The Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Blekinge (SNAC-B)

GENERAL
Year
2001
Country
Sweden
STUDY DETAILS
Waves

Cohort 1:

Baseline: 2001 – 2003
Follow-up 1: 2004 – 2006
Follow-up 2: 2007 – 2009
Follow-up 3: 2010 – 2012
Follow-up 4: 2013 – 2015
Follow-up 5: 2016 – 2018
Follow-up 6: 2019 – 2022

Cohort 2:

Baseline: 2007 – 2009
Follow-up 1: 2010 – 2012
Follow-up 2: 2013 – 2015
Follow-up 3: 2016 – 2018
Follow-up 4: 2019 – 2021

Cohort 3:

Baseline: 2014 – 2015
Follow-up 1: 2016 – 2018
Follow-up 2: 2019 – 2021

SNAC-B – Care System Study:
2001 – ongoing

Sample size

1.817

Number of Participants with Biological Samples: 1.800

Sample population

60-96

Sample residence

60-96

Survey mode

The nurse interview assesses: demographic data, living arrangement, education and current and past occupational history, current and past socioeconomic status and physical functioning with information collected on ADL, IADL, observational tests concerning hand strength, walking speed and balance, use of medical and social facilities, and formal and informal care received and provided.

The self-administered questionnaire includes: social network, leisure activities, nutritional assessment, health related life quality (Short Form 12 Health Survey), Neugarten Life Satisfaction Index, well-being assessed by PANAS, and Ware´s Health Perceptions Questionnaire, life habits including alcohol, drug and smoking consumption and experience of oral health and dentistry.

The psychological test battery assesses five major cognitive domains: episodic memory, mental tempo, executive functioning, spatial function and semantic memory.

Family and past clinical history was assessed. Moreover, there was geriatric examination (general status, heart with ECG and lung function, blood pressure measurements, and symptoms including pain), neurological examination (episodic and semantic memory, language, abstract thinking, dementia severity according to the Clinical Dementia Rating scale), psychiatric examination (Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale and Neuropsychiatric Inventory), laboratory tests for all subjects, and diagnostic conclusions according to standardized criteria.

In SNAC-B each participant is doing a dental survey, the dental examination contains OPG x-rays, photos taken on the teeth, and an exhalation test is done. We look at pocket depths, bleeding and caries.

The dental hygienist takes samples such as saliva and bacterial samples.

SNAC-B Care System Study

Data were collected each year in the spring. All contacts between older persons and tl care and out-patient care can be obtained through the county council administrative registers. Municipality registers provide data on personal income and co-payment for care services.

During 2012, the problem area of ​​pain has been updated and an in-depth analysis was conducted on the specific housing. In addition, a new instrument, QUALID, was introduced for measuring quality of life.

Longitudinal or cross-section study

Longitudinal

Data sources

Questionnaires, cognitive measures, physical measures, biosamples: Blood, Urine, Saliva, Bacteria samples
Administrative databases: Health databases

Biomarkers, lifestyle, and medical history over the life course; physical status and mental health status.

Main topics

Influence of life-time environmental and biological factors on aging process, identification of preventive strategies

Goals

SNAC-B is a longitudinal study on the influence of life-time environmental and biological factors on medical, psychological, and social health in late adulthood. It aims to increase the understanding of the aging process and to identify possible preventive strategies to improve the health and the care of older adults.

Scientific domain

Social Science, Medicine, Psychology

Age studies subcategories
Age Study (60+)
INSTITUTION
Institution

Blekinge Institute of Technology

Department of Health (TIHA)

Contact

Johan Sanmartin Berglund
Professor, PI of SNAC-B
Department of Health
Blekinge Institute of Technology
Tel: +46 455 385471
johan.sanmartin.berglund@bth.se

LINKS / PUBLICATIONS
Links

https://www.bth.se/forskning/forskningsomraden/manniska-halsa-och-teknik/snac-b/

Publications

Lagergren M, Fratiglioni L, Hallberg IR et al., A longitudinal study integrating population, care and social services data. The Swedish National study on Aging and Care (SNAC). Aging Clin Exp Res. 2004 Apr;16(2):158-68.