Longitudinal Aging Study Asia (LASI)

The Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) aims to understand the situation of India’s elderly population by collecting data on their health, social situations, and economic circumstances. It will provide a foundation for innovative, rigorous, and multidisciplinary studies of aging in India that will inform policy and advance scientific knowledge. Its goal is to provide data harmonized with the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its sister studies around the world.
A pilot study has been conducted that includes household survey data, Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI) and molecular biomarkers. The results of the pilot study will inform the design of a full-scale, nationally representative LASI, with a sample of roughly 30,000 to be followed longitudinally (with refresher populations added as needed). Due to its harmonized design with parallel international studies, LASI will contribute to scientific insights and policy development in other countries as well. LASI will ultimately be part of a worldwide effort aimed at understanding how different institutions, cultures, and policies can understand and prepare for population ageing.