Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026
11:21
Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
The Nottingham Longitudinal Study of Activity and Ageing: a methodological overview
1Centre for Ageing and Rehabilitation Studies, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Northern General Hospital, UK. k.morgan@sheffield.ac.uk
Age and Ageing
|July 17, 1999
Summary
The Nottingham Longitudinal Study of Activity and Ageing (NLSAA) assessed physical activity, health, and psychosocial status in older adults. Survey methods demonstrated good reliability and validity, with significant correlations between physical activity and physical function.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The Nottingham Longitudinal Study of Activity and Ageing (NLSAA) is a key research initiative.
- It focuses on understanding the interplay of physical activity, health, and psychosocial factors in aging populations.
- Longitudinal data collection is crucial for tracking changes over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the methodological approach for assessing physical activity, health, and psychosocial status in the NLSAA.
- To report on the sampling strategy and response rates across three data collection waves.
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the survey instruments used.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study design involving 1042 participants aged 65 and over, randomly sampled from UK general practitioner lists.
- Data collection included questionnaire-assessed physical activity, instrumental measurements (handgrip strength, weight, demi-span, shoulder flexibility), and brief assessments of depression, social engagement, life satisfaction, and cognitive function.
- Descriptive statistics were used to analyze response rates, instrument reliability (Cronbach's alpha), and outcome intercorrelations (correlation coefficients, principal components analysis).
Main Results:
- The study achieved a baseline response rate of 80%, with subsequent re-interview rates of 88% and 73%.
- Factor scores from principal components analysis of survey data showed significant correlations with instrumental measures of handgrip strength and shoulder flexibility (r ≥ 0.4, P < 0.001).
- All brief assessment measures demonstrated satisfactory reliability (Cronbach's alpha ≥ 0.7).
Conclusions:
- The NLSAA successfully employed a robust methodology for assessing physical activity, health, and psychosocial status in an older adult cohort.
- The survey instruments used were found to be reliable and valid, with significant associations observed between self-reported physical activity and objective physical function measures.
- These findings support the utility of the NLSAA's approach for future research on aging and health.
Related Concept Videos
02:20Longitudinal Research
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
01:26Longitudinal Studies
Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...