[Use of retrospective (anamnestic) method in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in social gerontology]

The efficacy of using the retrospective method to obtain additional information for both cross-sectional and prospective studies is demonstrated. The life pattern, time course of individual or familial health-status changes in the periods preceding the prospective study enhance the informative value of study findings, provide monitoring the stability of the influence of the studied health factors, and make them epidemiological.