailed information on the social, economic and environmental factors that influence health.
- The Skin Health Study will invite 8,843 45 and Up Study participants to provide blood and skin cell samples and complete a questionnaire about their health and lifestyle. This project will look at the amount and pattern of sun exposure, as well as other factors such as sun sensitivity, HPV, smoking, and the relationship of these to risk of skin cancer.
- The Retirement Transition and Health Project will collect detailed information from 2,000 45 and Up Study participants, over four years, related to their retirement plans and then moving to retirement.
- The CREDO Research Project is a randomised controlled trial of a web-based intervention to improve depression, cognitive function and adherence in people with comorbid cardiovascular disease. Up to 5,000 45 and Up Study participants will be invited to join the sub-study, to obtain a cohort of 500 people participating in the online program.
- The HAIL (Housing and Independent Living) Project will study the home and neighbourhood environments of 200 community dwelling older people, to examine the extent to which these environments can be considered to be ‘supportive’. Data collection for this project is now complete and analysis is underway.
- The Life History and Health Project will collect data from members of the 45 and Up Study to identify the long-term impacts of employment, family-building, housing, and migration over Australia’s post-war era and the health implications for those who are now moving into retirement.
- The Diabetes Risk Factor Survey will re-contact 2,000 45 and Up Study participants to validate self-report of diabetes and collect further information on their health status, treatment and management of diabetes and related health care.
Research spotlight
Cigarette Smoking, Tooth Loss and the 45 and Up Study
This study, led by Dr Manish Arora from the University of Sydney, aimed to investigate detailed aspects of the relationship between edentulism and self-reported cigarette smoking, including long-term smoking cessation, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in approximately 100,000 45 and Up Study participants.
Oral health is an integral part of overall health. Poor oral health directly impacts quality of life and has been linked to a number of systemic disorders, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, preterm deliveries and an increased likelihood of having low birth weight infants. While the prevalence of tooth loss continues to decline, a large proportion of older Australians still experience complete loss of all natural teeth (edentulism).
Participants in the 45 and Up Study were asked the question, “how many of your own teeth do you have left?”, with four possible responses: (a) none – all my teeth are missing; (b) 1–9 teeth left; (c) 10–19 teeth left; (d) 20 or more teeth left. Those reporting they had no teeth were categorised as edentulous.
Results showed that current smokers had more than twice the risk of complete tooth loss compared to participants who had never smoked (OR 2.51, 95% CI 2.31-2.73 adjusting for age, sex, income and education). Although the risk of complete tooth loss diminished gradually following cessation of smoking, among the former smokers who had smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day the odds of tooth loss remained somewhat elevated even 30 years after quitting. Current smokers who had been smoking for 50 years or longer had an adjusted odds ratio of tooth loss of 2.69; (95% CI: 2.33 – 3.11).
The results of this study have been accepted for publication by the Journal of American Dental Association. It will be available for download here when published.
Annual Collaborators’ meeting – 29th October 2010
The Collaborators’ meeting offers our research partners, supporters and interested parties the opportunity to receive a comprehensive update on the progress of the 45 and Up Study. Attendees will be able to engage with other researchers, policy makers and evaluators to discuss the potential for maximising the value of the Study resource. The day will also include an update on the Study progress and targeted activities on policy-relevant research, cancer, cardiovascular disease and mental health.
Professor Terry Dwyer will be delivering the keynote address. He is currently the Director of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute based at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and was previously Director of the Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania, coordinating research projects including those on cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, childhood asthma, and diabetes. He is recognised for his research conducted in the 1990's that led to the prevention of a large proportion of SIDS deaths internationally.
Professor Dwyer will give a presentation on the value of observational studies in providing evidence to improve health outcomes and the likely best investments, in terms of enhanced data collection, for large scale studies in the future.
Date Friday 29th October, 2010
Time 10.00am to 3.00pm
Venue Australian Technology Park, Eveleigh
A Data Users Group workshop will be held at the end of the presentations. This workshop will enable discussions around accessing and using the 45 and Up Study data.
Please mark this date in your diaries. An invitation and online registration form will be emailed closer to the date. For more information click here.
Your expertise is valuable
As the number of research project using the 45 and Up Study data increases, we will be calling upon the 45 and Up Study Collaborators to act as independent peer-reviewers for applications to use the data, and also to take part in project specific working groups. Thank you to all the researchers who have already helped with this process.
If you would like to register your availability to peer review please contact us.
Partnerships in healthy ageing
The 45 and Up Study is managed by the Sax Institute in partnership with our major partner Cancer Council NSW. Further partners in the Study are: the National Heart Foundation of Australia (NSW Division); beyondblue: the national depression initiative; NSW Health; Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Human Services, NSW; and UnitingCare Ageing.
Questions and information
If you would like more information about the 45 and Up Study, please contact the Study team.
Previous issues
To view previous issues of e-news click here.