RAND Survey Meta Data Repository
Search Studies Collecting Biomarkers
Information Resources
HRS-harmonized studies all over the World
The Health
and Retirement Study (HRS)
The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS) surveys
more than 22,000 Americans over the age of 50 every two years.
Supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA U01AG009740), the
study paints an emerging portrait of an aging America's physical and
mental health, insurance coverage, financial status, family support
systems, labor market status, and retirement planning. The full scope
of the study is described in this graphical overview of the data
collection process. HRS data products are available without cost to
researchers and analysts. User Registration is required in order to
download files. HRS is collecting now the following biomarker
data: blood pressure, breathing, hand strength, balance
test, walking test, weight, height, waist, saliva samples and blood
spots. The last data available include 2008 wave. HRS data are
also available through the RAND repository.
English
Longitudinal
Study
on Ageing (ELSA)
The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) is the first study in
the UK to connect the full range of topics necessary to understand the
economic, social, psychological and health elements of the ageing
process. ELSA aims to study a sample of people over the age of 50 every
two years in order to see how people's health, economic and social
circumstances change over time. One of the study's key aims is to help
the government plan for an ageing population and longer periods of
retirement, and ensure that the UK's healthcare and pension systems
will be able to meet everyone's needs. ELSA is modelled on a
similar study in the US (the Health and Retirement Study) and is being
conducted jointly by National Centre for Social Research (NatCen),
University College London (UCL) and the Institute for Fiscal Studies
(IFS). ELSA data can be accessed through the RAND Repository or ESDS
Longitudinal.
Survey of
Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)
The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) is a
multidisciplinary and cross-national panel database of micro data on
health, socio-economic status and social and family networks of more
than 45,000 individuals aged 50 or over. Eleven countries contributed
data to the 2004 SHARE baseline study. They are a balanced
representation of the various regions in Europe, ranging from
Scandinavia (Denmark and Sweden) through Central Europe (Austria,
France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands) to the
Mediterranean (Spain, Italy and Greece). Further data were collected in
2005-06 in Israel. Two 'new' EU member states - the Czech Republic and
Poland - as well as Ireland joined SHARE in 2006 and participated in
the second wave of data collection in 2006-07. The survey’s third wave
of data collection, SHARELIFE, collects detailed retrospective
life-histories in thirteen countries in 2008-09. SHARE is coordinated
centrally at the Mannheim Research Institute for the Economics of Aging
(MEA). It is harmonized with the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS)
and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Data collected
include health variables (e.g. self-reported health, health conditions,
physical and cognitive functioning, health behaviour, use of health
care facilities), bio-markers (e.g. grip strength, body-mass index,
peak flow), psychological variables (e.g. psychological health,
well-being, life satisfaction), economic variables (current work
activity, job characteristics, opportunities to work past retirement
age, sources and composition of current income, wealth and consumption,
housing, education), and social support variables (e.g. assistance
within families, transfers of income and assets, social networks,
volunteer activities). In addition, the SHARE data base features
anchoring vignettes from the COMPARE project and variables and
indicators created by the AMANDA RTD-Project.
Korean
Longitudinal Study on Aging (KLoSA)
The purpose of KLoSA is to create the basic data needed to devise and
implement effective social, economic policies to address the trends
that emerge in the process of population ageing. The data will help
identify and observe different dimensions of an aging society, build
datasets that enable studies in different fields, and generate data
comparable with similar panel studies in other countries (eg. U.S.,
Europe) that can provide the basis for policy-making and academic
studies. The study subjects of KLoSA include about 10,000 individuals
45 years and older. Topics under KLoSA are grouped into the following
categories: Demographics, Family, Health, Employment, Income,
Assets, Subjective Expectations and Satisfaction. Questions in KLoSA
are harmonazed with corresponding questions in HRS. The first wave of
KLoSA was conducted in 2006. KLoSA data are available through the RAND
Repository.
Indonesia
Family
Life Survey (IFLS)
Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) is an ongoing longitudinal study of
individuals, households, communities, and facilities. The household
component of the survey covers economic well-being (consumption,
income, and assets)\; education, migration, and labor market outcomes;
marriage, fertility, and contraceptive use\; health status including
biomarkers, use of health care, and health insurance\; relationships
among coresident and non-coresident family members\; household
decision-making\; and participation in community activities. The
community and facility component of the survey provides detailed
information from the communities in which IFLS households are located
and from the facilities that serve residents of those communities.
