Newcastle 85+

Aims
The Newcastle 85+ Study is the world’s largest population-based longitudinal study of health and ageing in the over-85s. The study aims to assess the spectrum of health in the oldest old, identify factors which contribute to the maintenance of health and independence and advance understanding of the biological nature of human ageing.

Institution
Newcastle University Institute of Health & Society

Geographic coverage - Nations
England

Geographic coverage - Regions
Newcastle; North Tyneside

Start date
2006

Catalogue record last updated
30/04/2025

Sample type
Cohort study

Sample details
1,042 people born in 1921 registered with a general practitioner in Newcastle upon Tyne or North Tyneside. The sampling frame comprised all people born in 1921 who were permanently registered with a participating general practice in Newcastle upon Tyne or North Tyneside primary care trusts. General practitioners were asked to review patient lists before mail-out and to exclude only those with end stage terminal illness and those who might pose a safety risk a nurse visiting alone. All those remaining were sent a letter of invitation whether living at home or in an institution and regardless of their health status.

Comparison of sociodemographic factors among the sample with equivalent figures from the 2001 national census shows that the sample is broadly representative of the local population with a slight under-representation of women. The sample is also generally comparable to general population of England and Wales (Collerton et al 2009).

Sample size at recruitment
1,042 individuals

Sample size at most recent sweep
91 individuals (2017)

Sex
All

Age at recruitment
85 years

Cohort year of birth
1921

Website
research.ncl.ac.uk/85plus/aboutourproject

Related themes
Biomarkers, Cognitive measures, Cognitive decline, Diet and nutrition, Housing, Socioeconomic status and deprivation, Loneliness and social isolation, Physical health assessment, Work and employment, Sleep problems, Social care - receipt, Social care - need