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Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
Longitudinal data for interdisciplinary ageing research. Design of the Linnaeus Database
Gunnar Malmberg1, Lars-Göran Nilsson, Lars Weinehall
1Centre for Population Studies/Ageing and Living Conditions Programme, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. gunnar.malmberg@geography.umu.se
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
|September 21, 2010
Summary
The Linnaeus Database integrates Swedish health and socioeconomic data for aging research. This anonymized longitudinal database enables interdisciplinary studies on health, lifestyle, and cognition in older populations.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- A new anonymized longitudinal database, the Linnaeus Database, has been established at Umeå University to facilitate interdisciplinary research.
- The database focuses on the relationships between socioeconomic conditions and health in the aging population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the Linnaeus Database and highlight its potential for research.
- To enable longitudinal studies on aging cohorts by integrating diverse datasets.
Main Methods:
- Individual records from Swedish register data (death causes, hospitalization, socioeconomic conditions) were linked.
- Data were integrated with previously developed databases: Betula (cognitive functions) and VIP (lifestyle, health indicators).
- Swedish personal numbers were used for record linkage in collaboration with Statistics Sweden and the National Board for Health and Welfare.
Main Results:
- The Linnaeus Database contains annually updated socioeconomic information for all registered residents of Sweden (1990-2006), totaling 12,066,478 individuals.
- It includes data from Betula (4,500 participants) and VIP (nearly 90,000 participants), offering both cross-sectional and longitudinal information.
- The database provides rich information on cognitive functions, lifestyle, and health indicators.
Conclusions:
- The Linnaeus Database enables a variety of longitudinal studies on aging cohorts.
- It facilitates research on socioeconomic conditions, health, lifestyle, cognition, family networks, migration, and working conditions.
- Integrating datasets from different disciplinary traditions opens new avenues for interdisciplinary aging research.
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