ELSA 50+ Health and Life: Taking Part

We will be inviting people to take part between May 2025 and Spring 2026. Find out more about taking part here.

Taking part online

The online survey is not live currently. 

If you have taken part before, please be assured that the content of the interview is similar to what it was before. 

Memory and concentration tasks

If you take part online you will have the option to do some memory and concentration tasks over the phone with an interviewer. This will take around 15 minutes.

Paper questionnaire

Previously, we asked participants to fill in a paper questionnaire during their interview. This will now be part of your online survey. 

Survey length

About an hour but this may vary depending on your circumstances. If you complete online you don’t have to finish the questionnaire all at once – you will be able to pause and come back later.

Gift voucher

You will receive a gift voucher worth £20 with your invitation letter. This can be redeemed here.

Please see a list of retailers where you could use your Love2Shop voucher here.

Support

If you need help accessing the survey, you can contact us on Freephone 0800 652 4574 or email elsa@natcen.ac.uk. With your permission, a relative or friend can assist you by completing the survey on your behalf.

You can also request to complete the survey face-to-face with an interviewer or via a video interview if that suits you better.

Taking part with an interviewer in person

If you are invited to be interviewed face-to-face:

  • Once you have received a letter from us, one of our interviewers will contact you to invite you to take part.
  • If you agree, they will arrange a convenient time to do the interview.

Memory and concentration tasks

If you take part in a face-to-face interview, you will have the option to do some memory and concentration tasks with your interviewer at the same time.

Paper questionnaire

In addition to the interview, you will be asked to complete a paper questionnaire. This should take around 15-20 minutes to complete. You can fill this out during your face-to-face interview and hand the completed questionnaire back to your interviewer. Or if you prefer, you can return it to us later in a provided prepaid return envelope.

Interview length

The interview will take about an hour and a quarter but this may vary depending on your circumstances. You can also ask your interviewer to take breaks or split an interview over different appointments.

Taking part by video

If you wish to take part by video interview, ask your interviewer about this when they contact you.