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This survey was undertaken to record changes in views about aging among older people as well as younger adults. In the seven years after the benchmark study MYTH AND REALITY OF AGING, 1974 (ICPSR 7657) was conducted, a number of significant social and demographic changes occurred in American society, some profound economic trends continued, suspicions grew about an impending financial crisis in the Social Security system, and new priorities emerged at both the national and local political levels. AGING IN THE EIGHTIES updates topics from MYTH AND REALITY OF AGING with items relating to the experience of aging, social activities and the involvement of the elderly, expectations and attitudes about retirement, and preparation for retirement. Other major issues were explored for the first time, including the economics of aging and retirement, the changing face of retirement and employment after 65, Social Security and the role of government, health status, and health care.

The purpose of this project was to measure and estimate the distribution of personal income and related economic factors in both rural and urban areas of the People's Republic of China. The principal investigators based their definition of income on cash payments and on a broad range of additional components. Data were collected through a series of questionnaire-based interviews conducted in rural and urban areas at the end of 2002. There are ten separate datasets. The first four datasets were derived from the urban questionnaire. The first contains data about individuals living in urban areas. The second contains data about urban households. The third contains individual-level economic variables copied from the initial urban interview form. The fourth contains household-level economic variables copied from the initial urban interview form. The fifth dataset contains village-level data, which was obtained by interviewing village leaders. The sixth contains data about individuals living in rural areas. The seventh contains data about rural households, as well as most of the data from a social network questionnaire which was presented to rural households. The eighth contains the rest of the data from the social network questionnaire and is specifically about the activities of rural school-age children. The ninth dataset contains data about individuals who have migrated from rural to urban areas, and the tenth dataset contains data about rural-urban migrant households. Dataset 1 contains 151 variables and 20,632 cases (individual urban household members). Dataset 2 contains 88 variables and 6,835 cases (urban households). Dataset 3 contains 44 variables and 27,818 cases, at least 6,835 of which are empty cases used to separate households in the file. The remaining cases from dataset 3 match those in dataset 1. Dataset 4 contains 212 variables and 6,835 cases, which match those in dataset 2. Dataset 5 contains 259 variables and 961 cases (villages). Dataset 6 contains 84 variables and 37,969 cases (individual rural household members). Dataset 7 contains 449 variables and 9,200 cases (rural households). Dataset 8 contains 38 variables and 8,121 cases (individual school-age children). Dataset 9 contains 76 variables and 5,327 cases (individual rural-urban migrant household members). Dataset 10 contains 129 variables and 2,000 cases (rural-urban migrant households). The Chinese Household Income Project collected data in 1988, 1995, 2002, and 2007. ICPSR holds data from the first three collections, and information about these can be found on the series description page. Data collected in 2007 are available through the China Institute for Income Distribution.

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing is a study of aging and quality of life for people over the age of 50. Established in 2002, the original sample was drawn from households that had previously responded to the Health Survey for England (HSE) between 1998 and 2001. The same group of respondents are surveyed every two years to see how their health, economic, and social circumstances may change over time. One of the study's aims is to determine the relationships between functioning and health, social networks, resources, and economic position as people plan for, move into, and progress beyond retirement. It is patterned after the Health and Retirement Study, a similar study based in the United States. Although new topics can be introduced at different waves, every module has been reviewed to ensure that it will provide data that can measure change over time. This is achieved by repeating some measures exactly, by asking directly about change, and by adopting questions to allow people to update or amend past responses. The information collected provides data about: Household and individual demographics; Health - physical and psychosocial; Social care (from Wave 6); Work and pensions; Income and assets; Housing; Cognitive function; Social participation; Effort and Reward (voluntary work and caring); Expectations; Walking speed; Weight.

