Longitudinal Study of Health and Ageing in Kenya
Mission of the project
The number of older adults in Kenya is growing rapidly and this trend will continue over the coming decades. The Longitudinal Study of Health and Ageing in Kenya (LOSHAK) aims to collect and disseminate national data to characterize and respond to economic and health-related challenges associated with an ageing population. Through informing public health and policy, LOSHAK aims to improve health, economic circumstances, and wellbeing, while serving as a model for studying population ageing in Sub-Saharan Africa.
LOSHAK is a joint collaboration between the Department of Population Health at Aga Khan University, Kenya and the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at University of Michigan, USA. It is modeled on the U.S.- based Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its measures are harmonized with the HRS its family of studies in more than 45 countries across the globe.
With support from the National Institute on Aging (R21AG077042), LOSHAK is a population-based longitudinal survey that plans to survey adults over the age of 45 Kenya. In the current feasibility work that is underway, we are assessing survey measures and data collection protocols focused on the following key thematic areas:
Health - Cognition, Sensory measures, Biomarkers, Physiological measures such as Blood Pressure
Economic - Income, Retirement, Cash Transfers
Psychosocial - Depression, Loneliness, Life-satisfaction, Ill Treatment
Environment - Air pollution monitoring, Climate vulnerability, Food and Water Insecurity
Caregiving - Positive impact and burden of caregiving
A recent feature on LOSHAK by the Institute for Social Research was presented in "Michigan News", University of Michigan's official news website.
Contact Us
Department of Population Health
Aga Khan University
3rd parklands Avenue, Off Limuru Road
Nairobi 30270, Kenya
Institute for Social Research (ISR)
University of Michigan
426 Thompson St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA