title: Cohort Profile: The Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH).
abstract: The Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) is one of very few long-standing, publicly available longitudinal cohort studies in a sub-Saharan African (SSA) context. It provides a rare record of more than a decade of demographic, socioeconomic and health conditions in one of the world's poorest countries. The MLSFH was initially established in 1998 to study social network influences on fertility behaviours and HIV risk perceptions, and over time the focus of the study expanded to include health, sexual behaviours, intergenerational relations and family/household dynamics. The currently available data include MLSFH rounds collected in 1998, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 for up to 4000 individuals, providing information about socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, sexual behaviours, marriage, household/family structure, risk perceptions, social networks and social capital, intergenerational relations, HIV/AIDS and other dimensions of health. The MLSFH public use data can be requested on the project website: http://www.malawi.pop.upenn.edu/.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi hpkohler@pop.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Jere R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Behrman
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anglewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Iliana V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Thornton
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mkandawire
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Hastings
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honde
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Augustine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hawara
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chilima
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Chiwoza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bandawe
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center and Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and Department of Global Health Systems and Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA, Population Aging Research Center (PARC) and PSC Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Invest in Knowledge (IKI), Zomba, Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health and Population, Lilonge, Malawi, Department of Mental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mwapasa
authors.affiliation: Market Researcher at Facebook, 1601 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025 and Co-founder of Invest in Knowledge Malawi (IKI Malawi), San Francisco, CA 94129, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Research Support Centre, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kalilani-Phiri
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003376:Counseling; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005192:Family Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012423:Rural Health; D021841:Safe Sex; D060756:Social Networking
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers