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Curated

Aging in the Eighties: America in Transition, 1981 (ICPSR 8691)

Released/updated on: 2005-11-04

Geographic coverage: United States

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.

Curated

American Perceptions of Aging in the 21st Century [APA21], 2000 (ICPSR 3326)

Released/updated on: 2005-11-04

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 1999-01-01--2000-01-01

This survey, the third in a series of studies conducted by the National Council on the Aging, was undertaken to record changes in views about aging among older people as well as younger adults. The series began with the MYTH AND REALITY OF AGING, 1974 (ICPSR 7657) and was followed by AGING IN THE EIGHTIES: AMERICA IN TRANSITION, 1981 (ICPSR 8691). This study, done in collaboration with the International Longevity Center - USA, Ltd., updates topics from MYTH AND REALITY OF AGING with items that explore the ideas and beliefs about aging. Major issues touched upon include the myth of generational warfare, aging experiences in the past 25 years, retirement, health, and anticipations of a long life. Demographic variables include race, age, gender, religion, education, and income.

Curated

Center for Research on Social Reality [Spain] Survey, May 1995: Old Age (ICPSR 6969)

Released/updated on: 1998-01-13

Geographic coverage: Europe, Global, Spain

Time period: 1995-05-15--1995-05-20

This data collection is part of a series of nationwide surveys conducted from October 1990 to June 1996 in Spain. The questionnaires for each of these surveys consisted of three sections. The first section collected information on respondents' attitudes regarding personal, national, and international issues, and included questions on respondents' level of life satisfaction and frequency of visits with relatives, neighbors, and friends. The second section contained a topical module of questions that varied from survey to survey, with this survey's topic focusing on old age. The survey gauged attitudes regarding old age and the elderly, and investigated actual circumstances of elderly life in Spain, such as living arrangements, daily levels of physical activity, amount of health problems experienced during the past two weeks, consumption of tobacco and alcohol, frequency of sexual relations, retirement status and age at retirement, leisure activities, and use of social services. Questions in the third section of the questionnaire elicited socioeconomic information, such as respondent's sex, age, marital status, size of household, occupation, education, religion, religiosity, place of birth, and income.

Curated

Simple Crosstabs

Cornell Study of Occupational Retirement, 1952 - 1958 (ICPSR 34918)

Released/updated on: 2014-04-29

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 1952-01-01--1958-01-01

The Cornell Study of Occupational Retirement is a national, longitudinal study of retirement that began in 1952 and was likely the first large-scale study of retirement behavior. The study aimed to understand and follow the transition from work to retirement -- a "well-defined" life transition in the 1950s. The study followed a cohort of 64-year-old workers into their retirement years. Over the course of the 6-year study, over 50 percent of the respondents retired. The survey includes a wide range of questions regarding: sociodemographic characteristics, family, daily activities, work (type of work and work satisfaction), economic status (income, homeownership, and household size), pensions, age identity, age stereotypes, retirement plans, health, life satisfaction and adjustment to the retirement transition.

Unique features of the study include: (1) Gender. Both men and women were surveyed. Much of our current understanding of retirement behavior mid-century (and even into the 1970s) is based on men's experiences. The Cornell Study includes female workers, both unmarried and married. (2) Longitudinal Design. Most retirement studies at that point in history were small-scale and cross-sectional. (3) Health Information. In addition to self-reported health information from the respondents, medical directors at the sampled companies were interviewed and asked to conduct a standardized physical examination of the employees in the sample -- the medical records on the respondents have been retained. These data are in hard-copy paper format. Thus, it appears that no meaningful analysis of the data has yet been conducted.

This study consists of data from the first wave of the project, conducted in 1952, along with waves 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the study, conducted in 1954, '55, '57, and '58, respectively. As the follow-up surveys for this longitudinal research, it provides useful information on changes in retirees' attitudes toward retirement and its accompanying life circumstances.

