Central themes within GERDA are:

• Life style, health, and wellbeing (e.g. exercise, diet, physical and psychological resources, illness and disease)
• Identity (self-image and roles, e.g. retirement)
• Ageism
• Social change and community service (e.g. changes in community services, technological development)
• Occupation and activities (e.g. meaningful activities, hobbies, associations, volunteering) 
• Social relations (social support, social networks, continuity etc.)
• Economy (objective and perceived economy)
• Autonomy and dependency (e.g. mobility, care needs)
• Existential meaning and loneliness (e.g. meaning in life, religiosity, spirituality)

GERDA has its roots in the Umeå 85+ project, which started back in 2000. That project mainly focused on medical and rehabilitative aspects of aging, but over time it grew and evolved. It was followed by “Older Adults in Botnia,” which included activities in both Sweden and Finland,  and then by GERDA – the Gerontological Regional Database – from 2004 to 2007. In 2009, the GERDA Botnia project received funding for another three-year phase. Since then, the team has secured support for things like home visit data collection (2015–2017) and survey rounds in 2016 and 2021.

The data has been used as a foundation for scientific articles, doctoral theses, master’s theses, and student projects. Findings from the studies have also been used in teaching at the participating universities and in various educational materials. Results and resources from Umeå 85+ and GERDA have helped shape and support other research projects as well.