Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA)
NICOLA is the largest public health study in Northern Ireland (as of March 2024) and involves people from 50 years old right up to 100 years and beyond. A nationally representative sample of over 8,500 adults, aged 50 years and over and residents in Northern Ireland, were selected. Spouses or partners of eligible participants who shared the same residency were also invited to participate, regardless of their age. The spouse or partner completed the same assessments. Those living in residential care homes or other institutionalized settings, e.g. nursing homes, or who lacked the capacity to provide informed consent were not eligible to participate. The NICOLA sample was refreshed for Wave 2 in order to maintain the representation of individuals aged 50 – 54 years.
Study design
Cohort
Number of participants at first data collection
8,478 (participants)
Recruitment is ongoing
Age at first data collection
≥ 50 years (participants)
Participant year of birth
Varied (participants)
Participant sex
All
Representative sample at baseline?
Older adults (≥ 50 years) living in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Sample features
Countries
Year of first data collection
2014
Primary Institutions
Queen's University of Belfast (QUB)
Profile paper DOI
Funders
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Atlantic Philanthropies
Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI)
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Northern Ireland Executive Office
Ongoing?
Yes
Data types collected
- Computer, paper or task testing (e.g. cognitive testing, theory of mind doll task, attention computer tasks)
- Interview – face-to-face
- Physical or biological assessment (e.g. blood, saliva, gait, grip strength, anthropometry)
- Self-report questionnaire – paper or computer assisted
- None
- None
- Healthcare data
- Mortality data
Engagement
Keywords
Consortia and dataset groups
