Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) Series

The Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) began in 1998 and has been funded by a variety of sources over the course of the project. These sources include National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of Health grants awarded to Duke University, Chinese support, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the China Social Sciences Foundation, the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, and the China Natural Sciences Foundation and the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC).

The CLHLS provides information on health status and quality of life of the elderly aged 65 and older in 22 provinces of China. The study was initially conducted to shed light on the determinants of healthy human longevity and oldest-old mortality. Data were collected on a larger percentage of the oldest population, including centenarian and nonagenarian, than had previously been studied, with follow-up waves taking place after two to three years. With the oldest-old sub-population growing faster than any other age group, the CLHLS sought to investigate the demographic, socioeconomic psychological and health status of the oldest-old. The goal of the CLHLS is to determine which factors, out of a large set of social, behavioral, biological, and environmental factors, play an important role in healthy longevity.