Understanding ageing - An evaluation of research designs for assessing the interdependence of ageing-related changes
Understanding ageing - An evaluation of research designs for assessing the interdependence of ageing-related changes
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DOI：
10.1159/000052825
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发表时间：
2001-11-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.5
通讯作者：
Sliwinski, MJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hofer, SM;Sliwinski, MJ
背景资料：对年龄差异很大的样本进行的横断面研究发现，认知和生理能力指标之间存在中度到高度的共同年龄相关差异，这使得研究人员对各种年龄相关现象提出了共同因素或共同因果影响。目的：在发展和老龄化研究中，人口平均随年龄变化对关联横截面估计的影响尚未得到广泛重视。在横断面研究中，年龄相关变量之间的协方差与个体内部变化率之间的相关性的推断高度混淆，因为协方差可能来自许多来源，包括平均人口年龄相关差异（固定年龄效应），以及初始个体差异和老化率的个体差异（随机年龄效应）。狭窄的年龄组样本的分析可以提供一个上级的分析基础，以检验假设之间的关联变化率的横断面研究。结论：不鼓励使用年龄异质性横断面设计来评估与衰老相关的过程的相互依赖性，因为协会不一定反映个人水平的相关变化率。典型的横截面研究并不能提供足够的证据来证明与老龄化有关的变化之间的相互依赖性，因此不应作为老龄化理论和假设的基础。重新分析现有的横断面研究，使用一个连续的窄年龄队列的方法提供了一个有用的替代评估与年龄相关的变化之间的关联。然而，纵向设计提供了一个更强有力的基础，推断之间的关联，在个人的老化率。版权所有（C）2001 S. Karger AG，巴塞尔。
Background: Cross-sectional studies of samples varying widely in age have found moderate to high levels of shared age-related variance among measures of cognitive and physiological capabilities, leading researchers to posit common factors or common causal influences for diverse age-related phenomenon. Objective: The influence of population average changes with age on cross-sectional estimates of association has not been widely appreciated in developmental and ageing research. Covariances among age-related variables in cross-sectional studies are highly confounded in regards to inferences about associations among rates of change within individuals since covariances can result from a number of sources including average population age-related differences (fixed age effects) in addition to initial individual differences and individual differences in rates of ageing (random age effects). Analysis of narrow age-cohort samples may provide a superior analytical basis for testing hypotheses regarding associations between rates of change in cross-sectional studies. Conclusions: The use of age-heterogeneous cross-sectional designs for evaluating interdependence of ageing-related processes is discouraged since associations will not necessarily reflect individual-level correlated rates of change. Typical cross-sectional studies do not provide sufficient evidence for the interdependence of ageing-related changes and should not serve as the basis for theories and hypotheses of ageing. Reanalyzing existing cross-sectional studies using a sequential narrow-age cohort approach provides a useful alternative for evaluating associations between ageing-related changes. Longitudinal designs, however, provide a much stronger basis for inference regarding associations between rates of ageing within individuals. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.