GRANTS. It has long been uncertain whether the H70 studies could continue with the next cohort from the 1950s. Through a grant of SEK 10 million from the Kamprad Family Foundation, the population study can now begin signing up research subjects born in the 1950s.
“It’s wonderful that we have received funding so that the H70 studies can continue. It means a lot to many researchers from nearly all faculties at the University of Gothenburg who are involved in studies based on H70,” says Ingmar Skoog, professor of psychiatry with a specialization in social psychiatry and epidemiology at Sahlgrenska Academy and director of the Centre for Ageing and Health (AgeCap).
“The funding means we will be able to see whether aging continues to improve even for those born in the 1950s. During the 1950s, the Swedish welfare state had been firmly established with a better welfare system and longer schooling, and it will be interesting to see what aging looks like for this generation.”
A year of preparations
During the year, the director for the H70 studies will adapt surveys, decide exactly what exams will be conducted and ensure that the ethics permission for the study has been obtained.
The first H70 study was conducted in 1971, with 70-year-olds born in 1901. The new cohort is the seventh in a row and will begin to be studied next year. Residents of Gothenburg born in 1952 and 1953 who will be called to medical exams.
“We have retained the same basic exams, which allow us to compare different generations with each other, but the exams are adapted to each cohort to ensure relevancy. In the first medical exam, for example, participants were asked questions about whether they had warm water at home and if they had an indoor water closet or an outhouse. Today, these questions are pointless. Instead, we ask about modern aspects like the use of the internet and smart phones.”
The examinations for H70 are very extensive and expensive. The grant from the Kamprad Family Foundation means that the responsible researchers can begin planning the new inclusion, but they have to wait with specialist examinations, such as using an MRI, which can hopefully be done when more funding is in place.
50th anniversary
It has been 50 years since the H70 studies began, and staff at AgeCap are discussing how to celebrate the anniversary. The center is funded using university-wide funding within the Ugot Challenges initiative, which ends in 2022.
It is clear that research on aging at the University of Gothenburg has attracted a lot of interest and has a large impact on society:
“One example is the report on the senior working population presented to the Minister of Social Security at the end of last year. Researchers at AgeCap conducted 8 of the 23 studies that were included in the report. AgeCap has been a huge success that has led to many new inter-faculty collaborations,” concludes Ingmar Skoog.
BY: ELIN LINDSTRÖM
