SIMPLER

Data and samples to use in reserach.

For Participants

Information to participants; only in Swedish.

For the Public

If you are interested in the outcomes from the research on the cohorts in SIMPLER; only in Swedish.

Swedish Infrastructure for Medical Population-based Life-course and Environmental Research – SIMPLER

SIMPLER is an infrastructure with the purpose of providing national and international researchers with data for research about dietary and lifestyle factors as well as genetics, and how they affect our health, particularly in the latter part of life. The data in the SIMPLER database is collected from samples and questionnaire responses from two cohorts which form the basis of SIMPLER.

SIMPLER's smorgasbord of data and samples are made available for research projects via an application process. Criteria for use of SIMPLER data include an ethical approval from the Swedish Ethical Review Board and clear and relevant research questions. Researchers in academia as well as in the business sector are welcome to apply for a project in SIMPLER.

News within SIMPLER

New SIMPLER Publication

Metabolic Biomarker Profiling Nightingale Health

In 2023, blood samples from the clinical cohorts have been analysed by Nightingale Health, Finland. Data for approx. 250 metabolites using NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) is now available.

The Clinical Subcohort Uppsala 20 years

In November, we celebrated 20 years since the first visit of the first participant in the clinical subcohort SMC Uppsala. We marked the occasion with cake! Since November 2003, return visits have been made by approx. 1,800 of the first approx. 5,000 participants, and during the autumn we have started to invite participants back for a third visit.

Continued Funding from the Swedish Research Council

On 3 February 2022, the Swedish Research Council's Council for Research Infrastructures (RFI) decided to continue funding SIMPLER between 2023 and 2028.

Partners

Swedish National Infrastructures

Some Swedish national infrastructures financed by the Swedish Research Council with resources that may be of interest:

Comparative Research Center Sweden, CORS

CORS is a national research infrastructure consortium that incorporates the largest, most influential and most widely used, international and national survey programs in Sweden. These are the European Social Survey (ESS), European Values Study (EVS), International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and the Swedish National Election Studies (SNES). The Swedish Citizen Panel (SCP) at the SOM Institute is also part of CORS. SCP is a research driven webpanel that offers ways of conducting various methodological experiments as well as following individuals or groups over time. The aim of CORS is to enable class-leading comparative survey research, and to contribute to improved policymaking and democratic debate in Sweden.

The National E-infrastructure for Aging Research, NEAR

NEAR promotes and supports aging research by facilitating the use of longitudinal population-based data from various well-known Swedish studies on aging and health. It is based on a collaboration among eight Swedish universities and includes 17 databases linked to registers. Additionally, NEAR collaborates with other national infrastructures such as SIMPLER and CORS. NEAR’s mission is to enable high-quality aging research by providing big health data while maintaining the same quality and richness as in single population-based studies. Moreover, NEAR aims to increase national and international exchange and collaboration and enhance the quality and generalizability of aging research results. NEAR provides a broad range of biomedical, clinical, social, and psychological health data from over 180,000 older adults followed for more than
50 years.

Relations, Work and Health across the life-course – A Research Data Infrastructure, REWHARD

Swedish Twin Registry

The Swedish Twin Registry (STR) is a national database that collects, stores and shares data on twins for the purpose of research. Project applications are reviewed and approved by STR's expert group. It is possible for researchers to obtain addresses to contact twins themselves or add questions to our ongoing surveys after approval.
The data collection started in the 60s and currently includes 135,000 twins. All twins born in Sweden are invited at the age of <1, 9, 15, 18
and 24. Parents and/or the twins answer online questionnaires and provide DNA samples (the twins). Follow-ups then take place repeatedly during aging.
Data includes zygosity, survey data, measurement of physical activity, genotypes, biomarkers, DNA and serum. Metadata is available at strdata.se.

Swedish Population Databases for Research, SwedPop

Evaluation Through Follow-up, UGU

Evaluation Through Follow-up (UGU) is a longitudinal study that has developed a unique database within the field of educational science. UGU consists of several longitudinal surveys that have been combined into a whole, which together creates a cohort sequential database. The database contains 10 different birth cohorts that are nationally representative samples which make it possible to carry out longitudinal, sequential, and cross-sectional analyses. The data consists of administrative tasks, measures of study prerequisites, survey tasks, study results and cognitive tests. UGU is one of the oldest social science databases in Sweden, the first survey was carried out in 1961.