Scottish First as Research Team Follows Progress of 1,000 Over 50s

A long-term study which aims to help improve the lives of the elderly is being launched in what is said to be a Scottish first.

The Healthy Ageing In Scotland (HAGIS) research will look at the health, economic and social circumstances of the over-50s to enable future improvements to be made to their health and wellbeing.

The University of Stirling, which is leading the £500,000 study, said it is the first in Scotland to follow individuals and households through time.

It aims to capture a snapshot of the current circumstances of 1,000 people aged over 50.

The aim is to expand the study to 8,000 people in 2018, charting changes in their health and social circumstances over the decades, reporting every two years.

Professor of Economics David Bell, from the Stirling Management School, said: "People in Scotland are now living longer and the size of our older population is increasing.

"But historically we have a relatively poor health record and high levels of income inequality exist.

"We want to build a picture of what life is like for our over-50s. By taking part in HAGIS, older people in Scotland can inform the design and implementation of policies and services affecting them.

"The study is part of Scotland's contribution to international aging research and knowledge with the ultimate aim of promoting long, happy and healthy lives.''

It is hoped the findings of the study will help to address questions such as how individuals plan for retirement and who is providing care for our elderly population.

It will include memory tasks and ascertain respondents' understanding of financial concepts.

The multi-partner HAGIS project team includes the universities of Strathclyde and Edinburgh.

An external company will carry out the HAGIS pilot survey, which will involve two stages: a face-to-face at home interview and completion of a short questionnaire. Responses will be anonymous.

HAGIS joins a worldwide network of ageing studies co-ordinated by the US National Institute on Ageing (NIA) and will be compared with findings from across the UK and around the world.

Dr Ken Langa, associate director of the NIA-funded health and retirement study, said: "The Scottish HAGIS study will be an extremely valuable and important new member of the growing worldwide network of longitudinal ageing studies, uncovering the unique health and social circumstances currently experienced by Scotland's ageing population.

"Our experience of a longitudinal study in America has shown that combining the different types of data that HAGIS will collect provides a detailed picture that can inform health and social policies aimed at improving the lives of older adults and their families.''

The pilot study is jointly funded by the NIA of the US and the Nuffield Foundation.