Personal information
Dorly J.H. Deeg
Professor of Epidemiology of Ageing and
Scientific Director of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA)
Short biography
By education a mathematician, Prof. Deeg has worked mainly in the areas of public health and gerontology. She prepared her doctoral thesis (1989) in the department of Public Health, Erasmus University School of Medicine,
Since 1991, she is the scientific director of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). In this year, she was appointed as an associate professor in the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, department of Psychiatry. Since 2001, she is a full professor of epidemiology of aging in the EMGO-Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre.
To date, publications include studies of longevity, morbidity, functional limitations, cognitive impairment, depression, personal competence, life style, social support, historic trends, and methodology. Prof. Deeg is currently supervising 15 PhD studies on various aspects of health changes and adjustment.
International experience is demonstrated by a series of visits abroad. From December 1986 through July 1988, prof. Deeg was a visiting fellow at the U.S. National Institute on Aging, Epidemiology, Biometry and Demography Program. Based on her experience here, she published a volume titled Experiences from Longitudinal Studies of Aging (1989), which included an inventory of 72 studies across the world, three of which were described in detail regarding conceptualisation, organisation and output. From September 1990 through February 1991, Prof. Deeg was a visiting scholar at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, department of Community Health, in
Furthermore, Prof. Deeg is a fellow in the Gerontological Society of America, and has been a partner in several EU-funded projects: Socio-Economic differences in Healthy Ageing (SEdHA), and Comparison of Longitudinal European Studies on Ageing (CLESA). She is also involved in the European Forum on Population Ageing Research and its successors, ERA-AGE and Futurage. Since 2009, she is the Principal Investigator of the European Project on Osteo-Arthritis (EPOSA).
Since 2004, Prof. Deeg is founding editor-in-chief of the European Journal of Ageing with Prof. H.-W. Wahl (
Job experience
Function: Scientific director of a multidisciplinary, longitudinal study (Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, LASA) in collaboration with, amongst others, the Department of Sociology of the VU University.
Activities: supervision of research progress, including own research; acquisition of new (side-)studies; supervision of external users of LASA-data; data quality control; personnel and financial management; public relations; methodological consultation; teaching in Epidemiology of health and disability in older age.
Selected publications in refereed scientific journals, from 2001 onwards
Following the mark ►, the basis for selection is given
2010
Broese van Groenou MI, Deeg DJH. Formal and informal social participation of the 'young-old' in The Netherlands in 1992 and 2002. Ageing & Society 2010, 30: 445-465.
► Demonstrates disparate mechanisms of social change
Deeg DJH, Huisman M. Cohort differences in 3-year adaptation to health problems among Dutch middle-aged, 1992-1995 and 2002-2005. Eur J Ageing 2010, 7(3): 157-165.
► Shows how differences in progress in medical care differentially affect individuals depending on their disease
Gerritsen L, Geerlings MI, Beekman AT, Deeg DJH, Penninx BW, Comijs HC. Early and late life events and salivary cortisol in older persons. Psychol Med 2010, 40(9): 1569-78.
► Using morning and evening cortisol measurements, shows that early and late life events have opposite effects on variability in this biological marker of stress
Heim N, Snijder MB, Heymans MW, Deeg DJH, Seidell JC, Visser M. Exploring cut-off values for large waist circumference in older adults: a new methodological approach. J Nutr Health Aging 2010, 14(4): 272-277.
► Provides badly-needed underpinnings of older-age-specific ‘ideal’ waist
Portrait F, Alessie R, Deeg D. Do early life and contemporaneous macroconditions explain health at older ages? Journal of Population Economics 2010, 23(2): 617-642.
► Econometric analyses highlight how one macrocondition, decrease in the average number of days in hospital, is related to increase in functional limitations
van Bunderen CC, van Nieuwpoort IC, van Schoor NM, Deeg DJH, Lips P, Drent ML. The Association of Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I with Mortality, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer in the Elderly: A Population-Based Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2010, 95(10): 4616-24.
► Shows the two sides of IGF-I: both high and low values increase risk
van den Berg GJ, Deeg DJH, Lindeboom M, Portrait F. The role of early-life conditions in the cognitive decline due to adverse events later in life. Economic Journal 2010, 120(548): F411-F428.
► Prestigious publication in economic circles, shows that the ‘long arm’ of early-life adversity also reaches cognitive decline
van den Kommer TN, Dik MG, Comijs HC, Jonker C, Deeg DJH. Homocysteine and inflammation: Predictors of cognitive decline in older persons? Neurobiol Aging 2010, 31(10): 1700-1709.