Curated

Decision Making on Early Retirement, 1965-1969 (ICPSR 7433)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-12

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 1965-01-01--1969-01-01

This study, designed by the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, and the Michigan Health and Social Security Research Institute, attempted to identify factors that weighed most heavily in the decision to retire voluntarily. Survey questions investigated attitudes toward employment (including positive or negative evaluation of income earned and of the kind of work done) as well as the evaluation of conditions anticipated under retirement (including satisfaction or dissatisfaction with expected retirement income and appreciation or dislike of leisure). These core items were supplemented with an assessment of situations and attitudes of respondents who were already retired. Part 1 includes data from 1,123 workers in the automobile industry, interviewed in 1967. In Part 2, data from Part 1 are merged with information obtained from 943 auto workers reinterviewed in 1969. The auto workers sample was chosen for its relative homogeneity and recourse to expanded retirement benefits. All respondents in this sample were aged 58-61, members of United Auto Workers, and employed at four automobile companies located in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Part 3 contains data from a cross-section sample of private households, included in this study in an attempt to broaden the investigation by placing the auto workers sample in correlation with a nationally representative sample, diverse in age, income, occupation, and retirement provisions. SURVEY OF CONSUMER FINANCES, 1966 (ICPSR 7446) provided data for 2,419 households, and information about another 1,228 households was obtained from SURVEY OF CONSUMER ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR, SUMMER 1966 (ICPSR 3620). Demographic information includes age, sex, race, marital status, level of education, and religious preference.

Curated

Detroit Area Study, 1988: Perspectives on the Care of the Elderly (ICPSR 6411)

Released/updated on: 1995-10-12

Geographic coverage: Detroit, United States, Michigan

The 1988 Detroit Area Study addressed attitudes toward issues such as retirement age, Social Security, funding for the care of the elderly, perceptions of the elderly, and personal experiences with care of the elderly. Respondents were also asked about their views regarding government spending on elderly assistance, health care, welfare, and job programs. Demographic characteristics of respondents include employment status, years of residency in the Detroit area, education, religion, age, sex, race, and income.

Curated

English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) (ICPSR 139)

Released/updated on: 2006-06-19

Geographic coverage: Great Britain, Global

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.

Curated

Euro-barometer 37.1: Consumer Goods and Social Security, April-May 1992 (ICPSR 9957)

Released/updated on: 2000-09-25

Geographic coverage: United Kingdom, Portugal, Global, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, France, Germany

Time period: 1992-04-20--1992-05-24

This round of Euro-Barometer surveys queried respondents on standard Euro-Barometer measures such as public awareness of and attitudes toward the Common Market and the European Community (EC), and also focused on consumer goods, Social Security, health care and health care benefits, the elderly, retirement, and alcohol and drug use. Questions concerning consumer goods asked whether respondents read product information before purchasing, what additional product information they would like to see, what three things other than price were most important in deciding whether to purchase an item, and whether it was necessary to have the same type of product information available for all members of the European Community (EC). Respondents' attitudes and opinions on Social Security were probed with questions that asked whether they agreed that Social Security properly protects the unemployed, the elderly, the sick or disabled, those with work-related injuries or illness, and the poor. Respondents were also asked whether policies on pensions, minimum income, and unemployment should be decided by national governments or by the EC, and whether foreigners should have the same Social Security benefits as citizens. The general health of respondents and their health care benefits were assessed through questions that asked whether they had a long-standing illness, disability, or infirmity, whether they had cut down their activity due to illness or injury, and whether they had taken medicine or talked to a doctor within the last 30 days. Respondents were also queried about which conditions they would see a doctor for and what type of examinations they had had in the past three years. Respondents were asked to rate what they paid for various medical services, the general quality of their health care, and the nature and availability of health insurance. The main problems facing the elderly and the role the elderly play in society were also topics of investigation in this survey. Questions elicited respondents' views toward possible changes in pension terms, whether retirement should occur at a fixed age, what types of discrimination affect the elderly who are working, whether the government should introduce laws to try to stop age discrimination, whether a minimum level of income should be provided to the elderly, and whether the elderly needing personal care should go into residential/nursing homes or should have social services help them remain in their homes for as long as possible. Respondents were also asked whether they provided long-term care to anyone either living with them or not living with them, who was in the best position to decide which services are most important for the elderly, what the best method of financing long-term care for the elderly was, and whether the EC was doing enough with regard to the elderly. Questions on retirement dealt with what ages respondents retired/planned to retire, whether the retired felt their pensions to be adequate, whether working people looked forward to retiring, whether pensions should be extended to widows and dependent children, whether pensions should be reduced for those who work for earned income beyond retirement, and whether pensions should be provided through government taxation, employer/employee contributions, or private contracts between workers and pension companies. Queries about alcohol and drug usage probed the use of beer, wine, spirits, and other forms of alcohol, age at which the respondent began drinking, familiarity with major forms of drugs, age at which drugs were first offered, how difficult it was to get drugs, and the means available for getting drugs. Additional questions focused on how the respondent viewed the drug problem, the top priority in eliminating the drug problem, diminishing the effects of drug use, whether drug use leads to AIDS, prostitution, health problems, social problems, violence, suicide, personality breakdowns, and problems with the law, and the major reasons for alcohol and drug use. Demographic and other background information was gathered on life satisfaction, number of people residing in the home, size of locality, home ownership, trade union membership, region of residence, and occupation of the head of household, as well as the respondent's age, sex, marital status, education, occupation, work sector, religiosity, subjective social class, use of media, left-right political self-placement, and opinion leadership.

