The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) will be launched at a briefing at 5.30pm on Thursday 4th December at the Royal College of Physicians, Regent's Park, London NW1. Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the International Centre for Health and Society at UCL, will be available for interviews ahead of the launch, from 4pm.

The study will reveal a clear link between the health and well-being of older people and their economic and social position. Over 12,000 people aged 50 and over were interviewed for the study, a collaboration between UCL, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the National Centre for Social Research and Cambridge University. Follow-up interviews to be conducted every two years will track the progress of all interviewees.

ELSA has important implications for policy-makers, but is also of much wider interest for the picture it paints of inequality in health, wealth, social participation and labour market activity amongst the older population.

Professor Marmot said: "This study is tackling one of the most important research questions currently facing society: how do we provide for an ageing population? By investigating the relationships between health, economic position and social participation as people age we will be able to answer that question in a complete way, taking into account how older people live today, what inequalities exist in old age and what is necessary to provide for a good lifestyle."

'"/>

Contact: Alexandra Brew
a.brew@ucl.ac.uk
020-767-99726
University College London
5-Dec-2003