Cohort Profile: The Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS)

Abstract

The Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) was designed to prospectively evaluate the impact of disease on the health, function and mortality of adults over the age of 50 in both urban and rural areas of Mexico. The overall goal of the study is to examine the ageing process and its disease and disability burden in a large representative panel of older Mexicans, using a wide socioeconomic perspective. The study protocols and survey instruments are highly comparable to the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS).The MHAS 2001 baseline is a nationally and urban-rural representative survey of individuals born in 1951 or earlier. Three waves of data have been collected so far: baseline in 2001 and follow-ups in 2003 and 2012. In 2012, the study added a representative sample of the population from the 1952-62 birth cohorts. A fourth wave will be collected in 2015.The data files and documentation are available free of charge at the study website [www.MHASweb.org] in English and [www.ENASEM.org] in Spanish.

Validity of knee-estimated height to assess standing height in older adults: A secondary longitudinal analysis of the Mexican health and aging study

“…The main flaw of our study is the sampling method used to choose sub-sample of anthropometry in the different waves, resulting in a lower number of older adults with complete follow-up of measurements (14, 15). Nevertheless, this also could be taken as strength; the fact of having a cohort of over one hundred older adults with SH measurements eleven years apart was the basis of this validation.…”

“…Complete methods and objectives are available elsewhere (14, 15). Regarding this report, 50-years or older adults with measurement of SH and KeH in the baseline wave and in the third one were analyzed.…”

“…Regarding this report, 50-years or older adults with measurement of SH and KeH in the baseline wave and in the third one were analyzed. Baseline assessment included 15,402 subjects and a representative probabilistic sub-sample for anthropometric measurements was drawn (n=1,905) (14, 15). From this sub-sample only 1,320 were 50-years or older, and from these subjects, only 158 had also complete anthropometric measurements in 2012 follow-up.…”

Alzheimer's disease research in Ibero America

“…Another study, Estudio Nacional de Salud y Envejecimiento en M exico (ENASEM), also known as the Mexican Health and Aging Study [3], is supported by the National Institute on Aging in the United States. A collaborative effort among U.S.-based researchers and the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Geografia e Inform atica in Mexico, ENASEM was the first population-based national representative aging study in Mexico.…”

“…The current incidence of dementia in Mexico is estimated at 860,000 based on the average 25.55 per 1000 persons/ year identified individuals. This number is expected to reach .3.5 million individuals living with dementia in Mexico, without a way to stop or slow the progression [2][3][4][5]. According to ADI, countries of Latin America are projected to see among the largest increases in dementia prevalence over the next 35 years, increasing by .400% in Mexico, Brazil, the Andean Area, and Central America between 2010 and 2050 [4].…”