[Comparability of studies of epidemiological research on aging : Results from the Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study (LUCAS) and three representative Hamburg cross-sectional studies of healthy aging].
BACKGROUND
Participants of the Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study (LUCAS) were recruited from patients 60 years and older from general practitioner's offices in Hamburg. This is different from the usual methods of drawing representative samples.


OBJECTIVE
The research question addressed the comparability of LUCAS results with those from cross-sectional surveys with participants randomly chosen from a population list. Therefore, the LUCAS data collected in four waves during the first 12 years were compared with data (age, gender) from the Hamburg Statistics Office (HSO), and selected characteristics (socio-demography, health, mobility) from three representative cross-sectional surveys in older Hamburg citizens.


METHODS
First, HSO data compiled in population pyramids for older men and women were compared with equivalent pyramids based on the LUCAS data at recruitment (2000/01) and in waves 2 to 4. Second, characteristics worded identically in the cross-sectional surveys and the simultaneous LUCAS waves were compared.


RESULTS
The LUCAS population pyramids were in good accordance at all time points with those of the general older population in Hamburg (except ages 60-64 in men in 2000). Good comparability was also found for health related characteristics from the three representative studies and simultaneous LUCAS waves (e. g. need of nursing care in 2012: LUCAS 7.1 %; Hamburg 7.4 %).


CONCLUSIONS
Information on health in old age generated periodically in the LUCAS cohort was largely comparable with that from representative cross-sectional studies and statistics registries. Older people are frequently under-represented in epidemiological studies. Therefore, the LUCAS data may provide useful information for Hamburg and similar metropolitan areas in Germany.
Albertinen-Haus Zentrum für Geriatrie und Gerontologie, Wissenschaftliche Einrichtung an der Universität Hamburg, Sellhopsweg 18-22, 22459, Hamburg, Deutschland. ulrike.dapp@albertinen.de.
Ulrike
U
Dapp
Institut für Hygiene und Umwelt, Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg, Behörde für Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz, Hamburg, Deutschland.
Martin
M
Dirksen-Fischer
Fachamt Gesundheit, Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg, Bezirksamt Eimsbüttel, Hamburg, Deutschland.
Gudrun
G
Rieger-Ndakorerwa
Fachabteilung Gesundheitsdaten und Gesundheitsförderung, Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg, Behörde für Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz, Hamburg, Deutschland.
Regina
R
Fertmann
Fachabteilung Gesundheitsdaten und Gesundheitsförderung, Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg, Behörde für Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz, Hamburg, Deutschland.
Klaus-Peter
KP
Stender
Albertinen-Haus Zentrum für Geriatrie und Gerontologie, Wissenschaftliche Einrichtung an der Universität Hamburg, Sellhopsweg 18-22, 22459, Hamburg, Deutschland.
Stefan
S
Golgert
Albertinen-Haus Zentrum für Geriatrie und Gerontologie, Wissenschaftliche Einrichtung an der Universität Hamburg, Sellhopsweg 18-22, 22459, Hamburg, Deutschland.
Wolfgang
W
von Renteln-Kruse
Horten-Zentrum, Universitätsspital Zürich, Zürich, Schweiz.
Christoph E
CE
Minder
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Aged citizens; Health; Independant living; Longitudinal cohort study; Representativeness