Transitions and Old Age Potential - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wave

NCT07301112 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: ZA6597V4
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 5,002
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

With the third wave of the Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP) study, the longitudinal study of initially 5,002 individuals was completed in 2019. Initial findings were published in 2020 through a brochure, policy brief, and methodological report, and presented publicly. The third wave produced two datasets: a panel of 1,561 individuals surveyed across all three waves (2013, 2015/16, 2019) and a couple datasets with 576 complete interviews. Additional data sources such as DEAS, FWS, and SHARE complement the analyses. In 2021, efforts centered on preparing scientific articles for peer-reviewed journals and archiving the third wave at GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, concluding the study that ran from 2011 to 2021. For further information, see: https://search.gesis.org/research\_data/ZA6597 and https://doi.org/10.4232/1.13845

Conditions

Retirement; Healthy Adults; Elderly

Keywords

longitudinal; cohort study

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Loneliness

  Loneliness was assessed at T3 using three items from the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-Loneliness Scale) in its short form, based on four-point Likert scales. The loneliness index was calculated as the mean value of the three items with higher means indicating greater loneliness/worse outcome: (0 =never-3=often)

  year 2019

• Retirement

  Retirement was assessed at T1 by asking participants whether they received a pension or not, with responses transformed into a binary pension/retirement variable (1=yes, 2=no).

  years 2013, 2015/2016 and 2019

• Physical Activity (PA)

  PA was determined by asking participants how often (\<1, 1-2, 3-4, 5+ times per week) they were physically active for more than 30 minutes at T1, T2, and T3.

  years 2013, 2015/2016 and 2019

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 55 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The survey is based on a representative sample of 5,002 individuals from the German-speaking residential population, aged between 55 and 70 years (birth cohorts 1942 to 1958). The study focuses on the life plans and potentials of older adults in the labor market, civil society, and family, as well as their transitions into retirement. In spring 2013, a 40-minute telephone interview was conducted using a standardized survey instrument. It included measures in the following areas: sociodemographics, employment and retirement transitions, informal work in civil society and family, perceptions of aging, health and well-being, and personality. In 2015/2016, participants from the first wave who were willing to be re-interviewed were surveyed again. In total, 2,501 interviews were completed at T2

You may qualify if:

• aged 55-70
• telephone
• german language

You may not qualify if:

• illiterate
• no consent

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Federal Institute for Population Research (BIB): collaborator
• German Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI): collaborator
• Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH: lead

Related Publications (1)

• https://doi.org/10.4232/1.13845

  BACKGROUND

Related Links

• study description and further links
• study description and further references

Study Officials

• Sonia Lippke

  04212004730

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Head of Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine Unit

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 18, 2025
• First Posted: December 24, 2025
• Study Start: January 16, 2013
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2019
• Study Completion: December 15, 2019
• Last Updated: December 24, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share