LifeLines

    Characteristic

    Description

     

           Name of the cohort 
     

    LifeLines

           Description / aim of the cohort 

    Lifelines is a multi-generational cohort study which examines the aging process of a large population in the Northern region of the Netherlands. Lifelines aims to achieve healthy aging by making research to the aging process possible.

     

           Description of the cohort population (age, specific characteristics, e.g. adults with cardiovascular disease, low SEP) 

    Northern population of the Netherlands

    - 15,000 children (aged 0-18 years)

    - 140,000 adults (aged 18-65 years)

    - 12,000 elderly (aged 65+ years)

     

    There were no specific inclusion criteria for Lifelines.

     

           Location of the cohort

    Northern Netherlands

     

           Institution

    Lifelines

     

           Cohort size (n)

    167.000 at baseline

     

           Start year of the cohort

    2006

     

           Follow-up (years and n)

    Every 5 years: body material Every 1,5 years: questionnaires

     

           Types of variables (e.g., health behaviours, psychosocial factors, clinical health outcomes, demographic characteristics)

           Measurement methods (e.g., questionnaires, clinical assessments, biosamples)

    Combination of data via questionnairs, measurements (blood pressure, heart monitoring, etc) and biosamples collection : Urine, Hair and Blood, questionnaires,

     

    Variables were organized per theme

              Demographics

              Diseases & symptoms

              Elderly(variables that were collected in 65+ year old participants)

              Family health

              Lifestyle & environment

              Medical treatment

              Mental health

              Nutrition

              Physical state

              Reproduction & development

              Wellbeing & subjective health

              Secondary & linked variables

     

    For full overview of variables see:

    http://wikilifelines.web.rug.nl/doku.php?id=sections

     

           Oral health variables (questionnaire/self-reported)

    Diseases & Symptoms Oral cavity symptoms:

              do you have loose teeth and/or molars

              at night / do you suffer from a dry mouth?

              do your gums bleed when you brush your teeth?

              do you have loose teeth and/or molars?

              to what extent did you suffer from pain in your teeth or molars in the past 7 days?

              have you been diagnosed with periodontitis by your/a dentist?

              if so, how old were you when you were diagnosed with periodontitis?

     

    Medical treatment Dentistry:

              do you have supplementary insurance for dental treatments such as check-ups, fill cavities etc. (excluding dental braces)?

              in the past 12 months, have you postponed a check-up appointment with the dentist/dental hygienist because of the expected costs?

              in the past 12 months, have you postponed a dental treatment because of the expected costs?

              how often do you go to the dentist?

              dentist or oral hygienist / please fill in which of the health providers listed below you have contacted in the past 12 months

              Have you undergone the following treatments once or more in the past 12 months? (dental check, x-ray photo, removal of dental calculus (tartar), fluoride varnish, plastic dental sealant, filling, crown, bridge, implant, root canal treatment, gum treatment, pulling a wisdom tooth, pulling a molar or tooth (other than wisdom tooth), repairment of (partial) dentures, new (partial) dentures, braces, none of the above

     

    Physical state teeth:

              how often do you brush your teeth? (only baseline)

              some people never brush their teeth, other people often. how often do you brush your teeth?

              in your upper jaw, do you have natural teeth/molars or dentures?

              in your lower jaw, do you have natural teeth/molars or dentures?

              do you have your own teeth? (only baseline)

              how many natural teeth and/or molars do you have?

              how many main meals do you use per day (breakfast. lunch, dinner)?

              in the morning / how often do you eat/drink/snack outside of your main meals on a regular weekday?

              in the afternoon / how often do you eat/drink/snack outside of your main meals on a regular weekday?

              In the evening / how often do you eat/drink/snack outside of your main meals on a regular weekday?

              at night / how often do you eat/drink/snack outside of your main meals on a regular weekday?

     

           Oral health variables (clinically assessed)

    None, via linkage opportunities: Lifelines linkage with external sources | Lifelines Biobank

     

           Oral health variables (biological, e.g., microbiome data, saliva)

    Microbiome via Throat swabs (DAG3)

           Reference to design paper

    Stolk et al. 2008

    Cohort Profile, artikel Scholtens et al, 2015.

    Updated cohort profile, Sijtsma et al, 2021

     

           Website

    http://lifelines-biobank.com

    https://data-catalogue.lifelines.nl/@molgenis-experimental/molgenis-app-lifelines-webshop/dist/index.html#/shop/

     

           Procedure for requesting data

    Through online catalogus

     

           Procedure for data storage

    Datamanagmentplan can be requested at Lifelines

     

           Associated costs for data requests (yes/no)

    Yes

           Contact person / principal investigator

    research@lifelines.nl

    data@lifelines.nl