Synopsis

The 45 and Up Study is the largest cohort in the southern hemisphere and Australia’s largest longitudinal study of healthy ageing, having recruited more than a quarter of a million people aged 45 years and over throughout NSW. Participants joined the Study between 2005 and 2009 by completing a questionnaire and providing signed consent for follow-up surveys and linkage to a range of health databases.

The Study collects extensive information on health status, disability, employment, finances, and health behaviours such as smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity, as well as social factors including support, loneliness, and resilience. It is an open-access resource that allows those with research credentials and ethics approval access to the data, either as a stand-alone dataset or linked with any of a wide range of national and NSW data collections.

The 45 and Up Study encourages the use of the cohort for sub-studies and also includes a biospecimen collection of over 5,000 biospecimens, with 1,100 genomes sequenced. Researchers with approved projects can access existing specimens or invite additional 45 and Up Study participants to donate biospecimens.

Summary

Study name 45 and Up Study
Study abbreviation 45 and Up
Current principal investigator/s Dr Martin McNamara
Current project manager Matthew Gorringe, Senior Director, Data and Research Services.
Postal address Level 3/30C Wentworth St, Glebe NSW 2037
Phone +612 9188 9502
Email 45andUp.research@saxinstitute.org.au
Primary Institution Sax Institute
Collaborating Institution/s Cancer Council NSW and the National Heart Foundation of Australia.
Major funding sources Initial funding for the 45 and Up Study was provided by the Sax Institute, the Cancer Council of New South Wales (NSW), National Heart Foundation of Australia (NSW Division), the NSW Department of Health, Beyondblue, the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Macquarie Bank Foundation, the Baxter Charitable Foundation, the Alma Hazel Eddy Trust and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (CBG 224215 to E.B.). Current funding is from the Sax Institute and Cancer Council NSW and cost recovery fees paid by researchers.
Study website https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/solutions/45-and-up-study/
Key reference Kerrin Bleicher, Richard Summerhayes, Sarah Baynes, Michael Swarbrick, Tina Navin Cristina, Hans Luc, Greer Dawson, Alison Cowle, Xenia Dolja-Gore, Martin McNamara, Cohort Profile Update: The 45 and Up Study, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 52, Issue 1, February 2023, Pages e92–e101, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyac104
Are data available outside study team? Yes – Details of the data access policy and procedures are available at the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up website (https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/our-work/45-up-study/for-researchers/).
Sampling frame Men and women aged 45 years and older from the general population of the state of New South Wales, Australia.
Year commenced 2005
Commencement sample 267,358
Intergenerational? No
Imaging No
Linkage Yes, including significant pre-linked data availability as part of the Chronic Conditions Umbrella Program Linkage (subject to HREC and custodian approval)
Biosamples? Yes – blood & saliva for a sub-cohort of ~5,000 participants
Ethics approvals or requirements? Ethical approval for the Study was provided the University of NSW Health Research Ethics Committee (HC210602) on 25 July 2005 with regular extensions granted, most recently from 9 September 2021 to 8 September 2026.

Waves

Wave Year Age (mean, range) Eligible sample
1 2006-2009 Mean =62.76, Range = 45 –100+ years old N = 267 357
2 2012-2015 Mean = 67.06, Range = 49 –100+ years old N = 142 548
3 2018-2020 Mean = 70.09, Range = 55–100+ years old N = 97 302
COVID- Insights: 5 surveys 2020-2022 Range = 55–100+ years old N = 32 116 enrolled