More than a quarter of a million people — one in 10 NSW men and women aged over 45 — are participants in our 45 and Up Study, the largest ongoing study of healthy ageing in the Southern Hemisphere.
By following such a large group of people over the long term, we are developing a world-class research resource that can be used to boost our understanding of how Australians are ageing.
This will answer important health and quality-of-life questions and help manage and prevent illness through improved knowledge of conditions such as cancer, heart disease, depression, obesity and diabetes.
Better health decisions
The information we gather will give governments the tools to make better decisions about healthcare for people as they age. The Study is also a rich source of information for researchers, with more than 600 of them currently using it in research projects ranging from sleep and physical activity to investigating the causes of early retirement.
Information collected from our participants at baseline and during the first follow-up is available in the Study’s Data Books. These books contain an overview of key variables such as height, weight, smoking status, family history of disease and levels of physical activity.
Over the next few years, all eligible participants will be recontacted for the next wave of follow-up, which commenced in January 2018.
View full publications list: 45 and Up Publications
Joining the dots
Participants have consented to their answers being linked to information sources such as hospital, pharmaceutical and general practice records.
This allows researchers to join the dots on people’s experience of health and illness — giving the fullest possible picture of our ageing population.
Information from 45 and Up is available faster than from conventional research. This means it can be used quickly to benefit health.