Cohort Profile: The Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation Study (NorLAG)

Abstract

The Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation Study (NorLAG) was launched in 2002 in order to gain new and updated knowledge on ageing and age-related changes in Norway in the 21st century. With nationwide longitudinal survey data linked to annual data from public registers, NorLAG provides novel opportunities for scholars to study the prevalence, the timing and sequencing, and the causes and consequences of transitions in individual life courses among men and women aged 40 years and older. The longitudinal design enables researchers to not only examine the various phases in the second half of life, but also to explore ageing as a process which may unfold differently across social groups (e.g. gender, socioeconomic position, birth cohort and local context). A central aim of the study is to strengthen the foundation for empirical ageing and welfare research and to be an important tool in creating new knowledge that can feed into policy goals, such as enhancing active ageing and intergenerational solidarity, and reducing social inequalities across the life course. The NorLAG study was initiated by Norwegian Social Research (NOVA). The survey data collections conducted so far have been financed by the Research Council of Norway, four Norwegian Government Ministries, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Norwegian State Housing Bank, Statistics Norway and NOVA. Data from NorLAG are part of the national ACCESS Life Course Infrastructure, funded through the National Financing Initiative for Research Infrastructures at the Research Council of Norway.