ELSA 50+ Health and Life
As the population in England is ageing adults above the age of 50 are increasing by the year. We're carrying out this research to find out more about the lives of people in this influential age group.
About the study
ELSA is unique. We are the only major study in England talking to people from 50,
right up to 100 years old and beyond, at the same time. We go back to the same people every few years, to help us understand in detail how things are changing for people in this age group.
The research is funded by a number of UK government departments coordinated by the National Institute for Health Research, and the National Institute on Aging in the United States. Funding has also been provided by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Reports analysing each new wave of data are published on the ELSA project website. The data is also used by other researchers and academics to write journal articles, which you can also find on the ELSA project website.
Make your voice heard
People aged 50 and over account for half of the nation's spending and three quarters of the nation's wealth, so it’s important the Government listens to your opinions and experiences.
Change over time
We’d like to find out how your life is changing. This allows us to collect really useful information about changes in your health, social life, finances and relationships.
Be part of a bigger picture
ELSA isn’t the only study of people aged 50 and over, there are others in America, Europe, India and China. We hope you take part in ELSA; if you do, you’ll be contributing to an international effort to understand later life and what it means for people.
Meet the ELSA team
A number of organisations work together to run ELSA and analyse the information you give us. As well as the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), they are:
- The Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care at University College London (UCL)
- The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)
- The School of Social Science at the University of Manchester (UoM)
- The University of East Anglia (UEA)
ELSA helps to build a picture of ageing in England. Government, charities, and academics use ELSA data when thinking about policies and initiatives for people aged 50 and over. This includes things like work, pensions, and healthcare which could affect you and your family.
Why take part?
Your contribution makes a big difference
Your participation in the study is really important to ensure the research findings are reliable and contribute effectively to future decision-making. Participation is completely voluntary, however, so it is up to you. If you do take part, you can change your mind at any time, and choose not to answer any questions that you prefer not to. We know your time is precious, but our work really does make a difference. We help government and charities to make the right decisions about the big issues.
A token of our appreciation
As a thank you for taking part, we'll give you a £20 gift card or an e-voucher which you can use at a range of high street shops. Please see a list of retailers where you could use your Love2Shop gift card here.
How ELSA has made a difference
Staying sharp
ELSA discovered that smoking, being overweight and having high blood pressure aren’t just bad for your physical health. They also affect how sharp your mind is in later life. Organisations like Alzheimer’s Research UK are using this information to support their campaigning work.
Don’t worry, be happy
Data from ELSA has shown that simply enjoying life can have a positive effect on life expectancy.
Help us understand how the world's population is ageing
Our findings from ELSA are often compared against the results of similar studies elsewhere in the world, such as China, Europe and North America.
ELSA 50+ Memory and Thinking
How does our memory and thinking change as we get older?
ELSA 50+ Memory and Thinking is a special additional part of ELSA 50+ Health and Life, looking at how people’s memory and thinking changes as they get older.
Some ELSA participants aged 65 and over will be invited to take part in this interview in 2023.
Read more about ELSA 50+ Memory and Thinking.
Why have I been chosen?
Why we’ve gotten in touch with you
You’ve been selected to take part in ELSA 50+ Health and Life because either you’ve already taken part in ELSA, or because you've taken part in the Health Survey for England or the Family Resources Survey and at the time, you kindly agreed to us contacting you again.
The great thing about interviewing the same people again is that we can link to information collected already to get even more value out of the survey.
Even if you've been asked to take part in the past and have said no, we'd love you to take part now.
Why you’re so important to us
You can’t be replaced by anyone else, as this would bias the results and we need to speak to as many people as possible in order to have enough information to make the survey meaningful.
In 2023 ELSA is celebrating a 20th anniversary. Over the past 20 years, the study has allowed us to dispel some of the myths about ageing and helped us to uncover some serious and pressing issues affecting our ageing population. Thank you to all our participants to date for their continued support which has made this 20-year milestone possible and thanks in advance to our existing and new participants for your continued support to help us to ensure ELSA remains such a vital source of data on ageing in England.
We want to hear from everyone
It’s really important to us and our funders and collaborators that our research represents the views of everyone aged 50 and over living in England.
We want to speak to people from all walks of life. You might be retired, unemployed or still working nine to five. You could live alone or have a large family. You might be struggling financially or comfortably off. You could be feeling fit and healthy or dealing with health problems.
Whatever your situation is, your experiences are important to us.
What's involved?
Interviewer contact
Once you have received a letter from us, one of our interviewers will telephone or visit you to invite you to take part and, if you agree, arrange a convenient time to do the interview.
We understand that you may be busy, so we’ll organise the interview at a time that suits you. The interview can during the evening or at a weekend if you wish. The interview will take place at your home but if you would prefer, we can arrange the interview via video call.