► Demonstrates that interactions of blood markers yield more powerful predictions than single blood markers
2009
Bet PM, Penninx BW, Bochdanovits Z, Uitterlinden AG, Beekman ATF, van Schoor NM, Deeg DJH, Hoogendijk WJ. Glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphisms and childhood adversity are associated with depression: New evidence for a gene-environment interaction. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2009 Jul 5, 150B(5): 660-9.
► The combination of childhood adversity and having the wrong gene raise the risk of late-life depression
Comijs HC, Kriegsman DM, Dik MG, Deeg DJH, Jonker C, Stalman WAB. Somatic chronic diseases and 6-year change in cognitive functioning among older persons. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2009 Mar-Apr, 48(2): 191-6.
► Shows a link between some chronic diseases and cognitive decline
Jonker AA, Comijs HC, Knipscheer KC, Deeg DJH. The role of coping resources on change in well-being during persistent health decline. J Aging Health 2009 Dec, 21(8): 1063-82.
► Decline in health and decline in well-being occur together only when psychological coping resources are insufficient
Pot AM, Portrait F, Visser G, Puts M, van Groenou MI, Deeg DJH. Utilization of acute and long-term care in the last year of life: comparison with survivors in a population-based study. BMC Health Serv Res 2009 Aug 5, 9: 139.
► Increased utilization of acute, not long-term care services is fully explained by the severity of health conditions
Proper KI, Deeg DJH, Van der Beek AJ. Challenges at work and financial rewards to stimulate longer workforce participation. Hum Resour Health 2009 Aug 11, 7: 70.
► Combination of prospective quantitative analysis with qualitative interviews shows the relation between older workers’ retirement preferences and actual retirement behaviour
Puts MTE, Shekary N, Widdershoven G, Heldens J, Deeg DJH. The meaning of frailty according to Dutch older frail and non-frail persons. Journal of Aging Studies 2009, 23: 258-266.
► Qualitative study showing the perspectives of older individuals
Rostad B, Deeg DJH, Schei B. Socioeconomic inequalities in health in older women. European Journal of Ageing 2009, 6(1): 39-47.
► Large Norwegian study demonstrating the persistence of socio-economic inequalities in health
Schoevers RA, Geerlings MI, Deeg DJH, Holwerda TJ, Jonker C, Beekman AT. Depression and excess mortality: evidence for a dose response relation in community living elderly. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2009, 24(2): 169-76.
► Long-term follow-up of the AMSTEL study, making a case for timely treatment of depression in older ages
Verweij LM, van Schoor NM, Deeg DJH, Dekker J, Visser M. Physical activity and incident clinical knee osteoarthritis in older adults. Arthritis Rheum 2009, 61(2): 152-157.
► Activity is good, but some movements can better be skipped
Vink D, Aartsen MJ, Comijs HC, Heymans MW, Penninx BW, Stek ML, Deeg DJH, Beekman ATF. Onset of anxiety and depression in the aging population: comparison of risk factors in a 9-year prospective study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2009 Aug, 17(8): 642-52.
► One of the longest follow-up studies ever of both depression and anxiety
2008
Braam AW, Mooi B, Schaap Jonker J, Van Tilburg W, Deeg DHJ. God image and Five-Factor Model personality characteristics in later life: A study among inhabitants of Sassenheim in The Netherlands. Mental health Religion and Culture 11, 2008: 547-559.
► Long-term follow-up of LASA pilot-studies shows link between religious experience and personality
Hoogendijk E, Broese van Groenou M, Van Tilburg T, Deeg D. Educational differences in functional limitations: comparisons of 55-65-year-olds in the
► Demonstrates that lower (not higher) educated groups experience more functional limitations in 2002 than in 1992
Jonker AA, Comijs HC, Knipscheer KC, Deeg DJH. Persistent Deterioration of Functioning (PDF) and change in well-being in older persons. Aging Clin Exp Res 20, 2008: 461-8.
► Introduces the concept of PDF making use of longitudinal data on health decline
Puts MT, Deeg DJH, Hoeymans N, Nusselder WJ, Schellevis FG. Changes in the prevalence of chronic disease and the association with disability in the older Dutch population between 1987 and 2001. Age Ageing 37, 2008: 187-93.
► Makes use of the National Studies in General Practice 1 and 2
Schaap LA, Pluijm SM, Deeg DJH, Penninx BW, Nicklas BJ, Lips P, Harris TB, Newman AB, Kritchevsky SB, Cauley JA, Goodpaster BH, Tylavsky FA, Yaffe K, Visser M; Health ABC study. Low testosterone levels and decline in physical performance and muscle strength in older men: findings from two prospective cohort studies. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 68, 2008: 42-50.
► Reports the same controversial finding in two very different populations: high testosterone is not favourable for muscle strength in men
Schram MT, Frijters D, van de Lisdonk EH, Ploemacher J, de Craen AJ, de Waal MW, van Rooij FJ, Heeringa J, Hofman A, Deeg DJH, Schellevis FG. Setting and registry characteristics affect the prevalence and nature of multimorbidity in the elderly. J Clin Epidemiol 61, 2008: 1104-1112.
► Reports high multimorbidity across five different registries
Sonnenberg CM, Deeg DJH, Comijs HC, van Tilburg W, Beekman AT. Trends in antidepressant use in the older population: Results from the LASA-study over a period of 10 years. J Affect Disord 111, 2008: 299-305.
► Shows increasing use also in the older population
van den Kommer TN, Comijs HC, Dik MG, Jonker C, Deeg DJH. Development of classification models for early identification of persons at risk for persistent cognitive decline. J Neurol 255, 2008: 1486-94.
► Two models are equally predictive but identify slightly different people at risk
2007
Comijs HC, Beekman ATF, Smit F, Bremmer M, Tilburg T van, Deeg DJH. Childhood adversity, recent life events and depression in late life. Journal of Affective Disorders 2007, 103: 243-246. IF: 3.078
► Childhood adversity and recent life events each raise the risk of depression but do not interact to produce higher risks
Pluijm SMF, Visser M, Puts MTE, Dik MG, Schalk BWM, Van Schoor NM, Schaap LA, Bosscher RJ, Deeg DJH. Unhealthy lifestyles during the life course: associations with physical decline in late life. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 19, 2007: 75-83. IF: 1.098
► Retrospective data on life-course obesity and physical inactivity show that exposure to unhealthy lifestyles both at midlife and older age raise the risk of physical decline in older age over and above current exposure
Puts MTE, Shekary N, Widdershoven G, Heldens J, Lips P, Deeg DJH. What does quality of life mean to older frail and non-frail community-dwelling adults? Quality of Life Research 16, 2007: 263-277. IF: 1.915
► Qualitative study showing that older people perceive social participation as most important to their quality of life, including its prerequisites such as good medical care, and being able to drive one’s car
Zunzunegui MV, Minicuci N, Blumstein T, Noale M, Deeg D, Jylhä M, Pedersen NL; for the CLESA Working Group. Gender differences in depressive symptoms among older adults: a cross-national comparison: The CLESA project. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 42, 2007: 198-207. IF: 1.018
► Combines several longitudinal studies across Europe to show persistent gender differences
2002-07
Deeg DJH, Van Tilburg T, Smit JH, De Leeuw ED. Attrition in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam: The effect of differential inclusion in side studies. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 55, 2002: 319-328. IF: 2.223
► Addresses the consequences of attrition, an important methodological problem in longitudinal research
Deeg DJH, Kriegsman DMW. Concepts of self-rated health: Specifying the gender difference in mortality risk. The Gerontologist 43, 2003: 376-386. IF: 1.518
► Revisiting the self-rated health – mortality connection, showing that this connection exists for men, not for women
Minicuci N, Noale M, Bardage C, Blumstein T, Deeg DJH, Gindin J, Jylhä M, Nikula S, Otero A, Pedersen NL, Pluijm SMF, Zunzunegui MV, Maggi S, for the CLESA Working Group. Cross-national determinants of quality of life from six longitudinal studies on aging: The CLESA project. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 15, 2003: 187-202. IF: 1.571
► Comprehensive report of harmonisation of health and functioning data across six studies
Klinkenberg M, Willems DL, Van der Wal G, Deeg DJH. Symptom burden in the last week of life. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 27, 2004: 5-13. IF: 1.885
► Makes use of the context of a longitudinal study to study the end of life
Bisschop MI, Kriegsman DMW, Beekman ATF, Deeg DJH. Chronic diseases and depression: the modifying role of psychosocial resources. Social Science and Medicine 57, 2004: 187-194. IF: 1.931
► Example of longitudinal analysis, with specific focus on differential effects across chronic diseases
Puts MTE, Lips P, Deeg DJH. Static and dynamic measures of frailty predict decline in a performance-based and self-reported measure of physical functioning. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 58, 2005: 1188-1198. IF: 2.538
► First published longitudinal modeling of frailty and its consequences
Melzer D, Dik MG, Van Kamp GJ, Jonker C, Deeg DJH. The APOE e4 polymorphism is strongly associated with poor mobility performance test results but not self-reported limitation in older people. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences 60, 2005: 1319-1323. IF: 3.455
► Longitudinal link of genetic marker with observed physical functioning
Deeg DJH. Longitudinal characterization of course types of functional limitations. Disability and Rehabilitation 27, 2005: 253-261. IF: 1.053
► Example of longitudinal method to show diversity in trajectories of functioning
Deeg DJH, Huizink AC, Comijs HC, Smid T. Disaster and associated changes in physical and mental health in older residents. European Journal of Public Health 15, 2005: 170-174. IF: 1.481
► Using a pre-post design allows the conclusion that the much-discussed airplane crash on the Bijlmer suburb did not have severe consequences in older residents
Deeg DJH, Thomése GCF. Discrepancies between personal income and neighbourhood status: effects on physical and mental health. European Journal of Ageing 2, 2005: 98-108.
