Researchers’ Page | Lebanon Study on Aging and HeAlth

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Study design and methods

LSAHA is a representative, longitudinal study that will follow approximately 3000 individuals aged ≥ 60 years old for at least two years. In a baseline survey, the study will collect information on the mental, physical, and cognitive health of older adults. It will also look at caregiver needs and arrangements, and other health, economic and social domains relevant to understanding the challenges of population aging in Lebanon. The baseline survey is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health in the United States (R01AG069016).

Sampling and Screening Methods

This study employs a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling approach. Using GIS mapping, municipalities in Zahle and Beirut were divided into sectors based on Level 3 administrative layers. Population estimates for each municipality were recorded with municipal support. The area was then segmented into grids of at least 700 individuals, with 100 grids (max 200x200m each) randomly selected using probability proportional to size (PPS). This ensures a representative sample of the target population.

More about LSAHA & the

GLOBAL NETWORK OF HARMONIZED AGING STUDIES

01. Global Network

LSAHA is part of a growing worldwide network of harmonized studies modeled after the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the largest longitudinal study of people over 50 in the U.S.

02. Harmonization & Collaboration:

While independent, LSAHA has benefited from consultations with HRS researchers during its planning and design stages.

03. Comparability & Insights

Harmonizing LSAHA with sister studies enables cross-country comparisons, helping identify causal relationships that wouldn’t be possible from a single-country study.