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For Participants

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Participants:
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The method used to select participants
was designed to ensure that the sample would be representative of the Northern Ireland population aged 50 years and over

Over 400,000 addresses were initially identified as having a household member aged 50 years or above. From these addresses, a smaller random sample, based on over 14,000 addresses, was selected to provide an overall representation of the Northern Ireland population. 
 
Selected addresses were visited by an interviewer from Ipsos MORI (a market research company in Northern Ireland who were contracted by QUB to carry out the home interviews). All persons aged 50 years or over (and their spouses/partners of any age) were canvassed to participate in the survey. 

 A nationally representative sample of over 8,500 adults, aged 50 years and over and resident in Northern Ireland, were selected using this population sift.

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There are four aspects to the NICOLA Fieldwork
Each interview takes place approximately every 2 years and a health assessment approximately every 4 years
  • Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI)

    NICOLA participants are asked to take part in a computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) with a researcher from the Ipsos MORI team. These interviews are conducted in the participants home.  Detailed information on all aspects of the respondents’ lives is collected within the CAPI, including the economic dimension (pensions, employment, living standards), health aspects (physical, mental, healthcare utilisation, service needs and usage) and the social domain (contact with friends and kin, formal and informal care, social participation and social connectedness).

  • Self Completion Questionnaire (SCQ)

    Each participant is also asked to complete and return a questionnaire designed to explore certain areas of their life that were considered particularly sensitive for respondents to answer directly to an interviewer (e.g. relationship quality, loneliness, stressful and traumatic life events, worry and alcohol intake).

  • Health Assessment

    Following completion of the home interview each participant is invited to take part in a comprehensive Health Assessment in the Clinical Research Facility located in the Belfast City Hospital. Participants who were unable / unwilling to attend the Clinical Research Facility were offered a modified and partial assessment in their own home. All health assessments were carried out by qualified and trained research nurses. The health assessment included a range of measurements including height, weight, blood pressure, cognitive test, cardiovascular test, gait and balance tests and vision measurements.  Blood and urine samples are also obtained as part of the health assessment.

  • Dietary Questionnaire

    Following completion of the health assessment, participants are asked to complete a dietary questionnaire that will assess their food and drink intake over the previous 12 month period.

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Home Interview
Participants will complete a computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) in their own homes.

The interviewers for Wave 1 and Wave 2 of NICOLA are from the market research company Ipsos MORI which is based in Northern Ireland.   

Detailed information on many aspects of the participants life will be collected in the CAPI including the socioeconomic aspect (education, employment, living standards, pension, assets), health aspects (physical health, health behaviours, healthcare utilisation, medications) and the social domain (social participation, contact with friends and kin). 

Participants information is collected on a laptop. Initial access to the interview questions is controlled by a login and password. All interview data entered onto the laptop is automatically encrypted which means it is meaningless to any unauthorised person. Separate databases are later utilised to remove any personal identifiable data (names and addresses) from the answers to the questions.

Why does NICOLA ask for Financial Information

It is very important for the NICOLA study to assess peoples' standard of living and what they can afford as they get older. It enables us to provide an overall picture about participant circumstances and how that may impact on other areas of their life. We understand that people may find such questions highly sensitive and confidential.  However, all information provided is anonymised (stripped from any identifying factors), strictly confidential and only used for research purposes. It will not be analysed in a way that identifies an individual.

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The NICOLA Health Assessment
takes place in the Northern Ireland Clinical Research Facility based at the Belfast City Hospital

The health assessment is designed to help medical professionals and other health and social care professionals understand the processes of ageing and its effect on bodily systems.

Although you may recently have had a check up with your doctor or feel that you are healthy, the health assessment simply allows researchers working on NICOLA to collect clinical measurements and monitor changes in your physical health over the years of your involvement in NICOLA. If we discover some health issue that would require you to visit your GP for a consultation, for example high blood glucose levels we will inform you.

What Happens During the Health Assessment?

Your health assessment appointment will take approximately 2 hours. A fully trained NICOLA nurse or NICOLA Research Assistant will ask you questions and seek your permission to take a variety of measurements and samples. These measurements include:

  • Blood Pressure
  • Lung Function
  • Memory and thinking test
  • Upper and lower body strength
  • Faecal sample
  • Height and weight
  • Waist and hip measurement
  • Body fat and muscle measurements
  • Eye examination
  • Urine sample
  • Blood sample

Participation in the Health Assessment is entirely voluntary.  If you feel uncomfortable with any measure or question you can decline that specific test.

All information you provide is kept entirely confidential and completely anonymised. Additional information regarding the data security and removal of personal details can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section and is also detailed in the NICOLA Privacy Notice.

Feedback following participation in the Health Assessment has been very positive to date.

Travel and Expenses for Attending the Health Assessment

You can claim back travel expenses for your attendance by completing a simple claim form following the assessments (include receipts as necessary). The nurse can help you with this.

For those travelling by car and parking in the City Hospital car park, a pre-paid car parking ticket will be given to you upon your departure.

Additional information on the specific measures and samples taken during the health assessment can be found in the Participant Information Leaflet for the Health Assessment.

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