The primary purpose of the five sets of surveys that comprise the National Longitudinal Surveys is the collection of data on the labor force experience of specific age-sex groups of Americans: Older Men aged 45-59 in 1966, Mature Women aged 30-44 in 1967, Young Men aged 14-24 in 1966, Young Women aged 14-24 in 1968, and Youth aged 14-21 in 1979. Each of the 1960s cohorts has been surveyed 12 or more times over the years, and the Youth cohort has been surveyed yearly since 1979. The major topics covered within the surveys of each cohort include: (1) labor market experience variables (including labor force participation, unemployment, job history, and job mobility), (2) socioeconomic and human capital variables (including education, training, health and physical condition, marital and family characteristics, financial characteristics, and job attitudes), and (3) selected environmental variables (size of labor force and unemployment rates for local area). While the surveys of each cohort have collected data on the above core sets of variables, cohort-specific data have been gathered over the years focusing on the particular stage of labor market attachment that each group was experiencing. Thus, the surveys of young people have collected data on their educational goals, high school and college experiences, high school characteristics, and occupational aspirations and expectations, as well as military service. The surveys of women have gathered data on topics such as fertility, child care, responsibility for household tasks, care of parents, volunteer work, attitudes towards women working, and job discrimination. As the older-aged cohorts of men and women approached labor force withdrawal, surveys for these groups collected information on their retirement plans, health status, and pension benefits. Respondents within the 1979 Youth cohort have been the focus of a number of special surveys, including the collection of data on: (1) last secondary school attended, including transcript information and selected aptitude/intelligence scores, (2) test scores from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), (3) illegal activities participation including police contacts, and (4) alcohol use and substance abuse. Finally, the 1986 and 1988 surveys of the Youth cohort included the administration of a battery of cognitive-socioemotional assessments to the approximately 7,000 children of the female 1979 Youth respondents. Data for the five cohorts are provided within main file releases, i.e., Mature Women 1967-1989, Young Women 1968-1991, Young Men 1966-1981, Older Men 1966-1990, and NLSY (Youth) 1979-1992. In addition, the following specially constructed data files are available: (1) a file that specifies the relationships among members of the four original cohorts living in the same household at the time of the initial surveys, i.e., husband-wife, mother-daughter, brother-sister, etc., (2) an NLSY workhistory tape detailing the week-by-week labor force attachment of the youth respondents from 1978 through the most current survey date, (3) an NLSY child-mother file linking the child assessment data to other information on children and mothers within the NLSY, (4) a supplemental NLSY file of constructed and edited fertility variables, (5) a women's support network tape detailing the geographic proximity of the relatives, friends, and acquaintances of 6,308 female NLSY respondents who were interviewed during the 1983-1985 surveys, and (6) two 1989 Mature Women's pension file detailing information on pensions and other employer-provided benefits.

This survey, sponsored by the Health Information Foundation at the University of Chicago and conducted at the National Opinion Research Center, consists of three component parts. Part 1, the Health Needs of Older Persons, covers health, the use of medical facilities, the cost of medical care, the older person's sources of income, his/her social relationships, attitudes toward younger family members, work, religion, and a self-evaluation of health status for persons aged 60 and over. Part 2, Household Enumeration: Noninterviewed Individuals, contains information describing persons located during the enumeration process who were unable to complete an interview. For Part 3, Public Attitudes on Older People, a cross-section of adult Americans was surveyed. This survey was mainly concerned with the level of responsibility younger and middle-aged people assumed for older relatives, the kinds of plans they were making for their own maintenance in later years, and overall attitudes on the part of all age groups toward certain situations that are commmon in later life.

