title: [MESGI50 study: description of a cohort on Maturity and Satisfactory Ageing].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the demographic, health and socio-economic characteristics of the participants in the Study on Maturity and Satisfactory Ageing in Girona (MESGI50 study).
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based Study linked to the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The reference population was the inhabitants of the province of Girona (Spain) aged 50 and over. A probabilistic two-stage stratified cluster sampling according to the number of inhabitants and the degree of ageing of the population was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight municipalities were randomly selected according to their type (demographically aged or young), and then stratified by the population size. The response rate was 65% with a mean of 1.7 eligible individuals per household and a final sample of 2,065 households and 3,331 participants. The design effect was 1.27. 52.9% were women and the mean age was 66.9 years (SD=11.5). The self-rated health status, hand grip strength, restriction in daily life activities and depressive symptomatology increased with age and more markedly in women. There were differences in alcohol consumption and eating patterns depending on the area of residence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The demographic, health and socio-economic characteristics during the ageing process differ depending on age group, gender, and area of residence.
authors: Organisme de Salut Pública de la Diputació de Girona (Dipsalut), Girona, España.
authors: Josep María
authors: JM
authors: Corominas Barnadas
authors: Grupo de Investigación sobre Envejecimiento, Discapacidad y Salud, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona [IDIGBI]-Institut d'Assistència Sanitària de Girona, Girona, España.
authors: Secundino
authors: S
authors: López-Pousa
authors: Grupo de Investigación sobre Envejecimiento, Discapacidad y Salud, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona [IDIGBI]-Institut d'Assistència Sanitària de Girona, Girona, España; Departament de Ciències Mèdiques, Universitat de Girona, Girona, España.
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Vilalta-Franch
authors: Grupo de Investigación sobre Envejecimiento, Discapacidad y Salud, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona [IDIGBI]-Institut d'Assistència Sanitària de Girona, Girona, España.
authors: Laia
authors: L
authors: Calvó-Perxas
authors: Facultat d'Infermeria, Universitat de Girona, Girona, España.
authors: Dolors
authors: D
authors: Juvinyà Canal
authors: Grupo de Investigación sobre Envejecimiento, Discapacidad y Salud, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona [IDIGBI]-Institut d'Assistència Sanitària de Girona, Girona, España; Departament de Ciències Mèdiques, Universitat de Girona, Girona, España. Electronic address: josep.garre@ias.scs.es.
authors: Josep
authors: J
authors: Garre-Olmo
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006306:Health Surveys; D000073656:Healthy Aging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012179:Retirement; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain
keywords: Ageing; Cohort studies; Encuesta de salud; Envejecimiento; España; Estado de salud; Estudios de cohortes; Health status; Health surveys; Jubilación; Mediana edad; Middle-aged; Retirement; Spain