Thank you for participating in the 45 and Up Study – Australia’s largest ongoing study of health and ageing. Your time and contribution is greatly appreciated and is making a real difference to the lives of all Australians.
For information about follow-up questionnaires, download 45 and Up Study Follow-up Questionnaire Information for Participants (PDF 173 KB)
So we can keep in touch, please let us know if your contact details change.To update your contact or personal details, you can do any of the following:
In order to protect your privacy, if contacting us by email we recommend you limit the amount of personal information you include in the email. Because we may need to call you to confirm your identity and instructions prior to finalising your record, please include your telephone number. If contacting us by mail, please include your name, address and date of birth.
You can use the online Change of Details form to select completing questionnaires online (where available) or to receive the 45 and Up Study participant newsletter, Catch Up, by email.
Please return your questionnaire in the reply paid envelope provided, check the last page of your questionnaire for the address, or contact the Study team on 1300 45 11 45 for more information.
Yes, you can.
Even if you no longer live in NSW, or don’t have a current postal address, you remain eligible to participate in the 45 and Up Study. Please let us know so we can update our records.
There are several possible reasons for not receiving a questionnaire or other contact. For example, if you have moved recently we may have incorrect address information in our database, or you may have previously requested that we exclude you from personal contact or asked to withdraw from the 45 and Up Study.
If you have requested contact by email, our messages may be going to your “junk” folder or your email address may not be up to date.
Please get in touch and we can confirm your participation status and contact information.
Thank you for your interest in participating. We are not currently accepting new enrolments for the 45 and Up Study; however we may do so in the future.
If you do not want to be contacted again but are happy for us to use information you have already provided for research, including continuing to have your information linked to routine health and other records, you can request no further contact.
To request no further contact you can do any of the following:
If you no longer wish to participate in the 45 and Up Study, you can withdraw at any time. You will no longer be contacted and your health will no longer be followed. Your decision regarding participation will not affect your healthcare or disadvantage you in any way.
To request withdrawal, you can do any of the following:
In order to protect your privacy, if contacting us by email we recommend you limit the amount of personal information you include in the email. Because we may need to call you to confirm your identity and instructions prior to finalising your record, please include your telephone number (or use the online form). If contacting us by mail, please include your name, address and date of birth.
This request will apply from the time you notify us because it is not possible to withdraw information already used for research or publication.
A sub-study is a research project where researchers using the 45 and Up Study choose to look more closely at a specific area and enhance the information already collected by gathering more data from participants.
If you are invited to take part in a sub-study you might be asked to fill in a questionnaire, be interviewed by a researcher, provide a small blood sample or complete some activities. Participation in sub-studies is voluntary. You can decline to join a sub-study and still remain a participant in the 45 and Up Study.
Sub-studies involving 45 and Up Study participants have covered subjects as diverse as falls, patients’ hospital experiences, non-melanoma skin cancer, diabetes and retirement.
If you have a question about participating in a sub-study, please refer to the relevant participant information documents linked below, or contact us. For a list of research projects underway using the 45 and Up Study data (including these sub-studies), please visit the research projects page. Research outcomes from these projects can be found on the publications page.
Download the brochures below to find out more about the different sub-studies
Information held is not released in any way that identifies an individual or household. Personally identified information that the Study receives will only be released with your consent or as required by law. All information we collect is stored, analysed and reported on with all individual identifying details removed. This ensures we maintain total security, confidentiality and anonymity of the Study participants.
The Sax Institute, as the manager of the 45 and Up Study, adheres to Commonwealth and State privacy legislation: Privacy Act 1988 (Cth); Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW); and the NSW Health Privacy Manual for Health Information.
All information collected and held for the Study is kept strictly confidential and is only used for health services research, planning and to improve treatment.
The 45 and Up Study is also overseen by the University of NSW Human Research Ethics Committee to ensure all requirements for ethical conduct and information security, confidentiality and privacy are met.
To access any 45 and Up Study information, all research proposals undergo a rigorous approval process. The research must be credible and of value and researchers must also seek approval from an independent ethics committee for their proposal.
Once these requirements are met, the researcher can access Study information for the duration of their project through our secure data analysis facility.
Anyone working on the Study, including researchers accessing the data, sign a confidentiality agreement and follow strict policies and procedures to ensure the data and information are protected.
Further information on the health and other records that may be used in the 45 and Up Study is available here.
If you have a complaint about the 45 and Up Study and you would prefer not to contact the Study team directly, you can also contact:
