Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) Program, Phase III: The Study Profile

Objectives The Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) Program is a population-based prospective cohort study, designed to address the increasing health challenges associated with an aging population. The third phase of BEH program was carried out with aim to repeat the measurements about the state of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases, and cognitive function, and their determinants and consequences in the older adults. This article presents the profile of the third phase measurements of BEH program. Methods Phase III of the BEH Program was conducted six years after the second phase (stage), involving repeated measurements among participants aged 60 and above residing in Bushehr city. Previous phase participants were invited to take part in this phase. This phase was a repeat of the measurements conducted in the previous phases implicated comprehensive questionnaires, physical and anthropometric examinations, whole body and bone density scan, diagnostic laboratory tests, and biobanking of biological samples included serum, EDP, stool, and saliva. Results The successful assessment has been completed for a representative sample of older adults, with an extensive data for future analysis. In this phase of BEH program, a total of 1,345 participants were enrolled in the study, a response rate of 64.7%. The mean (standard deviation) age was 74.3 (4.6) years and 50.4% of the participants were males. Conclusion The BEH program’s repeated measures provide valuable insights into how health-related variables among participants change over time, as well as the needs of older Iranian adults. Also, adding stool and saliva samples to the BEH program biobank allows for expanded microbiota evaluation in this study. This study results inform public health policy to address the growing burden of NCDs among older adults and will guide clinicians, policymakers, and health managers in developing effective strategies to promote health outcomes and quality of life of older adults.