This longitudinal study is the second in a series of six surveys conducted to investigate the nature of retirement and the transition to a retirement lifestyle in the United States. The first longitudinal study to concentrate on the process of retirement and to include change over a period of time as an object of study, the six surveys in the Retirement History Longitudinal Survey (RHLS) aimed at learning in detail the connections between worklife characteristics, retirement timing, and the determinants of style, quality, and conduct of retirement. With the 1969 study as a baseline, this study, along with subsequent biennial studies, record the retirement process as it developed. To provide information on pre-retirement lives and attitudes of respondents, questions were asked regarding labor force history, retirement and retirement plans, health, household, family and social activities, income, assets, and debts for respondents and their spouses. Detailed information is provided on the sources and size of income and assets, as well as debts. Questions also focussed on retirement patterns and determinants of retirement timing, especially the relationship between pre-retirement income and expected post-retirement income. Also examined was the influence exerted by health, anticipated post-retirement needs and resources, employer policies, and significant work history. Labor force questions covered the respondents' occupation and attitudes toward that occupation, number of hours worked, salary, and unemployment and job-seeking behavior. Information on retirement plans included whether and when the respondents planned to retire, reasons for retirement, whether they had made retirement plans, such as moving residences or working after retirement, expected expenses and resources, workplace pension plans, amount of benefits, Social Security benefits, and subjective attitudes toward retirement. Respondents who were already partially or fully retired were asked to report retrospectively on retirement age, reasons for retirement, and whether they had planned for retirement prior to actually retiring. Questions on health experience included a measure of the respondents' physical health, hospitalization, health insurance coverage and other resources for payment of medical expenses, prescription and non-prescription medicines, and other medical supplies and services. Questions were asked concerning activity and income, including proximity and frequency of contact with close relatives, and receipt of financial support from relatives. Information on food and housing, transportation, gifts, and travel expenses was also gathered to provide a measure of changes in retirement lifestyle. Demographic items specify sex, age, marital status, education, income, benefits amount, assets, debts, number of children and children attending school, and household composition and relationship. Of the 10,169 cases contained in the data file, 245 cases represent interviews with surviving spouses of respondents who died sometime after the original 1969 survey.

This longitudinal study is the third in a series of six surveys conducted to investigate the nature of retirement and the transition to a retirement lifestyle in the United States. The first longitudinal study to concentrate on the process of retirement and to include change over a period of time as an object of study, the six surveys in the Retirement History Longitudinal Survey (RHLS) aimed at learning in detail the connections between worklife characteristics, retirement timing, and the determinants of style, quality, and conduct of retirement. With the 1969 study as a baseline, this study, along with subsequent biennial studies, record the retirement process as it developed. To provide information on pre-retirement lives and attitudes of respondents, questions were asked regarding labor force history, retirement and retirement plans, health, household, family and social activities, income, assets, and debts for respondents and their spouses. Detailed information is provided on the sources and size of income and assets, as well as debts. Questions also focussed on retirement patterns and determinants of retirement timing, especially the relationship between pre-retirement income and expected post-retirement income. Also examined was the influence exerted by health, anticipated post-retirement needs and resources, employer policies, and significant work history. Labor force questions covered the respondents' occupation and attitude toward that occupation, number of hours worked, salary, unemployment, and job-seeking behavior. Information on retirement plans included whether and when the respondents planned to retire, reasons for retirement, whether they had made retirement plans, such as moving residences or working, expected expenses and resources, and subjective attitudes toward retirement. Respondents who were already partially or fully retired were asked to report retrospectively on retirement age, reasons for retirement, and whether they had planned for retirement prior to actually retiring. Questions on health experience pertained to the calendar year prior to the interview, and included receipts and costs of physical examinations and dentist visits, hospitalization, prescription and non-prescription medicines, other medical supplies and services, health insurance coverage and other resources for payment of medical expenses, and a measure of the respondent's own physical health. Questions were also asked concerning activity and income, including proximity and frequency of contact with close relatives, and receipt of financial support from relatives. Information on food and housing, transportation, gifts, and travel expenses was also gathered to provide a measure of changes in retirement lifestyle. Demographic items specify sex, age, marital status, education, income, benefits amount, assets, debts, number of children and children attending school, and household composition and relationship. Of the 9,423 cases included in the data file, 495 cases represent interviews with surviving spouses of the original respondents who died sometime after the original 1969 survey.

The Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) is a multidisciplinary and cross-national panel database of micro data on the health, socio-economic status, and social and family networks of older adults (aged 50 years and over) throughout Europe. Designed to provide a full picture of the aging process, SHARE collects data on a range of topics including health conditions, physical and cognitive functioning, mental health, life satisfaction, employment, income, education, social networks, and social support mechanisms. The first wave of SHARE data collection occurred in 2004-2005, the second wave in 2006-2007, and the third wave in 2008-2009. SHARE has been harmonized with the United States HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY (HRS) [ICPSR6854], and the ENGLISH LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF AGEING (ELSA) [ICPSR0139].

