The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) is a large, national, long-term study of more than 50,000 individuals who were between the ages of 45 and 85 when recruited. These participants will be followed until 2033 or death. The aim of the CLSA is to find ways to help us live long and live well, and understand why some people age in healthy fashion while others do not.
In response to coronavirus, the CLSA has developed three sub-studies to explore the impacts of SARS-CoV-2.
Launched April 15, 2020, the CLSA COVID-19 Questionnaire Study collected data from 28,559 CLSA participants on a weekly/biweekly and monthly basis to understand the epidemiology of COVID-19 among older adults living in Canada. This data includes information on COVID-19 symptoms and status, risk factors, healthcare use, health behaviours, psychosocial and economic consequence of the pandemic. Data from the CLSA COVID-19 Questionnaire Study are now available for access by approved researchers. Learn more about the COVID-19 Questionnaire Study.
In fall 2020, a partnership with the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force launched the CLSA COVID-19 Antibody Study. This study collects and analyzes blood samples from more than 19,000 CLSA participants in 10 provinces to better understand how widespread SARS-CoV-2 infection is among adults over age 50.
A third study, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Weston Brain Institute, will be launched in 2021 to examine the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 on brain health.
Learn more about CLSA data collection and questionnaires.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Questionnaire Study Data Dashboard.
Learn more about accessing CLSA data.