The CLESA project: cross-national study of the determinants of quality of life and health services for the elderly

Marianna Noale, Università di Padova
Nadia Minicuci, Università di Padova
Carola Bardage, Karolinska Institutet
Tzvia Blumstein, The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center
Dorly J. H. Deeg, Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine
Jacob Gindin
Marja Jylha, University of Tampere
Suvi Nikula, University of Tampere
Angel Otero, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
Nancy L. Pedersen, Karolinska Institutet
Saskia M.F. Pluijm, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Maria V. Zunzunegui, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
Stefania Maggi, Università di Padova

The CLESA project is a 3-year project supported by the European Community within the V Framework Program. The project aimed to the identification of the determinants of quality of life and health services among elderly residing in Tampere (Finland), Israel, Italy, The Netherlands, Leganés (Spain) and Sweden. The CLESA project provides quantitative data on the relationship between demographic, behavioural, and health factors with the risk of impaired functioning and death across countries. The inclusion of Northern and Southern countries allows to assess the impact of differences in these factors on the health status of older people. The aim of this poster is to describe the methodology developed to harmonize variables from six existing longitudinal studies on aging. Common Databases created during the harmonization process, with 11,557 subjects aged 65-89, will be described. Some descriptive analyses of selected variables across countries will be also presented.