Individual Study / SWEOLD

Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old

Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old

SWEOLD logo
Networks -
Datasets -
Variables -
Start Year
1992
Visit SWEOLD

Members

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Investigators Contacts
  • Prof Johan Fritzell
    Karolinska Institutet
  • Dr. Carin Lennartsson
    Karolinska Institutet
  • Prof Johan Fritzell
    Karolinska Institutet
  • Dr. Carin Lennartsson
    Karolinska Institutet

Design

Study design
Cross-sectional
Follow Up
Survey waves have been conducted approximately every 3–10 years: 1992, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2014, and 2021 (with fieldwork extending into 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic). The timing of follow-up depends on when participants reach the eligible age (77+) and survive to subsequent survey waves.
Supplementary Information
The SWEOLD sample was initially designed based on an existing nationally representative sample of the total adult population in Sweden – the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU). SWEOLD comprises those persons previously included in the LNU sample who have passed the LNU’s upper age limit of 75 years (in 1992, 2002, and 2011) or 69 years old (in 2004 and 2014), and are still living in Sweden at the time of the survey waves, with the exception of the first survey wave that was restricted to persons who had previously been interviewed at least once in any of the previous LNU surveys. The data waves represent sequential, repeated, cross-sectional surveys.

Marker Paper

Lennartsson, C., Agahi, N., Hols-Salén, L., Kelfve, et al. (2014). Data resource profile: the Swedish Panel Study of living conditions of the oldest old (SWEOLD). International Journal of Epidemiology, 43(3), 731-738.

PUBMED 24651397

Recruitment

Recruitment Target
  • Individuals

Number of Participants

Number of Participants
No Limit
Number of Participants with Biological Samples
Supplementary Information
The number of participants are dependent on how many persons from the LNU sample has survived to old age. In 2011, the SWEOLD sample was complemented by an additional representative sample of the Swedish population aged 85–99. This additional sample allows for more detailed analyses in smaller age and sex subgroups for those over 85 years of age. The 2021 data collection also comprises three additional samples; one national sample of people aged 85+ to ensure that the data continues to be representative of the current older population, and two complementary samples in Dalarna and Stockholm.

Access

Availability of data and biosamples

Possible Access to Data
Possible Access to Biosamples
Other

Timeline

SWEOLD - population

Selection Criteria
Minimum age
69
Newborns
Twins
Countries
  • Sweden
Ethnic Origin
Health Status

Recruitment

Sources of recruitment
  • General population
  • Participants from existing studies
General Population
  • Selected sample
Supplementary Information
SWEOLD participants were identified through the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU), a random sample of 1/1000 of the Swedish population aged 15 (in 1991, the lower age limit was raised to 18 years, and in 2000 to 19 years) to 75 years. A random sample of young people and immigrants is continuously added to the original LNU sample to get a representative sample of the total population aged between 15 (or 18/19) and 75 years. The sample is obtained using the identification numbers issued to all Swedish residents by the state. SWEOLD participants are LNU-sampled individuals having passed the age of 75 years old (in 1992, 2002, and 2011) or 69 years old (in 2004 and 2014).
Participants from Existing Studies
  • Swedish Level of Living Surveys (LNU)

Number of Participants

Number of Participants
No Limit
Number of Participants with Biological Samples
Supplementary Information about selection criteria
Survey 1992: 537 participants
Survey 2002: 621 participants
Survey 2004: 1180 partcipants
Survey 2011: 931 participants
Survey 2014: 1297 participants
Survey 2021:1599 participants
Data Collection Events
# Name Description Start End
0 SWEOLD - Survey 1992

The interviews were carried out in the participants’ homes or institutions where they lived and were based on a structured questionnaire. If necessary, a proxy (close relative or caretaker) ...

1992-01 1992-04
1 SWEOLD - Survey 2002 The interviews were carried out in the participants’ homes or institutions where they lived and were based on a structured questionnaire. Telephone interviews were conducted when the participant ... 2002-08 2003-03
2 SWEOLD - Survey 2004

The interviews were carried out in the participants’ homes or institutions where they lived and were based on a structured questionnaire. Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) was ...