Curated

Eurobarometer 51.0: The Elderly and Domestic Violence, March-May 1999 (ICPSR 2864)

Released/updated on: 2007-01-26

Geographic coverage: Europe, United Kingdom, Portugal, Global, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Italy, France, Germany

Time period: 1999-03-01--1999-05-01

This round of Eurobarometer surveys queried respondents on standard Eurobarometer measures, such as whether they attempted to persuade others close to them to share their views on subjects they held strong opinions about, whether they discussed political matters, and what the goals of the European Union (EU) should be. Additional questions focused on the respondents' knowledge of and opinions on the EU, including how well-informed they felt about the EU, what sources of information about the EU they used, and whether their country had benefited from being an EU member. Another major focus of the surveys was elderly people and domestic violence. Respondents were asked whether retired people should be permitted to take paid employment and whether the government should introduce laws to try to stop age discrimination. Respondents were also queried as to whether they had extra family responsibilities involving looking after someone with a long-term illness or someone who was handicapped or elderly, and who respondents thought was in the best position to decide on the most appropriate services for elderly people needing long-term aid. The survey also explored violence against children and young people under age 18 as well as against women. Those queried were asked if they had heard of violence against women and children and what they believed constituted domestic violence against women and children. Given a situation in which a woman or child was a victim of violence, respondents were asked who might be the most likely perpetrator and what might be a general cause of violence against women and children. Respondents also commented on whether certain institutions and organizations should help victimized women and children, and ways that violence against women and children can be combatted. Demographic and other background information provided includes the respondent's age, gender, marital status, and left-right political self-placement, as well as household income, number of people residing in the home, occupation, religion, and region of residence.

Curated

Faculty Retirement in the Arts and Sciences: Source Data for 33 United States Colleges and Universities, 1985-1990 (ICPSR 9818)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-18

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 1985-01-01--1990-01-01

These data were compiled to permit analysis of issues surrounding delayed faculty retirement at doctorate-granting universities and selected liberal arts colleges. Variables in Part 1, the Transaction Data File, include school identification number, type of school, year of transaction event (retirement), age of faculty member after event occurred, academic discipline of faculty member, presence of mandatory retirement age, five-year age range of event, and type of pension plan in which faculty member was enrolled. Variables in Part 2, the Age Distribution Data file, include observation number, school code, academic discipline grouping, and type of school.

Curated

Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (ICPSR 6854)

Released/updated on: 2006-04-06

Geographic coverage: United States

The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a longitudinal panel study that surveys a representative sample of approximately 20,000 people in America, supported by the National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration.

The HRS aims to provide multidisciplinary data that researchers can use to address important questions about the challenges and opportunities of aging. The HRS includes the "original" HRS and the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest-Old (AHEAD) study. These studies were merged in 1998 and now represent the United States population over age 50. Two new cohorts were added in 1998: the Children of the Depression (born 1924-1930) and the War Babies (1942-1947). A fourth cohort, the Early Baby Boomers (1948-1953), was added in 2004; a fifth cohort, the Mid Baby Boomers (1954-1959), was added in 2010; and in 2016, the Late Baby Boomers cohort (1960-1965) became the sixth.

Questionnaire topics include physical and cognitive functioning, retirement plans, family structure and transfers, demographic characteristics, housing, employment status, income, disability, health insurance, pension plans, job history, and attitudes, preferences, and expectations for the future. The survey data are linked with administrative records from the Employer Pension Study (1993 and 1999), National Death Index, Social Security Administration earnings and projected benefits data and W-2 self-employment data, and Medicare files.

