RetirementTOPNCT07301112
Transitions and Old Age Potential - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wave
An observational study of Retirement and Healthy Adults, run by Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH.
Trial summary
With the third wave of the Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP) study, the longitudinal study of initially 5,002 individuals was completed in 2019. Initial findings were published in 2020 through a brochure, policy brief, and methodological report, and presented publicly. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 55 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Retirement, Healthy Adults, Elderly
- How many people
- 5,002 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 16 Jan 2013to 15 Dec 2019
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 55 to 70 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: The survey is based on a representative sample of 5,002 individuals from the German-speaking residential population, aged between 55 and 70 years (birth cohorts 1942 to 1958). The study focuses on the life plans and potentials of older adults in the labor market, civil society, and family, as well as their transitions into retirement. In spring 2013, a 40-minute telephone interview was conducted using a standardized survey instrument. It included measures in the following areas: sociodemographics, employment and retirement transitions, informal work in civil society and family, perceptions of aging, health and well-being, and personality. In 2015/2016, participants from the first wave who were willing to be re-interviewed were surveyed again. In total, 2,501 interviews were completed at T2
Who may be able to join
- aged 55-70
- telephone
- german language
Who cannot join
- illiterate
- no consent
About this study
Official title: Transitions and Old Age Potential: Übergänge Und Alternspotenziale (TOP)
With the third wave of the Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP) study, the longitudinal study of initially 5,002 individuals was completed in 2019. Initial findings were published in 2020 through a brochure, policy brief, and methodological report, and presented publicly. The third wave produced two datasets: a panel of 1,561 individuals surveyed across all three waves (2013, 2015/16, 2019) and a couple datasets with 576 complete interviews. Additional data sources such as DEAS, FWS, and SHARE complement the analyses. In 2021, efforts centered on preparing scientific articles for peer-reviewed journals and archiving the third wave at GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, concluding the study that ran from 2011 to 2021.
For further information, see: https://search.gesis.org/research_data/ZA6597 and https://doi.org/10.4232/1.13845
Read the detailed description
Content and Objectives In 2019, the third wave of the study Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP) was completed. In addition to the repeated interviews of some of those who had already participated in the study in previous waves, partners were also interviewed. The aim of this supplementary survey was to gain insights into retirement transition in a couple of contexts, focusing on the phenomenon of joint retirement. The initial results were published in June 2020 in the form of a brochure and a policy brief and presented at a press conference. Another publication was the methodological report on the third wave in German and English. In 2021, the focus was on the final editing and submission of the scientific articles from TOP in peer-reviewed journals. The archiving of the third wave of TOP as a scientific use file at GESIS was planned for October 2021. This step concluded the TOP study.
Data and Methods
Within the framework of the third wave of the TOP study, 1,561 persons could be interviewed for the second time. Regarding the partners of these persons, a gross sample of 832 persons resulted, after completion of the last address and panel maintenance of the year 2017/2018. After completion of the field phase of the third wave, 576 complete interviews were available at the couple level. The TOP study thus comprised of two data sets after the completion of the third wave:
the panel data set comprised the persons who had participated in the study on all three survey dates (2013, 2015/2016 and 2019) (1,561 persons) as well as the couple sample with the information provided by the anchors (with current partner from the third survey wave) and the partners from 2019 (576 couple interviews).
In addition to the data from TOP, other studies are also used for the scientific articles, such as the German Ageing Survey (DEAS), the German Volunteer Survey (FWS) and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).
Duration 01/2011-12/2021
Selected Publications see https://search.gesis.org/research_data/ZA6597
- Conditions
- Retirement, Healthy Adults, Elderly
- Keywords
- longitudinal, cohort study
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Loneliness
Loneliness was assessed at T3 using three items from the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-Loneliness Scale) in its short form, based on four-point Likert scales. The loneliness index was calculated as the mean value of the three items with higher means indicating greater loneliness/worse outcome: (0 =never-3=often)
Measured: year 2019
Retirement
Retirement was assessed at T1 by asking participants whether they received a pension or not, with responses transformed into a binary pension/retirement variable (1=yes, 2=no).
Measured: years 2013, 2015/2016 and 2019
Physical Activity (PA)
PA was determined by asking participants how often (<1, 1-2, 3-4, 5+ times per week) they were physically active for more than 30 minutes at T1, T2, and T3.
