Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study (Health ABC)
The Health ABC Study is an interdisciplinary study focused on risk factors for functional decline in older adults. The study began in 1997 and recruited older adults living in Memphis, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The resulting cohort had over 3,000 participants aged between 70 and 79 years at baseline, of which 45% of the women and 33% of the men were African American.
Study design
Cohort
Number of participants at first data collection
3,075 (participants)
Age at first data collection
70 - 79 years (participants)
Participant year of birth
Varied (participants)
Participant sex
All
Representative sample at baseline?
No
Sample features
Country
Year of first data collection
1997
Primary Institutions
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
University of Pittsburgh
University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)
Profile paper DOI
Funders
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Ongoing?
Yes
Data types collected
- Activity log (e.g. food, sleep, exercise)
- Computer, paper or task testing (e.g. cognitive testing, theory of mind doll task, attention computer tasks)
- Interview – phone
- Physical or biological assessment (e.g. blood, saliva, gait, grip strength, anthropometry)
- Secondary data
- None
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Healthcare data
- Mortality data
Engagement
Keywords
