The 45 and Up Study Group

Information for participants

LHH Project

The LHH (Life Histories and Health) Project is one of the research projects currently underway for participants in the 45 and Up Study. It aims to investigate how family, work, housing and health experiences earlier in life can have continuing influences on health, productivity and well-being for people in late middle-age.

This study is being conducted in Australia with men and women aged 60 to 64 years. This age group has been chosen as they will be experiencing many work and health transitions.

The data collected will be used to compare people in Australia with similar existing data in England and also with English migrants to Australia. This will enable us to identify significant influences of society and policy over a lifetime.

By taking part in the LHH Project, participants will be helping to identify ways individuals and governments can improve health outcomes and reduce the health inequalities that can accumulate over the life course. Gaining an understanding of health risks and protective factors over this time will inform public health programs to prevent and respond to chronic disease and other major health challenges.

The LHH Project is being conducted by Professor Hal Kendig and Dr Kate O’Loughlin from the University of Sydney and Professor Julie Byles from the University of Newcastle.

To ensure participant confidentiality, the 45 and Up Study Coordinating Centre at the Sax Institute is inviting 45 and Up Study participants to take part in the LHH Project.

The LHH Project is funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant.

45 and Up Study participants who join the LHH Project are asked to complete a questionnaire about events in their life. In addition, we ask for permission to contact participants for a follow up telephone interview.  As the focus of the research is on personal histories, involvement will require participants to answer questions of a personal nature. The Project includes questions about where you have lived during your life, jobs you have had, relationships and your health history.

The questionnaire will take about 35-40 minutes to complete and the telephone interview will take about 30 minutes.

Further information about the requirements of the LHH Project is available by contacting the 45 and Up Study Infoline on 1300 45 11 45. If a participant feels uncomfortable providing the information requested they can leave the question blank and still participate in the research.

All information collected will be treated confidentially and used for health research only. Information collected in the LHH Project will be linked to information participants have already provided to the 45 and Up Study and to other health information that the 45 and Up Study has permission to access, including NSW hospital records, cancer records, Medicare and other records.

Only people who are already participating in the 45 and Up Study will be invited to join the LHH Project. Invitations will be sent by the Study Coordinating Centre to a random sample of Study participants who are aged 60 to 64 years.

Currently, participation in the LHH Project is by invitation only, so we are not able to accept requests to volunteer.

If you have received an invitation to participate in the LHH Project and you would like to accept, all you need to do is complete the questionnaire you received with your invitation letter, sign the consent form on the last page and return the booklet to the 45 and Up Study in the provided reply paid envelope. This page includes space to advise us of the your preferred time and day to contact you for the telephone interview, as well as the number on which you would like to be called.

The invitation pack also contains a Life Grid Calendar. This is designed to assist participants in remembering significant life events. Do not return the Life Grid Calendar, but complete it in preparation for the telephone interview. During the telephone interview, you can then refer to the Life Grid Calendar to help you remember things that have happened throughout your life.

Participation in the LHH Project is completely voluntary.  If you have received an invitation to participate in the LHH Project and you would like to decline, you can do so and still remain in the 45 and Up Study.  If you do not wish to participate, no further action is required and you can discard the questionnaire. You may receive a reminder from us. If you would prefer that we don’t send you a reminder, please contact the Study Infoline on 1300 45 11 45 or email us at 45andUp@saxinstitute.org.au and we will update this information for you.

The 45 and Up Study keeps all participants in the Study up to date about how their information is being used, including information collected as part of the LHH Project, through the annual participants’ newsletter, 45&Update. A copy of Issue 3 of the newsletter is available here. To view a list of research projects that are underway, please click here.

The 45 and Up Study is bound by Commonwealth and State privacy legislation and guidelines, including the Health Records and Information Privacy Act and the NSW Health Privacy Manual. The 45 and Up Study also has strict procedures and systems to safeguard confidentiality. All information collected will be treated completely confidentially and used for health research only.

Any identifying details given to the LHH Project (such as name, date of birth and phone number) will be removed from the information given as soon as possible and stored separately. No information will be released in a way that would allow an individual or household to be identified, except as is compelled by law.

The conduct of the 45 and Up Study is overseen by the University of NSW Human Research Ethics Committee and the conduct of the LHH Project is overseen by the University of Sydney Human Ethics Administration.

By agreeing to be a part of the LHH Project, participants agree to the 45 and Up Study providing their completed questionnaires to the LHH researchers.

If you would like more information about the LHH Project, please call the 45 and Up Study Infoline on 1300 45 11 45 or email 45andUp@saxinstitute.org.au.

To view the LHH Project information leaflet for participants, click here.