Comprehensive Physiology Wiley Online Library

Design and Analysis of Aging Studies

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Abstract

The sections in this article are:

1 Stability and Change in Mean Levels
1.1 Cross‐Sectional Designs
1.2 Longitudinal Designs
1.3 Cross‐Sequential Designs
1.4 Demonstrating Stability of Mean Levels
1.5 Elaborations of the Basic Design
1.6 Representativeness and Attrition in Longitudinal Studies
1.7 Screening for Clinical Conditions
2 Stability and Change in Individual Differences
2.1 Potential Problems in the Measurement of Rank‐Order Stability
3 Advanced Topics in Design and Analysis of Aging Studies
3.1 Changes in Variance and in Structure
3.2 Biomarkers and Functional Age: Flawed Concepts
3.3 Growth Curves and Age Changes
3.4 Survival Analysis and the Identification of Risk Factors
3.5 Correlates of Change
3.6 Causal Inferences from Observational Data
4 Some Considerations for the Design of Longitudinal Studies
4.1 Combining Cross‐Sectional and Longitudinal Designs
4.2 Combining Hypothesis‐Driven and Exploratory Research
4.3 Creative Exploitation of the Data
Figure 1. Figure 1.

Illustration of alternative designs for the examination of mean level stability or change.



Figure 1.

Illustration of alternative designs for the examination of mean level stability or change.

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How to Cite

Paul T. Costa, Robert R. McCrae. Design and Analysis of Aging Studies. Compr Physiol 2011, Supplement 28: Handbook of Physiology, Aging: 25-36. First published in print 1995. doi: 10.1002/cphy.cp110102