title: [The Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study (LUCAS)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The interactions between rising life expectancy, morbidity and development of disability warrant interdisciplinary research on functional disability, health promotion and prevention as well as healthcare provision for older people. Therefore, the interdisciplinary LUCAS (Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study) research consortium of university and non-university institutions was established and is coordinated by the research department of the Albertinen-Haus at the University of Hamburg. The aim is to study particular aspects of functional competence, the changes with ageing, to detect pre-clinical signs of functional decline and to address questions on how to maintain functional competence and to prevent adverse outcomes. The research questions have their origin in problems of practical healthcare provision in the different settings of communities, hospitals and nursing homes. The articles of LUCAS subprojects report selected results from the first project phase (2007-2010) which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (Research program"Health in the elderly").).
  
  
  METHODS
  The LUCAS subprojects 1-7 applied a true cohort study design with embedded randomized controlled intervention studies and cross-sectional studies for comparative purposes and to prepare intervention studies to be performed in the second project phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from the first project phase provided new instruments to screen and to assess functional competence in older people (population-based screening). In the second project phase these will be evaluated according to practicability and usefulness. Furthermore, parts of the results will be used by the health reporting system in Hamburg and for intervention studies performed by LUCAS subprojects during the second project phase (LUCAS II).
authors.affiliation: Forschungsabteilung, Albertinen-Haus, Zentrum für Geriatrie und Gerontologie, Wissenschaftliche Einrichtung an der Universität Hamburg, Sellhopsweg 18-22, 22459, Hamburg, Deutschland. ulrike.dapp@albertinen.de
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dapp
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fertmann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anders
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pröfener
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deneke
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minder
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hasford
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: von Renteln-Kruse
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015897:Comorbidity; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005858:Germany; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D014505:Urban Population