The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) is a multidisciplinary and cross-national database of micro data on health, socio-economic status and social and family networks of individuals aged 50 or over which was designed after the role models of the United States Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). SHARE-Israel was added to the collection during 2005 and 2006 and required a complex adaptation of the SHARE survey instruments for implementation in Israel. In order to access the three major population groups that make up Israeli society, veteran Jewish-Israelis, Arab-Israelis and new immigrants from the former Soviet Union after 1989, it was necessary to translate the CAPI questionnaire and the drop off questionnaire into Hebrew, Arabic and Russian. Data collected include health variables (e.g., self-reported health, physical functioning, cognitive functioning, health behavior, use of health care facilities), psychological variables (e.g., psychological health, well-being, life satisfaction), economic variables such as (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). Two physical performance measures were also employed. The first was grip strength, the respondent's maximum handgrip strength measured by means of a dynamometer. The second physical performance measure was walking speed, which was asked only of persons aged 75 and older. This physical measurement involved asking the respondent to walk a certain distance and measuring the time it took for the respondent to complete the task. Unique to SHARE-Israel were questions in the drop-off questionnaire regarding trauma. Respondents were asked about difficult life events that they had experienced and the degree to which they were affected by them. The events were drawn from the following areas (1) having personally suffered injury in war, in a terrorist attack, a grave illness or accident, (2) having witnessed injury or death in war, in a terrorist attack, and/or in an accident or crime, (3) having been a victim of crime, abuse, sexual harassment and/or severe economic adversity, (4) having had a close person injured or lost due to war, a terrorist attack, accident or grave illness, (5) loss of spouse and/or offspring, and (6) having provided or received long term care due to functional disability. A separate inventory chronicled respondents' exposure to the Holocaust. Also included in the drop-off questionnaire were questions regarding pension reform: which addressed respondents' awareness of the legislated delay in the age of eligibility for retirement pension in Israel, (for men, age 67 and for women, age 64). It also inquired about implications of the change in pension age, information regarding personal plans for employment or retirement in light of the change, and sources of income that would be used to bridge the period between retirement and receipt of pension, if early retirement was contemplated. Full details regarding SHARE can be located at the SHARE Web site.

The Swedish Adoption/Twin Study on Aging (SATSA) was designed to study the origins of individual differences in aging and the environmental and genetic factors that are involved. SATSA began in 1984, and six additional waves were conducted in 1987, 1990, 1993, 2004, 2007, and 2010. The questionnaire was initially sent to all twins from the Swedish Twin Registry who were separated at an early age and raised apart; the survey was also administered to a control sample of twins who were raised together. The respondents were surveyed on items that included health status, how they were raised, work environment, alcohol consumption, and dietary and smoking habits, as well as questions about personality and attitudes; this information comprised the first component. The second component was collected from a subsample composed of 150 pairs of twins raised apart and 150 pairs of twins raised together. This subsample participated in seven waves of in-person testing, which included a health examination, structured interviews, and tests on functional capacity, cognitive abilities, and memory. The data are represented according to questionnaire and time number, and correspond to each wave/year: Questionnaire 1 and In-Person Testing Time 1 were in 1984; Questionnaire 2 and In-Person Testing Time 2 were in 1987; Questionnaire 3 and In-Person Testing Time 3 were in 1990; Questionnaire 4 and In-Person Testing Time 4 were in 1993; Questionnaire 5 was in 2003; In-Person Testing Time 5 was in 2004; Questionnaire 6 and In-Person Testing Time 6 were in 2007; In-Person Testing Time 7 was in 2010. The Administrative and Cognitive datasets include data from all years/waves. The Smell Survey dataset only includes data from 1990. No years were specified for the Contact measures and Separation measures datasets. Demographic and background information includes age, sex, education, family history, household composition and employment.