Description & Citation--Study No. 20541

Bibliographic Description
Scope of Study
Methodology
Access and Availability

Bibliographic Description

ICPSR Study No.:

20541

Title:

National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP)

Principal Investigator(s):

Linda J. Waite, University of Chicago. Department of Sociology

Edward O. Laumann, University of Chicago. Department of Sociology

Wendy Levinson, University of Toronto. Department of Medicine

Stacy Tessler Lindau, University of Chicago. Pritzker School of Medicine. Departments of OB/GYN, Medicine (Geriatrics)

Martha K. McClintock, University of Chicago. Institute for Mind and Biology, and Department of Psychology

Colm A. O'Muircheartaigh, University of Chicago. Harris School for Public Policy Studies, and NORC

L. Philip Schumm, University of Chicago. Department of Health Studies

Funding Agency:

United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging

United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Nursing Research

Grant Number:

5RO1AG021487

Bibliographic Citation:

Waite, Linda J., Edward O. Laumann, Wendy Levinson, Stacy Tessler Lindau, Martha K. McClintock, Colm A. O'Muircheartaigh, L. Philip Schumm. NATIONAL SOCIAL LIFE, HEALTH, AND AGING PROJECT (NSHAP) [Computer file]. ICPSR20541-v1. Chicago, IL: National Opinion Research Center (NORC) [producers], 2007. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2007-09-19.

Scope of Study

Summary:

The health of older adults is influenced by many factors. One of the least understood is the role that social support and personal relationships may play in healthy aging. The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) is the first population-based study of health and social factors on a national scale, aiming to understand the well-being of older, community-dwelling Americans by examining the interactions among physical health, illness, medication use, cognitive function, emotional health, sensory function, health behaviors, and social connectedness. It is designed to provide health providers, policy makers, and individuals with useful information and insights into these factors, particularly on social and intimate relationships. The study will be important in finding new ways to reduce morbidity and prevent dysfunction and disease as people age. The National Opinion Research Center (NORC), along with Principal Investigators at the University of Chicago, conducted more than 3,000 interviews during 2005 and 2006 with a nationally representative sample of adults aged 57 to 85. Face-to-face interviews and biomeasure collection took place in respondents' homes. Included in the Core File (Part 1) are: demographic characteristics, social networks, social and cultural activity, physical and mental health including cognition, well-being, illness, medications and alternative therapies, history of sexual and intimate partnerships and patient-physician communication. Also included in the Core File is a count of the total number of drugs taken, and a variable for each observed therapeutic categories indicating whether the respondent reported taking one or more medications in that category. These variables are derived from the information in the medications file, and so are guaranteed to be consistent with it. The Marital History Data (Part 2) contains one record for each marriage or cohabitation identified in Section 3A of the questionnaire. The Social Network file (Part 3) contains one record for each person identified on the network roster. Respondents who refused to participate in the roster or who did not identify anyone are not represented in this file. The Medications File (Part 4) contains one record for each item listed in the medications log (including alternative medicines and nutritional products). Respondents who did not report taking any medications or who refused to participate in this module are not represented in this file.

Subject Term(s):

aging, anxiety, attitudes, body height, body weight, demographic characteristics, doctor visits, ethnicity, family size, health attitudes, health behavior, health problems, health services utilization, health status, illness, intimate partnerships, life satisfaction, medical evaluation, medical procedures, menopause, mental health, morbidity, older adults, quality of life, sexual activity, social networks, social support

Geographic Coverage:

United States

Time Period:

July 2005 - March 2006

Date(s) of Collection:

2005 - 2006

Unit of Observation:

individual

Universe:

Community dwelling individuals ages 57-85

Data Type:

survey data, and clinical data

Methodology

Sample:

Probability sample.

Mode of Data Collection:

face-to-face interview

telephone interview

computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI)

computer-assisted self interview (CASI)

Access and Availability

Note:

A list of the data formats available for this study can be found in the summary of holdings. Detailed file-level information (such as LRECL, case count, and variable count) is listed in the file manifest.

Restrictions:

Users interested in obtaining these data from NACDA must request and complete the NSHAP Restricted Data Use Agreement form. Users can download this form from the download page associated with this dataset. A copy of this form can also be obtained by contacting ICPSR User Support (734-647-2200). Completed forms with original signature(s) should be mailed to: Director, National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging, Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, Institute for Social Research, P.O. Box 1248, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248.

Original ICPSR Release:

2007-09-19

Dataset(s):

DS1: Core Data
DS2: Marital History Data
DS3: Social Network Data
DS4: Medications Data