The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH)

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) is a longitudinal population-based survey that examines the health and well-being of more than 58,000 Australian women.

Directed by Professor Gita Mishra, the Study is a collaboration with the University of Newcastle and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.

Also known as Women's Health Australia, the study explores factors that influence health among women who are broadly representative of the entire Australian population. The Study goes beyond a narrow perspective that equates women's health with reproductive and sexual health, and takes a comprehensive view of all aspects of health throughout women's lifespan.

The sample comprises three cohorts of women – the 1973 to 1978 cohort; the 1946 to 1951 cohort; and the 1921 to 1926 cohort – who were first surveyed in 1996, and who have since completed at least six surveys (in a 3-yearly cycle).

In 2012/13 more than 17,000 young women aged 18 to 23 were recruited to form a fourth cohort, which is surveyed annually.

ALSWH data can be linked to a range of administrative datasets including doctor visits, pharmaceutical prescriptions, hospital admissions, aged care services, cancer registries and death records.

Collaborations and students

Collaborations are welcomed. Please visit the ALSWH website for further information including lists of publications, substudies, collaborative projects, survey questionnaires and tabulations of frequencies for data items.

Students are encouraged to contact ALSWH staff and investigators to discuss project ideas for any of the research directions of the Study.