The older the better: are elderly study participants more non-representative? A cross-sectional analysis of clinical trial and observational study samples.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Study participants can differ from the target population they are taken to represent. We sought to investigate whether older age magnifies such differences, examining age-trends, among study participants, in self-rated level of activity compared to others of the same age.

Design

Cross-sectional examination of the relation of participant age to reported 'relative activity' (ie, compared to others of the same age), a bidirectionally correlated proxy for relative vitality, in exemplars of randomised and observational studies.

Setting

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) PARTICIPANTS: 2404 adults aged 40-79 including employees of UCSD, and their partners (San Diego Population Study, observational study). 1016 adults (aged 20-85) not on lipid medications

SUBMITTER: Golomb BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3533104 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature