488 - Policy and Research Workshop. The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study: Over 50 Years of Social Data Combined with Genetic and Microbiome Data

Session Submission Type: Workshop

Abstract

The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study is a panel study covering nearly sixty years, making it an excellent data source for researchers interested in linking early-life factors to later-life outcomes. The study is a sample of one in three Wisconsin high school graduates, and a selected sibling, from the class of 1957. WLS is unique among social scientific resources for the length with which it has followed a large population-based cohort sample and the inclusion of siblings. The most recent round of
data was collected between March of 2010 and December of 2012. The
data cover nearly every aspect of the participants’ lives from early life socioeconomic background, schooling, family and work to health, social participation, civic engagement, well-being, and cognition. The study also has a wealth of unique data including examples such as administrative IQ scores from high school, information collected from high school yearbooks that include measures of attractiveness, proxy measures for obesity, anthropometric and functioning, and complete lists of student activities for all respondents. Currently, the survey data can be merged with genetic data on ~90 SNPs. Shortly GWAS data will be available. We collected ~300 stool samples from the graduate and sibling participants and ~100 samples from their spouses. We are using these samples to measure participants’ gut microbiome. Administrative data include Medicare records, Social Security records, and resource data on primary and secondary schools attended by participants. This workshop will introduce the study to researchers and attendees will be provided with a USB containing the data.

Sub Unit

• Research/Policy Workshop

Session Organizer

• Carol Lynn Roan, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Leader

• Huey-Chi Vicky Chang, University of Wisconsin-Madison