Evergreen Project

The purpose of this project is to describe changes in health and functioning among older people. Living conditions and life-style are studied as predictors of health, functioning, need of care and mortality. This multidisciplinary study includes several prospective arms. In 1988 a random sample of people aged 65-84 years were interviewed in their homes. Follow up interviews for them were conducted in 1996 and 2004. During the same years 65-69 year old people were interviewed to capture cohort changes in aging. In 1989 all men born before 1924 and every other woman living in nursing home were interviewed. In 1989 all 75-year-old and 1990 all 80-year-old residents of Jyväskylä were studied in the laboratory with extensive functional testing and clinical examinations. The 75-year-old people were followed up after 5, 10 and 15 years and the 80-year-olds after 5 and 10 years. In addition, register-based data on hospital and long-term care is being updated until the entire cohort becomes extinct. Altogether, 2500 have participated in these studies.

Types General population-based cohort
Participant Types No diagnosis
Countries Finland
Genders Male and Female
Sample sizes 0 to 4,999
Ages 60 to 100
Brain related measures
Funtional rating Individual physiological|Individual psychological
Anthropometric Blood pressure|Height|Waist circumference|Weight
Physical Cardiovascular|Hearing and Vision|Musculoskeletal|Respiratory
Biological samples Blood
Genotyping
Brain imaging
Brain banking
Lifestyle Alcohol|Dietary habits|Physical activity|Smoking
Socio-economic Education|Ethnic group|Family circumstances|Housing and accommodation|Income and finances|Marital status
Health service utilisation Formal health and social care service utilisation including private care
Institute names The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, The Ministry of Education, Academy of Finland, City of Jyväskylä, The Association of Finnish Lions Clubs, University of Jyväskylä
Current Sample Sizes 0 to 4,999

age at recruitment 65-94
last updated
recruitment period 1988-1990
estimated current sample size number value
cohort acronym
start date 1988-1990
pi Emeritus Prof Eino HeIkkinen (1988-2004),Professor Taina Rantanen and Professor Sarianna Sipilä
website http://www.gerec.fi/en/research/health-functioning-and-longevity/evergreen-project
contact details
abstract  The purpose of this project is to describe changes in health and functioning among older residents of Jyväskylä. The Evergreen Project had 2,500 participants.
funders  Gerontology Research Center
University of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä
Finland
contact email PI Email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
contact phone number 
estimated current sample size
sample sizes 2500