New data from the 45 and Up Study now available

The latest survey data from the 45 and Up Study is now available to researchers and policy makers.

Data from more than 17,000 Australians on the use of aged care services, along with a broad range of insights into health and ageing, has been released from the Wave 4 survey of the 45 and Up Study. This is the fourth major survey of 45 and Up Study participants since the Study commenced in 2005.

“This year we are offering early access to researchers to data collected from the first 17,000 participants to support timely and policy relevant research,” said Sax Institute CEO and Chief Investigator of the 45 and Up Study, Dr Martin McNamara.

The 45 and Up Study is Australia’s largest ongoing study on health and ageing, with 250,000 participants initially recruited. Every five years 45 and Up Study participants are sent a survey of more than 100 questions to identify health and lifestyle changes.

The Wave 4 survey, which is being conducted from 2023 to 2025, has a special focus on transitions to aged care, disability and cognitive decline. Researchers and policymakers are invited to partner with the 45 and Up Study to establish new data platforms to improve understanding of these issues, said Dr McNamara.  

“Given the importance of these topics in Australia, we want to establish long-term collaborations with researchers to strengthen the evidence base and inform changes to policy and practice.”

Tens of thousands more survey responses from Wave 4 will be released in 2025 and 2026 as the survey data is collected. This person-centred data sets the 45 and Up Study apart from other data sources, said Dr McNamara. “We can see how someone’s experience of a disability or condition, or their experience of a service like aged care, affects their wellbeing and quality of life.”

Participants in the 45 and Up Study have consented to have their survey responses linked to a large range of datasets, including Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), hospital administrative data, cancer registries, immunisation data (AIR) and mortality data. Study data are de-identified and protected with high-level security measures and ethics requirements.

Learn more about the Wave 4 survey here.

To find out more about working with the 45 and Up Study, contact Dr Greer Dawson, Deputy Director of Research and Partnerships, at 45andUp.Research@saxinstitute.org.au