Data Collection Sites (DCS)

Of the 50,000 participants who will take part in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), 30,000 individuals will visit a Data Collection Site (DCS) in their local area to undergo in-depth data collection that examines physical, psychological, social and lifestyle factors impacting their health.

Data collection will take place at 11 sites throughout Canada: Vancouver, BC; Surrey, BC; Victoria, BC; Calgary, AB; Winnipeg, MB; Ottawa, ON; Hamilton, ON; Sherbrooke, QC; Montreal, QC; Halifax, NS and St. John's, NL.

Participants will be contacted to take part in at-home interviews and DCS visits.  CLSA interviewers will travel to participants’ homes to obtain consent and conduct face-to-face interviews. Participants will then be asked to visit a DCS where they will move through a series of stations to undergo additional interviews, memory and neuropsychological assessments, vision tests, a hearing test and electrocardiography (ECG). Other measurements, such as blood pressure, carotid artery wall thickness, lung function tests, and measures of strength and physical performance, will also be taken. Each participant will also undergo a DXA analysis to assess bone density and aortic calcification. Blood and urine samples will be collected (with participant consent) in a dedicated lab within the DCS that includes a small area for sample processing, temporary storage and shipment.

For more information about a typical DCS visit click here.

Each DCS will have specially trained CLSA staff including a nurse, medical lab assistants, a phlebotomist, research coordinators and interviewers.

Data collection will occur for 20 years with participants asked to return to the DCS every three years. Participants will also be contacted every 1 ½ years to maintain contact and answer a few additional questions about their health and well-being.