2004-11 2005-04
3 SWEOLD - Survey 2011

The interviews were carried out in the participants’ homes or institutions where they lived and were based on a structured questionnaire. In 2011 the interviewers used computer-assisted ...

2010-10 2011-09
4 SWEOLD - Survey 2014

The interviews were carried out in the participants’ homes or institutions where they lived and were based on a structured questionnaire. The interviewers used Computer-assisted telephone ...

2014-09 2015-08
5 SWEOLD - Survey 2021

The interviews were carried out in the participants’ homes or institutions where they lived and were based on a structured questionnaire. The interviewers used Computer-assisted telephone ...

2021-06 2022-05

Classifications

Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
Lifestyle and behaviours
Birth, pregnancy and reproductive health history
Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
Diseases
Symptoms and signs
Medication and supplements
Non-pharmacological interventions
Health and community care services utilization
Death
Physical measures and assessments
Laboratory measures
Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
Preschool, school and work life
Social environment and relationships
Physical environment
Administrative information
Cognitive functioning
Personality
Psychological distress and emotions
Other psychological measures and assessments
Life events
Beliefs and values
Perception of health
Quality of life
Life course development
Functional limitations
Other perception of health, quality of life and functional limitation-related information
Social network
Social participation
Social support
Parenting and familial environment
Other social environment characteristics

Socio-demographic and economic characteristics

Age/birthdate
Sex/gender
Marital/partner status
Family and household structure
Education
Residence
Labour force and retirement
Income, possessions, and benefits
Other socio-demographic and economic characteristics

Lifestyle and behaviours

Tobacco
Alcohol
Nutrition
Physical activity
Sexual behaviours and orientation
Leisure activities
Technological devices
Other and unspecified lifestyle information

Birth, pregnancy and reproductive health history

Fertility and sexual health

Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations

Perception of health
Quality of life
Functional limitations
Use of assistive devices

Diseases

Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
Neoplasms (C00-D48)
Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E90)
Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G99)
Diseases of the eye and adnexa (H00-H59)
Diseases of the ear and mastoid process (H60-H95)
Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99)
Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)
Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K93)
Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L99)
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
Diseases of the genitourinary system (N00-N99)
Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98)
External causes of morbidity and mortality (V01-Y98)
Diseases without precise specification or falling into multiple categories

Symptoms and signs

Symptoms and signs involving the circulatory and respiratory systems (R00-R09)
Symptoms and signs involving the urinary system (R30-R39)
Symptoms and signs involving cognition, perception, emotional state and behaviour (R40-R46)
General symptoms and signs (R50-R69)
Symptoms related to multiple categories

Medication and supplements

Medication and supplement intake

Non-pharmacological interventions

Educational and health promotion interventions
Other and unspecified non-pharmacological interventions

Health and community care services utilization

Visits to health professionals
Hospitalizations
Community and social care
Other health and community care

Death

Vital status

Physical measures and assessments

Physical characteristics
Anthropometry
Circulation and respiration
Muscles, skeleton and mobility

Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments

Cognitive functioning
Personality
Psychological distress and emotions

Life events, life plans, beliefs and values

Beliefs and values

Preschool, school and work life

Work life

Social environment and relationships

Social network
Social participation
Social support
Parenting and familial environment
Other social environment characteristics

Physical environment

Housing characteristics
Built environment/neighbourhood characteristics

Administrative information

Identifiers
Date and time-related information
Questionnaire and interview-related information
Physical and cognitive measure and biosample-related information
Other administrative information

Cognitive functioning

Mini-Mental State Examination

Personality

Big Five Inventory

Psychological distress and emotions

Geriatric Depression Scale

Beliefs and values

Sense of Coherence Scale

Functional limitations

Activities of Daily Living
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

Social support

UCLA Loneliness Scale