Danish 1905 Cohort Study, 1998 (ICPSR 3960)

Principal Investigator(s): University of Southern Denmark. Institute of Public Health; Duke University

Summary: This data collection provides information on individuals born in Denmark in 1905 and who were still living in Denmark in 1998. The overall goal of the study was to establish a genetic-epidemiological database to shed light on the aging process among the extremely old. The data focus on their physical and cognitive functioning. Respondents were asked if they had been previously diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, migraine, cancer, stroke, heart attack, or depressio... (more info)

• This product is distributed as a CD-ROM.

• One or more files in this study are not available for download due to special restrictions; consult the restrictions note to learn more. Additional information can also be found in the Use Agreement.

  The data are restricted from general dissemination. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete a Restricted Data Use Agreement form and specify the reasons for the request. A copy of the Restricted Data Use Agreement form can be requested by calling 800-999-0960. Researchers can also download this form as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file from the download page associated with this dataset. Completed forms should be returned to: National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, Institute for Social Research, 330 Packard, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, or by fax: 734-647-8200.

University of Southern Denmark. Institute of Public Health, and Duke University. Danish 1905 Cohort Study, 1998. ICPSR03960-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2010-06-03. doi:10.3886/ICPSR03960.v2

Persistent URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR03960.v2

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This survey was funded by:

• Danish National Research Foundation (J.nr.507-102)
• United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging (PO1AG08761)

Summary:   This data collection provides information on individuals born in Denmark in 1905 and who were still living in Denmark in 1998. The overall goal of the study was to establish a genetic-epidemiological database to shed light on the aging process among the extremely old. The data focus on their physical and cognitive functioning. Respondents were asked if they had been previously diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, migraine, cancer, stroke, heart attack, or depression, and if they were experiencing such ailments as cough, body pains, and bone fracture and were taking medication for them. Questions probed respondents' feelings about their health, life, and future. To assess respondents' general health and functioning, they were asked if they needed assistance with toileting, bathing, dressing, and mobility around the house, how often they needed to use the bathroom during the night, and if they used physical aids such as wheelchair, eyeglasses, crutches, catheter, or diapers. They were also tested for memory and cognition, mobility, and vision, speech, hearing, and lung functioning. Information was also elicited on respondents' mental state and awareness, energy level, menopause, frequency of visits with children and family, visits from a nurse, use of home care services, sleeping patterns, smoking and drinking habits, weight gain or loss, exercise, social activities, hobbies, reading habits, television viewing, and recent deaths in the family. Demographic items specify age, body weight and height, education, and marital status.

Subject Terms:   activities of daily living, aging, assisted living, assistive devices, cognitive functioning, disease, eldercare, health services utilization, health status, home care, mental health, older adults, physical fitness, physical limitations, social networks

Geographic Coverage:   Denmark, Global

Time Period:  

• 1905--1998

Date of Collection:  

• 1998

Unit of Observation:   individual

Universe:   All individuals born in Denmark in 1905, excluding the Faroe Islands and Greenland, and who were still living in Denmark in 1998.

Data Types:   survey data

Sample:   A total of 2,262 persons born in Denmark in 1905. In cases where the individual was cognitively or physically impaired a proxy answered the questions. A home-based two-hour multidimensional interview, including cognitive and physical performance tests and collection of DNA, was carried out by lay interviewers. Population-based registers were used to evaluate how representative the sample was of the population. The participants were located through the Danish Central Office of Civil Registration.

Mode of Data Collection:   face-to-face interview

Response Rates:   63 percent

Original ICPSR Release:  2005-12-06

Version History:

• 2010-06-03 The data are restricted, but the documentation is available for download.
• 2008-02-11 Minor edits were made to the metadata.