These data cover aspects of the physical and social environment,
infrastructure, employment opportunities, food prices, access to health
and educational facilities, and the quality and prices of services
available at those facilities. Every adult household member is
individually interviewed and movers are tracked to their new location.
Interviews were conducted in 1993, 1997, 1998 (on a subsample), and
2000.
Chinese
Health, Aging, and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)
The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) is a
biennial survey in China being conducted by the National School of
Development (China Center for Economic Research) at Peking University.
CHARLS aims to be representative of the residents of China age 45 and
older, with no upper age limit. The sample size is estimated to be
around 10,000 households and 17,000 individuals. The baseline of the
CHARLS pilot took place in two provinces in the fall of 2008 and the
next wave will take place in 2011. Data on biomeasures are available
through the RAND repository.
TILDA -
The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, University of Dublin,
Trinity College
The Irish LongituDinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) is the most
comprehensive study on ageing ever undertaken in Ireland. This
ground-breaking study will explore the health, lifestyles and financial
situation of 8,000 to 10,000 people as they grow older, and observe how
their circumstances change over a 10 year period. The study is being
carried out by Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with an
inter-disciplinary panel of scientific researchers, with expertise in
various fields of ageing. Biomeasures include anthropometry, blood
pressure, walking speed and tests of balance, eyesight and hearing,
assessment of lung function as well as blood samples (venipuncture).
Japanese
Study on Aging and Retirement (J-STAR)
Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement (JSTAR) is a panel survey of
elderly people aged 50 or older conducted by the Research Institute of
Economy, Trade and Industry (hereinafter "RIETI"), Hitotsubashi
University, and, more recently, the University of Tokyo. The data
collected in this survey include diverse information on the economic,
social, and health conditions of elderly people. In addition, the
survey is designed to ensure, to the maximum extent possible,
comparability with preceding surveys such as the Health and Retirement
Study (HRS) in the United States, the Survey of Health, Aging and
Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in continental Europe, and the English
Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) in the United Kingdom. Therefore, by
analyzing JSTAR data, researchers can track down the characteristics of
the Japanese elderly population both in terms of their specificity and
universality in the world.
Mexican
Health
and Ageing Study (MHAS)
The Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) is a prospective panel study
of health and aging in Mexico. MHAS is supported by a grant from the
National Institutes of Health/ National Institute on Aging (AG 18016,
B.J. Soldo, P.I.). The study is a collaborative effort among
researchers from the Universities of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and
Wisconsin in the U.S., and the Instituto Nacional de
Estadística, Geografia e Informática (INEGI) in Mexico.
The baseline survey includes a nationally representative sample of
Mexicans aged 50 and over and their spouse/partners regardless of their
age. A direct interview was sought with each individual, and proxy
interviews were obtained when poor health or temporary absence
precluded a direct interview. Health measures include self-reports of
conditions, symptoms, functional status, hygienic behaviors (e.g.,
smoking and drinking history), use/source/costs of health care
services, depression, pain, reading and cognitive performance tests.
Interviewers measured weight, height; waist, hip, and calf
circumference, knee length, and timed one-leg stands for a random
subsample (20%) of the respondents.Two waves of MHAS were conducted so
far: in 2001 and in 2003.
Study
on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE)
The WHO Multi-Country Studies unit developed the Study on Global AGEing
and Adult Health (SAGE) as part of a Longitudinal Survey Programme to
compile comprehensive longitudinal information on the health and
well-being of adult populations and the ageing process. The core SAGE
collects data on respondents aged 18+ years, with an emphasis on
populations aged 50+ years, from nationally representative samples in
six countries (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russian Federation and
South Africa). The survey instruments and methods described on this
website were adapted from those used by the World Health Survey (WHS)
and/or from 16 surveys on ageing (including the US Health and
Retirement Survey (HRS) and the UK English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
(ELSA)).
Longitudinal
Aging Study in India (LASI)
The Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) focuses on the health,
economic, and social well-being of India's elderly population. LASI is
conceptually comparable to the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in the
United States and is appropriately harmonized with other health and
retirement studies, including its sister surveys in Asia – such as the
Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and the
Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) – thereby allowing for
cross-country comparison. LASI also takes account of features unique to
India, including its institutional and cultural characteristics. An
important feature of the LASI pilot survey instrument is the collection
of dried blood spots (DBS), which can be analyzed to provide
researchers with quantitative data on health. In particular, the LASI
team proposes to analyze the DBS for the presence of apolipoproteins
B-1 and A, C-reactive protein (CRP), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and
hemoglobin (Hb). This study is in progress now.