SWEOLD - Swedish panel study of living conditions of the oldest old

SWEOLD is a nationally representative survey of the older population in Sweden. The sample consists of individuals previously included in the selection of Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU), who have passed the LNU age ceiling of 75 years. The first survey was carried out in 1992. Further waves were conducted in 2002, 2004, 2010, 2014 and 2021. In 2004 and 2014, the survey included people who were aged 70 and older. In 2021 we had three additional samples; one national sample to ensure the survey continues to be nationally representative, one for Dalarna and one for Stockholm. SWEOLD data is linked to the LNU, that has been conducted regularly since 1968. This longitudinal database thus provides the opportunity to follow individuals over a 50-year period. In addition to the panel sample, SWEOLD also comprises an additional representative sample of older women and men. As each wave of LNU and SWEOLD is nationally representative, the data can also be used for cross-sectional analyses. The questionnaire covers a wide variety of areas of concern to elderly people, such as mobility and activities of daily living (ADL and IADL), as well as health, housing, economy, family, political resources and leisure activities. Various tests are included to measure the physical and cognitive ability of these individuals. Indirect interviews are used when a respondent is unable to participate in the interview directly due to physical or cognitive disabilities. Next of kin or professional caregivers are used as proxies. The questionnaires are in Swedish and show the exact phrasing and response categories for each question. The codebooks, written in English, contain information on SWEOLD’s survey design, sample, response rate and the fieldwork. For each question/variable, there is information on variable construction, frequencies and standard deviations, as well as a reference to corresponding/comparable variables in previous data waves (including Levnadsnivåundersökningen).