CRELES-3: Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study - Wave 3, 2009 (Costa Rica Estudio de Longevidad y Envejecimiento Saludable, Ronda 3) (ICPSR 35250)

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Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

The purpose of the study was to determine the length and quality of life as well as to identify the factors contributing to these in the elderly of Costa Rica.

Study Design View help for Study Design

The study consists of baseline data collection and two household follow-up surveys. The third wave was conducted during 2009-10. It includes a structured interview, an exit interview mainly of relatives of deceased participants, anthropometric measurements, and physical functioning tests. All the data and specimens were gathered in the homes of participants. In the first wave, participants granted their informed consent by means of their signature. The main questionnaire took about 60 minutes to administer during the third wave. Participants also answered a short (10 minute) questionnaire about the frequency of consumption of 30 foods. Blood pressure was measured twice during the main interview. A separate form was used to collect data on anthropometric measurements and mobility and grip strength tests. At the beginning of the main interview a cognitive evaluation was conducted, which, together with the interviewer's criteria, established whether or not a proxy informant was needed to help the participant respond to the survey. In Wave 3, 26 percent of the interviews were conducted with the help of a proxy. For additional information on study design, please refer to the study manual entitled "Sampling and Methods."

Sample View help for Sample

CRELES is a nationally-representative longitudinal survey of elderly Costa Ricans. CRELES-3 is the third wave of interviews. The baseline (Wave 1) sample was drawn from Costa Rican residents in the 2000 population census who were born in 1945 or before. It was stratified by 5-year age groups in order to have similar sample sizes in each age group, which implies over sampling of older people. All centenarians were included in the sample. Wave 1 includes data collected from 2,827 participants between November 2004 and September 2006. Wave 2 took place from October 2006 to July 2008, collecting interviews from 2,364 participants, plus 269 interviews of family members of deceased participants. Loss of follow-up between Waves 1 and 2 thus represented 7 percent. Wave 3 interviews took place from February 2009 to January 2010 with 1,855 complete interviews plus 255 interviews of family members of deceased participants. The loss of follow-up between Waves 2 and 3 thus represented 9 percent of the baseline sample. For additional information on sampling, please refer to the study manual entitled "Sampling and Methods."

Time Method View help for Time Method

Universe View help for Universe

Costa Rica population born in or before 1945 and alive in 2009.

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The number of participants lost between Wave 2 and 3 was 241 (i.e., 8.5 percent attrition rate of the baseline sample or 10 percent attrition of the Wave 2 sample).

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2015-03-20

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The variable "ponderador" contains baseline-sampling weights that must be used to obtain nationally representative estimates of population averages, percentages and the likes. Analyses controlling for age, sex, urban residence, and education, such as multiple regressions, do not need to use these weights. The baseline-sampling weights were normalized in such a way that the un-weighted sampling size (N=2,827) is reproduced with weighted estimates. Weights also replicate the structure by sex, age, urban residence, and education of the population of Costa Rica born in 1945 or before and alive at 2005. The weights range from a minimum of 0.07 for men 95 years of age and older with low education, to a maximum of 3.85 for men age 60-64, high education and rural residence These sampling weights were meant to correct two facts: (1) The over-sampling of oldest old individuals included purposely in the sampling design to have enough statistical power to analyze advanced ages. (2) The higher no-response rates that occurred in the fieldwork among younger men, high SES and urban settings. In addition, sampling weights were established for Waves 2 and 3 (variables "ponde_r2" and "ponde_r3," respectively) following an analogous procedure as for the baseline sampling; i. e. forcing the weighted sample to reproduce the Costa Rican population in 2009 by 5-year age groups, sex, two educational groups, and residence in the great metropolitan area of San Jose (GAM). The weights were normalized so they reproduce the sample size of each wave--1,855 observations in Wave 3. The Wave 3 weights varied from a minimum of 0.06, for participants aged 95 years or more with low education and residence out of the GAM, to a maximum of 3.5 for participants aged 64-69 with secondary education and residence in the GAM. The sampling weights specific for Waves 2 and 3 (variables "ponde_r2" and "ponde_r3") must be used when computing population estimates for 2007 with Wave 2 or 2009 with Wave 3 data. In prospective longitudinal analyses, however, is advisable to use the sampling weights provided for the baseline-Wave 1 survey. The sampling weights are available in the tracking data file named "TrackCRELES Public" (Dataset 13). For additional information on weights, please refer to the study manual entitled "Sampling and Methods."