The longitudinal integrated database for health insurance and labour market studies (LISA) and its use in medical research

Abstract

Education, income, and occupation are factors known to affect health and disease. In this review we describe the Swedish Longitudinal Integrated Database for Health Insurance and Labour Market Studies (LISA, Longitudinell Integrationsdatabas för Sjukförsäkrings- och Arbetsmarknadsstudier). LISA covers the adult Swedish population aged ≥ 16 years registered on December 31 each year since 1990 (since 2010 individuals aged ≥ 15 years). The database was launched in response to rising levels of sick leave in the country. Participation in Swedish government-administered registers such as LISA is compulsory, and hence selection bias is minimized. The LISA database allows researchers to identify individuals who do not work because of injury, disease, or rehabilitation. It contains data on sick leave and disability pension based on calendar year. LISA also includes information on unemployment benefits, disposable income, social welfare payments, civil status, and migration. During 2000–2017, an average of 97,000 individuals immigrated to Sweden each year. This corresponds to about 1% of the Swedish population (10 million people in 2017). Data on occupation have a completeness of 95%. Income data consist primarily of income from employment, capital, and allowances, including parental allowance. In Sweden, work force participation is around 80% (2017: overall: 79.1%; men 80.3% and women 77.9%). Education data are available in > 98% of all individuals aged 25–64 years, with an estimated accuracy for highest attained level of education of 85%. Some information on civil status, income, education, and employment before 1990 can be obtained through the Population and Housing Census data (FoB, Folk- och bostadsräkningen).

Adult height in patients with childhood‐onset inflammatory bowel disease: a nationwide population‐based cohort study

“…We used the longitudinal integrated Database for Health insurance and labour Market Study (LISA) and the Total Population Register to define family situation and parental educational level for the parents of the study population at the time of IBD onset …”

“…Sweden is a high‐income country with publicly funded healthcare including both in‐patient and out‐patient care as well as medications available at low cost for all residents. We used the personal identity number, assigned to all Swedish residents, to link data from national and virtually complete administrative and clinical registers on demography and morbidity . These registers allow for prospective assessment of the complete IBD population, independent of IBD severity or place of residence.…”

Mortality from infancy to adolescence in singleton children conceived from assisted reproductive techniques versus naturally conceived singletons in Sweden

“…Finally, information on maternal education (middle school, high school, some college <3years, college graduate, or more) was obtained from the longitudinal integrated database for health insurance and labor market studies (LISA) (23). Information on maternal country of birth (Nordic/non-Nordic) was obtained from the Total Population Register, both held by Statistics Sweden.…”

Ability of Noninvasive Scoring Systems to Identify Individuals in the Population at Risk for Severe Liver Disease

“…Information about socioeconomic status was obtained from the national population and housing censuses or from the longitudinal integrated database for health insurance and labor market studies monitored by Statistics Sweden. 18 Socioeconomic status was defined as being self-employed or blue-collar or white-collar worker.…”