Africa Long Life Study (ALLS), 2022-2026

Abstract

The Africa Long Life Study is a longitudinal study of the psychological development of over 3,000 young adults in Namibia, Kenya and South Africa. The project was launched in 2022, and 9 waves of data have been collected to date, with participants completing 2 surveys each year. The last wave of data will be collected by the end of 2026, for a total of 10 waves of data spanning the five-year study period (2022-2026). <br><br> 3,048 participants were recruited throughout Namibia (n = 1,171), Kenya (n = 937), and South Africa (n = 940) by research assistants in their communities through church groups, neighbors, relatives, and friends and in a snowball approach. Participants were primarily 18 years old (80.2%), female (56.8%), and single (74.3%). After providing written consent, participants completed the initial survey on an electronic tablet carried by RAs, via a link the RA could send electronically to a participant’s device, or on paper. After completion, participants were gifted an airtime voucher in Namibia and most of Kenya, or a gift voucher to a grocery store in South Africa. <br><br> For subsequent waves, if the participant reported a phone number or email, loop messaging programs were used to send them a survey by text or email, followed by weekly reminders for one month. Lists of unreached participants were then delivered to RAs. In-person outreach was launched via online meetings with local RAs in each country to review the survey and brainstorm strategies, and with the delivery of tablets and other materials. Follow-up surveys were administered every 6 months. <br><br> The surveys included multiple demographic indicators (e.g., age, gender, home language, education, birth order, disability status, sexual orientation), as well as measures of life experiences, personality traits, emerging adulthood, mental health and disorders, and cultural mindset. For a full list of constructs available by wave, please see the Related Publication (Thalmayer et al., 2024) and/or project website (https://www.africalonglifestudy.org/data1). <br><br> Ethical review was conducted at each of the five partner universities and at national levels. In Kenya, this is required annually at the county level, necessitating in-person visits to over a dozen offices. In Namibia, permission and support were required from regional councillors and school systems before recruitment.