Data collection

Interviewers at each site were trained using the same standard training based on videotapes, protocol instructions and data entry forms at each site. Assessments in Tirana were done by public health professionals and graduate students, in Natal by physiotherapists, in Manizales by local nurses, in Kingston and in Saint-Hyacinthe by teachers and other lay professionals.

The questionnaires, all data collection documents and manuals of procedures are available in the local languages (Albanian, Spanish, Portuguese, English and French) French, Portuguese and Spanish. The questionnaire included demographic and socioeconomic variables, chronic conditions, depressive symptoms, falls, life- course history of socioeconomic conditions and exposure to violence, physical activity, health behaviors, quality of life, neighborhood social, economic and physical characteristics, social networks and community social integration, gender roles, decision making power and financial autonomy, life space assessment and tests of cognitive function. Blood pressure, grip strength and vision assessments were also carried out.