Measured: years 2013, 2015/2016 and 2019
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Dec 2025
- Study start16 Jan 2013
- Primary completion1 Oct 2019
- Study completion15 Dec 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for RetirementStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 5,002 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Federal Institute for Population Research (BIB), German Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Prof. Dr. Sonia Lippke, Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH
- Investigators
- Sonia Lippke, Principal investigator, 04212004730
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07301112
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ZA6597V4
- Acronym
- TOP
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 18 Nov 2025
- Last updated
- 24 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: this was not foreseen and consented by data security plan
Publications
https://doi.org/10.4232/1.13845
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Transitions and Old Age Potential: Übergänge Und Alternspotenziale (TOP)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07301112
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TOP / ZA6597V4
- Conditions
- Retirement, Healthy Adults, Elderly
- Keywords
- longitudinal, cohort study
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 5,002 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Jacobs University Bremen gGmbHUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Federal Institute for Population Research (BIB), German Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI)
- Study start
- 16 Jan 2013 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Oct 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Dec 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
With the third wave of the Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP) study, the longitudinal study of initially 5,002 individuals was completed in 2019. Initial findings were published in 2020 through a brochure, policy brief, and methodological report, and presented publicly. The third wave produced two datasets: a panel of 1,561 individuals surveyed across all three waves (2013, 2015/16, 2019) and a couple datasets with 576 complete interviews. Additional data sources such as DEAS, FWS, and SHARE complement the analyses. In 2021, efforts centered on preparing scientific articles for peer-reviewed journals and archiving the third wave at GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, concluding the study that ran from 2011 to 2021.
For further information, see: https://search.gesis.org/research_data/ZA6597 and https://doi.org/10.4232/1.13845
Detailed description
Content and Objectives In 2019, the third wave of the study Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP) was completed. In addition to the repeated interviews of some of those who had already participated in the study in previous waves, partners were also interviewed. The aim of this supplementary survey was to gain insights into retirement transition in a couple of contexts, focusing on the phenomenon of joint retirement. The initial results were published in June 2020 in the form of a brochure and a policy brief and presented at a press conference. Another publication was the methodological report on the third wave in German and English. In 2021, the focus was on the final editing and submission of the scientific articles from TOP in peer-reviewed journals. The archiving of the third wave of TOP as a scientific use file at GESIS was planned for October 2021. This step concluded the TOP study.
Data and Methods
Within the framework of the third wave of the TOP study, 1,561 persons could be interviewed for the second time. Regarding the partners of these persons, a gross sample of 832 persons resulted, after completion of the last address and panel maintenance of the year 2017/2018. After completion of the field phase of the third wave, 576 complete interviews were available at the couple level. The TOP study thus comprised of two data sets after the completion of the third wave:
the panel data set comprised the persons who had participated in the study on all three survey dates (2013, 2015/2016 and 2019) (1,561 persons) as well as the couple sample with the information provided by the anchors (with current partner from the third survey wave) and the partners from 2019 (576 couple interviews).
In addition to the data from TOP, other studies are also used for the scientific articles, such as the German Ageing Survey (DEAS), the German Volunteer Survey (FWS) and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).
Duration 01/2011-12/2021
Selected Publications see https://search.gesis.org/research_data/ZA6597
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 55 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The survey is based on a representative sample of 5,002 individuals from the German-speaking residential population, aged between 55 and 70 years (birth cohorts 1942 to 1958). The study focuses on the life plans and potentials of older adults in the labor market, civil society, and family, as well as their transitions into retirement. In spring 2013, a 40-minute telephone interview was conducted using a standardized survey instrument. It included measures in the following areas: sociodemographics, employment and retirement transitions, informal work in civil society and family, perceptions of aging, health and well-being, and personality. In 2015/2016, participants from the first wave who were willing to be re-interviewed were surveyed again. In total, 2,501 interviews were completed at T2
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- aged 55-70
- telephone
- german language
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- illiterate
- no consent
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Loneliness
Time frame: year 2019
Loneliness was assessed at T3 using three items from the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-Loneliness Scale) in its short form, based on four-point Likert scales. The loneliness index was calculated as the mean value of the three items with higher means indicating greater loneliness/worse outcome: (0 =never-3=often)
Retirement
Time frame: years 2013, 2015/2016 and 2019
Retirement was assessed at T1 by asking participants whether they received a pension or not, with responses transformed into a binary pension/retirement variable (1=yes, 2=no).
Physical Activity (PA)
Time frame: years 2013, 2015/2016 and 2019
PA was determined by asking participants how often (<1, 1-2, 3-4, 5+ times per week) they were physically active for more than 30 minutes at T1, T2, and T3.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Dec 2025.
- Backgroundhttps://doi.org/10.4232/1.13845
- study description and further linksLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. this was not foreseen and consented by data security plan
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Sonia Lippke principal investigator
04212004730
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Retirement and Healthy Adults, run by Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Loneliness (time frame: year 2019). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07301112, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Dec 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 30 Oct 2026.