Professor James Banks
Co-Principal Investigator
University of Manchester
Professor James Banks
Co-Principal Investigator
University of Manchester
Professor David Batty
Department of Epidemiology & Public Health
University College London
Professor David Batty
Department of Epidemiology & Public Health
University College London
Kate Coughlin
Project Manager
Department of Epidemiology & Public Health
University College London
Kate Coughlin
Project Manager
Department of Epidemiology & Public Health
University College London
Study documentation
Main interview documentation
Main self-completion questionnaire (PAPI)
*Part-way through Wave 7 fieldwork, it was noticed that the answer scale of some questions on the self-completion questionnaire was set out as six point 1-6 scale, as opposed to the intended seven point 0-6 scale. A new version of the self-completion was issued part-way through fieldwork with the corrected scale.
Therefore, two versions of each of the affected variables are provided in the dataset, with the variable name suffix indicating the self-completion version completed ( _v1: Orange questionnaire, scale 1-6; _v2: Green questionnaire, scale 0-6).
Additionally, the variable SCVER in the Wave 7 dataset provides information on which version of the self-completion questionnaire was completed by each respondent.
Consent forms
NHS Digital consent
Hospital and economic data consent
Hospital and economic data consent withdrawal
End of life interview
Nurse visit documentation
W3 Life history interview
W5 Risk module
Download complete documentation sets
Wave 7
Part-way through Wave 7 fieldwork, it was noticed that the answer scale of some questions on the self-completion questionnaire was set out as six point 1-6 scale, as opposed to the intended seven point 0-6 scale. A new version of the self-completion was issued part-way through fieldwork with the corrected scale.
Therefore, two versions of each of the affected variables are provided in the dataset, with the variable name suffix indicating the self-completion version completed ( _v1: Orange questionnaire, scale 1-6; _v2: Green questionnaire, scale 0-6).
Additionally, the variable SCVER in the Wave 7 dataset provides information on which version of the self-completion questionnaire was completed by each respondent.
*Please note this is a large file and may take some time to download
Wave 6
↓Download part 1*
Wave 5
↓Download part 1*
Wave 2
Data dictionaries
Technical Reports
HCAP
Financial derived variables
User Guides
COVID-19 Substudy
COVID-19 Substudy Documentation
↓Download Wave 1 ELSA COVID-19 Survey
All ELSA interviews are conducted face-to-face using computer-assisted interviewing (CAPI), combined with self-completion questionnaires completed using pen and paper (PAPI).
A CAPI interview and PAPI self-completion questionnaire administered by an interviewer are carried out at every wave.
A CAPI interview and collection of bio-measures by a qualified nurse have been carried out for all participants at waves 2, 4 and 6 and for half of the participants in waves 8 and 9.
Full details can be found in the Waves 1-9 data user guide.