Innovative approaches to methodological challenges facing ageing cohort studies
Workshop 4: Retrospective data collection in ageing cohort studies using a lifegrid approach
Monday 16 April 2012, 11:00 - 4:00pm
UCL Engineering Front Executive Suite, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, WC1
Venue Directions:
The seminar will be held in the Engineering Front Executive Suite, 1st floor UCL Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE
Nearest underground – Goodge St or Euston Square. The UCL Roberts Building is opposite Waterstones Bookshop located on the corner of Torrington Place and Malet Street. The entrance to the building is in Malet Place. Reception staff will direct you to the Engineering Front Executive Suite on the 1st floor.
Retrospective data collection is subject to recall and other biases, and is particularly problematic among older cohorts. The life-grid has been used as a tool for improving the reliability of retrospective data in epidemiology. This method has been used in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Speakers will discuss the development of the method and participants will experience reporting retrospective data using a lifegrid method.
Programme
11:00-11:30: Retrospective data and the lifegrid (David Blane).
The advantages and weaknesses of retrospective data will be rehearsed; and the principles of a cautious way forward proposed. The development and structure of the life grid will be described.
11:30-12:30: Participatory session: self-completion of lifegrids (facilitators: David Blane; Gopalakrishnan Netuveli; Elizabeth Webb; Morten Wahrendorf; Natasha Wood).
In order to understand the process by which ELSA lifegrid data were collected, each seminar participant will be given a lifegrid and coached to complete it with details of their own life.
12.30-13:00: Developing the life grid for CAPI (Carli Lessof and Natasha Wood)
An example of creating a usable life-course variable: Longest period away from the labour market
Development of the ELSA Life History Calendar
The development of the life grid from paper to a Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) instrument for the ELSA life history interview, which was conducted in 2007, will be described.
13.00-13:30: Lunch
13.30 – 14:30: Findings and Challenges from SHARE & ELSA (Morten Wahrendorf, Gopalakrishnan Netuveli & Elizabeth Webb)
Some examples of using retrospective data – first findings based on SHARELIFE
Re-casting the life grid
The lifegrid data structure for ELSA and SHARE will be described, highlighting similarities and differences. A brief description will be given of the available data, including overviews of the life course partnership, family, housing, work and health histories. Examples of appropriate data management and analysis techniques will be discussed.
14.30 – 15.30 Solutions (Natasha Wood)
During this session we will share findings from the consultation that was recently carried out with ELSA life history data users on how the data can be improved and discuss the possible solutions to enhance the usability of the data.