The interview
Your interviewer will ask you about a range of topics, such as the activities you enjoy, your financial situation and pension arrangements, your health and any work you do.
If you have taken part previously we will also ask you to update information you gave us last time you were interviewed, to see if and how your life has changed.
And don’t worry – you don’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to, we can just skip on to the next one.
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.
No need to prepare
There’s no need to prepare for the interview. You don’t need any special knowledge, we just want to ask you some general questions about your daily life. Most people agree to be interviewed and enjoy taking part.
Have you been asked to do the interview on behalf of someone else?
If someone has been selected to take part in the survey but is unable to do the interview, you may have been asked to complete the interview on their behalf.
Usually, they will have asked you to do this for them, but if they aren't able to do this we may ask you to assess whether the person would wish to take part in the study if they were able to.
Every person we invite to take part in ELSA is really important, including people who aren't able to take part on their own.
ELSA W11 Showcards
Click here to download the showcards (pdf).
ELSA 50+ Health Visit
How does your health impact ageing?
The ELSA 50+ health visit is a vital part of ELSA 50+ Health and Life. Every few years we will ask if you’d like to be interviewed by one of our biomedical fieldworkers. They will take some measurements, like your height, weight and blood pressure.
Our biomedical fieldworkers will also ask you if you’d be happy to give us a blood sample. We use these blood samples to test for useful indicators of health such as the amount of sugar and cholesterol in the blood.
If you like, we can send the results of these tests to both you and your GP. This is entirely up to you.
You can choose whether you receive a visit from one of our biomedical fieldworkers. If you do take part, the biomedical fieldworker will explain each measurement and you can decide which measurements you wish to have taken.
Read more about the health visit (pdf).
If you already have a health visit appointment booked, you can check what you can do to prepare here (pdf).
ELSA 50+ CHIP Sub-study
The ELSA 50+ CHIP sub-study is an additional part of ELSA 50+ Health and Life looking at will research Clonal Haematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential (CHIP), a common age related condition. A small number of ELSA participants will be invited to take part in this study in 2024.
Read more about ELSA 50+ CHIP Sub-study.
Latest news and findings
Click here to discover the latest findings and what the ELSA team is up to.
You can also read our latest newsletter here (PDF).
Privacy
In this privacy notice, we explain the legal basis for data processing, who will have access to your personal data, how your data will be used, stored and deleted and who you can contact with a query or a complaint.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Linking data
ELSA participant consultation
As part of the next phase of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is inviting some ELSA participants to join a consultation. This will help us make the study better for everyone involved.
This information sheet explains what the consultation is for and how it works. Please take your time to read it carefully. If anything is unclear, don't hesitate to ask us. You’ll find our contact details at the end of this sheet.
We are inviting you to a discussion with 5-7 other ELSA participants, facilitated by NatCen researchers.
The group discussion will take place either online or in-person and last up to 2 hours – please see your letter or email.
Taking part is voluntary. You don’t have to take part if you don’t want to. If you do, you can skip any questions you don’t want to answer and stop at any point.
Your participation will be kept confidential, and your data will be stored securely.
Everything you tell us will only be used in an anonymised form.
As a thank you for your time, you will receive a £60 shopping voucher.
What is the consultation about?
This consultation is part of the bigger ELSA study. We want to talk to some of the people who take part in the study to hear about your experiences. We’d also like to know what you think about our plans for the next round of interviews, which will start in August 2025.
Why have I been invited to take part?
We are inviting a small group of ELSA participants to take part in this consultation. We want to hear from people with different backgrounds and experiences to help make the ELSA study better for everyone.
What does taking part involve?
We are inviting you to take part in a small group discussion with 5-7 other ELSA participants. The discussion will be led by a researcher from NatCen who will ask questions about your experience as an ELSA participant. You do not need to prepare anything in advance.
We are interested in your experiences and opinions. There are no right or wrong answers. If you do not want to, you don’t have to say anything. With your permission, we would like to record the discussion to make sure we have an accurate record and to help with the note-taking. The recording will only be accessible to the ELSA collaboration team.
If you are taking part in an online discussion, we would like to video-record the session, as this helps us ensure we capture the details of the discussion. We will also send you a few items before the discussion – please have these to hand during the discussion. The researchers will explain how to use them.
If you are taking part in an in-person discussion, we will record audio only and the materials needed for the discussion will be handed out on the day.
Why take part?
Your feedback from taking part in ELSA before and your views on our plans for the next phase will help us make ELSA more inclusive and hopefully make taking part a more positive experience for everyone in the future. To help ensure that the ELSA study findings represent the diversity of all people in England over age 50, we would like to hear from people with a wide range of characteristics and experiences.
