First and foremost, we would like to extend our warmest thanks to all participants – your contribution is central for advancing the knowledge about the living conditions of older people in Sweden.
In 2026, we plan to carry out the seventh wave of the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD). On this page, you as a participant, along with your family members, can learn more about the study.
Photographers: Ian Gadelius, Linn Fryk, Sara Eng
What is SWEOLD?
SWEOLD is an ongoing, nationally representative survey of the Swedish population aged 77 and older. It is used to study the living conditions of older adults in Sweden and highlight issues concerning this group. The interviews cover topics that are important in life, such as health, activities, family situation, social life, financial resources, and need for healthcare and social care.
Why should you participate?
The older population constitutes a significant part of society. It is a heterogeneous group of individuals, with varying living conditions and life stories. To get an accurate picture of the living conditions and how they change over time, we need to conduct interviews with people in this age group. Without interviews with different individuals, we cannot fully understand people’s living conditions and health, or how these change.
The knowledge we gain from this study is important because it helps us base our understanding of society on facts. The more people who take part, the better our knowledge of society becomes! Our results are shared in the media, and used by interest groups, government agencies, and policymakers. The picture of the older population in Sweden that the study provides will also be valuable for future generations. By taking part, you are making a meaningful contribution!
Why is the study repeated?
Our living conditions are constantly changing. The composition of older people as a group also changes over time. Older birth cohorts pass away while younger birth cohorts, who lived their lives under different conditions, reach older age. To answer questions about living conditions for older people as a group, new surveys need to be conducted regularly. By following people over time, we can also study how earlier living conditions affect conditions later in life.
Are earlier living conditions related to current health, social relationships and/or physical and cognitive abilities? Questions like this can be answered through repeated study of the same people. We also make sure to include additional samples in each survey so that it always remains representative of Sweden’s population.
What do we ask about?
The questions are straightforward and concern things that are important in life, such as health, care and support, activities and social contacts, how daily life is managed, and what kind of help people receive. We ask the same questions at every interview so that we can study changes over time by comparing answers to the same questions at different time points. At each round of data collection, we also include questions about current issues. For example, in the 2021 interviews we asked about how daily life was affected during the pandemic. Each interview also includes a short cognitive test. You can always choose not to answer a particular question if you prefer.
Sample Selection
To accurately portray the living conditions of the older population in Sweden without interviewing everyone in Sweden over a certain age, we use a statistical sample. This sample, which works like a miniature version of Sweden, is designed so that each participant represents a certain number of people in the population. That is why your participation is so important—you can never be replaced! Each answer matters, whether you are healthy or ill, living alone or with someone, in a city or in the countryside.
How does the interview work?
The interviews are conducted by experienced interviewers who follow important ethical guidelines and employ strict confidentiality. The interviews are carried out either by phone, in your home, or in a public place – the choice is yours! You can also choose to answer the questions through an electronic form or a paper questionnaire sent to your home.
Why were you selected to participate?
There are two possible reasons you have been selected: either you have previously taken part in the Level of Living Survey and/or SWEOLD, or you are part of a supplementary sample. No matter which sample you belong to, your participation is important for providing a representative picture of the living conditions in Sweden.
If you cannot participate
It is important that all voices in society are heard. If someone who we want to interview has auditory impairments, dementia or might be unable to participate in the interview for other reasons, we will together with the interviewee organise for a relative or a carer to complete a so called indirect interview. This means that we will interview someone who is close to this individual and can answer the interview questions in their place.
What do the results show?
The results from these surveys have been presented in numerous books and scientific papers. They have also been used in public inquires and reports. A list of scientific publications can be found under the publications tab on this website.
Contact
Those who work with this study are employed at Aging Research Center, a research institute connected to Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University. The project is led by Carin Lennartsson, Stefan Fors, Josephine Heap and Robin Ramos Serrano.
If you have any questions or concerns about SWEOLD or the interview, you are welcome to contact us at info@sweold.se or through one of the contact options listed in the contact tab!