The Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA)
The study has been commissioned by the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University, Belfast and the interviews will be conducted by Ipsos. The purpose of the study is to measure the health, wealth and happiness of the ageing population of Northern Ireland and to use this information to feed into a number of significant policy areas. Until we know what the needs of the ageing population are we cannot adequately plan for the future. As well as looking into various factors associated with ageing, NICOLA has a special focus on intergenerational poverty, transition points in ageing and the effects of diet on the ageing process. The study also includes questions of unique relevance to the Northern Ireland situation.
The study has been live since autumn 2013 and 8,500 men and women aged 50+ are being recruited as participants. These participants will be followed for at least 10 years.
The study comprises of three elements:
- A Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) conducted by Ipsos researchers every two years. The interview will capture information on health and social care utilisation, health behaviours, medication, mental, physical and cognitive health, employment, finances, retirement, social connectedness, social participation, driving and travel, housing, consumption and expectations.
- The participant will also be asked to complete a self-completion questionnaire. The self-completion questionnaire asks participants about a number of personal issues including: their diet and food, using technology, general health, work, loneliness, empathy for others, physical activity and their experiences during the Northern Ireland Troubles.
- A health assessment is conducted every four years and is carried out by nurses who have been specifically trained to do the assessment in the new Queen’s University Belfast state-of-the-art Clinical Research facility. The health assessment will include a review of cardiovascular, cognitive and respiratory function; physical activity, and body composition. Additionally, visual health analysis using Queen’s University’s state of the art ophthalmic equipment will identify age related changes in the eyes. Participants will also be asked to provide biological samples for detailed laboratory analysis, including genetic analysis.
NICOLA is currently seeking permission to access records on existing databases to provide as comprehensive and robust data linkage as possible.