As a thank you for taking part, you will receive a £60 Love2Shop voucher which can be used in a wide range of high street shops and online retailers.
Do I have to take part?
No, whether or not you take part in the consultation is entirely up to you. You are free to say that you do not want to take part at any time without giving a reason. Whether or not you take part in the consultation will not affect your participation in ELSA.
Will taking part in the consultation be confidential?
Yes, your participation in the consultation will be kept strictly confidential. Your information will be stored securely. The recording of the discussion will be used by the ELSA research team only, to help make sure we have an accurate account of what was said and to help with note-taking. Only members of the ELSA research team will have access to the recording.
Any information you share with us will only be used in anonymised form. You will not be named in any outputs from the consultation, and no-one will be able to recognise you.
Who is carrying out the research?
The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) carry out the ELSA study, alongside our collaborators from University College London (UCL), The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), The University of Manchester (UoM) and The University of East Anglia (UEA). NatCen are also carrying out this consultation. NatCen is the largest independent and not-for-profit social research organisation in the UK. You can find more information about us on our website natcen.ac.uk.
Who is funding the research?
ELSA is funded by the National Institute of Aging and by a consortium of UK government departments: Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Transport and the Department for Work and Pensions. Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has also provided funding.
Who has reviewed this study?
NatCen’s Research Ethics Committee has reviewed this consultation to protect your safety, rights, wellbeing and dignity.
What will happen to the information I give?
Your feedback will be used to improve the next phase of the ELSA study. A short report will be written based on the consultation findings, but no personal details will be included. Your answers will be anonymous and will not identify you.
We will keep recordings and notes from the discussion securely.
The report will be shared with researchers from four other organisations who run the ELSA study: University College London (UCL), The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), The University of Manchester (UoM) and The University of East Anglia (UEA). We may also share findings with researchers working on other research projects but never in a form that would identify you.
We will record the group discussion to help with note-taking and to ensure that we accurately capture what you tell us. Written notes and recordings will be kept securely to help inform future phases of the study. The ELSA research team will also keep a note of who took part, but this will not be shared outside the ELSA research team.
Just like on the main ELSA study, we will treat all information that you share with us in strict confidence, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR). Your personal details will be held securely by NatCen and will not be shared with anyone outside of the ELSA research team. The information you provide will only be used for research and not any other purposes. NatCen is the data processor and the ELSA collaboration team is the data controller for this research.
If you believe we have not complied with your data protection rights, you can contact us at dpo@natcen.ac.uk.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF; telephone: 0303 123 1113; website: ico.org.uk/concerns
What if I need support?
If you have been affected by any of the topics covered in this research study, here is a list of helplines and support agencies that may help you:
1. Age UK
Telephone befriending, in-person social groups, and local hubs for activities such as walking, arts, and crafts. Their “Call in Time” service connects older adults with volunteers for regular phone chats.
Online: www.ageuk.org.uk/contact-us
Phone: 0800 055 6112
2. The Silver Line
Free, confidential 24/7 helpline and a friendship service matching older people with volunteers for weekly phone conversations.
Online: www.thesilverline.org.uk
Phone: 0800 470 8090
3. U3A (University of the Third Age)
Learning groups and activities for those no longer in full-time employment, including classes, workshops, and events on topics such as photography and languages.
Online: www.u3a.org.uk
Phone: 020 8466 6139
4. Dementia UK
Resources and advice on cognitive-stimulating activities, including puzzles, reading, and memory exercises, to support mental agility.
Online: www.dementiauk.org
Phone: 0800 888 6678
5. Royal Voluntary Service (RVS)
Activity clubs offering games, quizzes, and learning groups to stimulate cognitive functions and encourage social interaction.
Online: www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Phone: 0330 555 0310
6. Citizens Advice
General issues including benefits, housing, debt and consumer issues.
Online: citizensadvice.org.uk
Phone: 0800 144 8848
7. Samaritans
Call the Samaritans for free, at any time, from any phone, on 116 123 if you are in emotional distress or struggling to cope.
Contact for further information
If you would like more details or have any questions, please contact the ELSA research team:
- Phone: Freephone 0800 652 4574
- Email: elsaresearchteam@natcen.ac.uk
Our Freephone service is available Monday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
If you leave a message, please include your name and contact details, mention the ‘ELSA participant consultation’, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please also provide your ELSA study reference number if you have it (this will be at the bottom of letters or emails from us).
How to get in touch?
If you have changed your contact details recently, or have any questions, please let us know by emailing us at elsa@natcen.ac.uk or calling free on 0800 652 4574 (opening times are Monday to Thursday 09:00 to 20:00, Friday 09:00 to 17:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 16:00).