► Shows that living in a poor neighbourhood, even with a high personal income, has adverse effects on physical and mental health
Geerlings SW, Pot AM, Twisk JWR, Deeg DJH. Predicting transitions in the use of informal and professional care by older adults. Ageing and Society 25, 2005: 111-130. IF: 0.721
► One of the first longitudinal studies on long-term care utilisation
Zunzunegui MV, Rodriguez-Laso A, Otero A, Pluijm SMF, Nikula S, Blumstein T, Jylhä M, Minicuci N, Deeg DJH, for the CLESA working group. Disability and social ties: comparative findings of the CLESA study. European Journal of Ageing 2, 2005: 40-47.
► Longitudinal three-country study showing the effect of lack of social ties on incidence of disability
Bremmer MA, Hoogendijk WJ, Deeg DJH, Schoevers RA, Schalk BW, Beekman AT. Depression in older age is a risk factor for first ischemic cardiac events. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 14, 2006: 523-30. IF: 2.929
► Links incidence data with cause-of-death statistical data; shows that the increased risk is for ischemic, not other cardiac diseases
Visser M, Deeg DJH, Lips P, Puts M, Seidell J. Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of older persons and risk of nursing home admission. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 84, 2006: 616-622. IF: 5.853
► Links biological data with external data on institutionalization
Selected chapters in refereed scientific edited volumes
Deeg DJH. Aging in
► Gives a brief overview of North-South and East-West differences in health
Deeg DJH. Health and quality of life. In: Mollenkopf H & Walker A (eds), Quality of Life in Old Age – International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives.
► Draws on statistical and qualitative data on the importance of health to perceptions of quality of life
International, professional activities
▪ Founding editor-in-chief, European Journal of Ageing: Social, Behavioural and Health Perspectives (Springer), with prof.dr. H.-W. Wahl, Department of Psychological Ageing Research,
▪ Member, Advisory Board for the Norwegian Longitudinal Study of Ageing, Oslo (2009-)
▪ Member, Advisory Board for COURAGE, a EU-FP7 funded European project (2009-)
▪ Member, Scientific council of FUTURAGE, a road-map project funded under EU-FP7 (2009-)
▪ Consultant to the New Dynamics in Ageing programme Halcyon, London (2008-)
▪ Member, Advisory Board for the collaborative project ‘Autonomy despite Multimorbidity in Ageing’, Berlin (2008-)
▪ Member, AgeAction Social Section Panel in preparation of the interdisciplinary conference "Changing expectations of life", Newcastle, UK, April 23, 2007 (2006-07)
▪ Member, Expert Panel for Cohort Studies, Swiss National Science Foundation, Division Biology and Medicine (2005-)
▪ Member, Advisory Board, European Health Monitoring Unit (EHEMU) (2005-)
▪ Editorial board of Journal of Aging and Health (Sage) (2008-)
National, professional activities
▪ Winner of the 2009 Prize of the Dutch Federation of Medical Scientific Associations
▪
▪ Editor for the theme Health of the Netherlands Canon of Gerontology (2010-)
▪ Member, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research preparatory committee for the research theme “Life course” (2004-07)
▪ Member, National Council for Health Research on Data sharing (2008)
▪ Member , Netherlands
▪ Member, National Health Council Committee on Comorbidity (2005-2007)
▪ Consultant, National Expertise Centre Deafblindness, Maarn (2004-06)
▪ Responsibility for the bachelor course “Trends in public health” in the curriculum Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit (2005-)
▪ Responsibility for the master course “Health and psycho-social factors” in the curriculum Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit (2005-)
▪ Co-responsibility for the bachelor course “Geriatrics and ageing” in the curriculum Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit (2003-)
▪ Chair, quality committee Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU Medical Centre, (2003-2006)
▪ Member, curatorium for the Stuyterman van Loo-chair “Social Gerontology” (Prof.dr. Nan Stevens), faculty of Social Sciences, VU (2003-)
▪ Member, Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw): Sounding Board committee ‘Opmaat: Diversity from patient perspective’ (2003-08)
▪ Board member, Centre for Ageing Research (CVO), Vrije Universiteit (2001-)
▪ Board member, Dutch Foundation of Women and Health Research, 1997-
▪ Co-director of private company ARCHA b.v., gerontological and methodological consultation for field projects (1991-)
▪ Editorial board of Tijdschrift voor Gezondheidswetenschappen [Journal of Public Health/Health and Society] (1993-)