Curated

National Health Interview Survey, 1984 (ICPSR 8659)

Released/updated on: 2011-04-19

Geographic coverage: United States

The basic purpose of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is to obtain information about the amount and distribution of illness, its effects in terms of disability and chronic impairments, and the kinds of health services people receive. There are five types of records in this core survey, each in a separate data file. The variables in the Household File (Part 1) include type of living quarters, size of family, region, and type of sampling area. The Person File (Part 2) includes sex, age, race, marital status, veteran status, and education. These variables are found in the Condition, Doctor Visit, and Hospital Episode Files as well. The Person File also supplies data on height, weight, bed days, doctor visits, hospital stays, years at residence, and region variables. The Condition (Part 3), Doctor Visit (Part 4), and Hospital Episode (Part 5) Files contain information on each reported acute or chronic condition, doctor visit, or hospitalization, respectively. A sixth, seventh, and eighth file have been provided. The Health Insurance Supplement File (Part6) contains information on the type of health insurance held by each respondent from the Person file. Parts 7-8 comprise the Supplement on Aging (SOA) Files divided into Condition and Person Public Use Files respectively, and contain data on a subset of the NHIS population, those aged 55 and over. These files contain the same Condition and Person variables as Parts 2-3 but are supplemented by questions pertaining specifically to the subpopulation of older respondents. These additional variables cover family relationships and support, community and social support, occupation and retirement, nursing home stays, help with care, health opinions, and other health-related and social information about middle-aged and older people.

Curated

National Survey of the Aged, 1975 (ICPSR 7945)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: United States

This survey was conducted during the spring and summer of 1975 under a grant from the Administration on Aging and with supplemental funding from the Social Security Administration. It surveyed noninstitutionalized Americans aged 65 and older with a special focus on developing national estimates of the economic needs and social concerns of the elderly. The survey attempted to describe the aged population and to indicate the degree of health, financial independence, and familial support of 2,143 older Americans. Also studied were the work status of respondents, their past and present attitudes toward work, their desire for gainful employment, their income and assets, their evaluation of their own financial status, and their reported use of health and welfare services. The data collection comprises three files. Part 1 contains the general survey, Part 2 is a survey of proxy respondents, and Part 3 supplies information on persons who could not complete an interview.

Curated

National Survey of the Aged [United States], 1957 (ICPSR 7686)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30

Geographic coverage: United States

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.

Curated

Retirement History Longitudinal Survey, 1969 (ICPSR 7683)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: United States

This longitudinal study is the first in a series of six surveys conducted to investigate the nature of retirement in the United States and the transition to a retirement lifestyle. 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. This study was meant to gather first-year data as the baseline for future trend analysis on the sample. 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. Surviving members of this original 1969 sample were interviewed subsequently at two-year intervals. Labor force questions in this baseline survey covered the respondent's occupation and attitudes toward that occupation, number of hours worked, salary, and unemployment and job-seeking behavior. Information on retirement plans was also elicited, including 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 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 respondents' own physical health. 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 race, sex, age, marital status, education, income, benefits amount, assets, debts, number of children and children attending school, and household composition and relationship. Proxy respondents were not allowed to answer any questions in this survey, with the exception of spouses who could answer questions concerning spousal labor force history.

Curated

Retirement History Longitudinal Survey, 1969-1973, and Summary of Social Security Earnings: Merged Data (ICPSR 7739)

Released/updated on: 2005-11-04

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 1969-01-01--1973-01-01

This data collection includes selected variables from the first three waves of the RETIREMENT HISTORY LONGITUDINAL SURVEY, conducted in 1969, 1971, and 1973 (ICPSR 7683, 7684, and 7685) as well as the Retirement History Longitudinal Survey Summary of Social Security Earnings, compiled from Social Security records. The Summary Earnings variables document reported earnings, wages and salary, self-employment earnings, and agricultural employment for the original respondent as well as first and second spouses. The earnings information is pertinent for the years 1951-1974. The variables selected from the first three waves of the Retirement History Longitudinal Survey include employment information concerning current and past employment, number of hours worked, number of hours off work, how the job was found, gross pay and time unit of pay, pension plans from current job and past jobs, types of pensions, and types of benefits. The subset also includes items pertaining to work history of the respondent, retirement plans, and, if retired, plans to work in the future. Demographic information collected about respondents, their spouses, and other members of the household includes race, sex, age, date of birth, marital status, education, occupation, income, benefits amount, number of children and children attending school, and household composition and relationship.

Curated

Simple Crosstabs

Retirement History Longitudinal Survey, 1971 (ICPSR 7684)

Released/updated on: 2015-05-14

Geographic coverage: United States

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.

Curated

Retirement History Longitudinal Survey, 1973 (ICPSR 7685)

Released/updated on: 2008-03-18

Geographic coverage: United States

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.

Curated

Retirement History Longitudinal Survey, 1975 (ICPSR 7859)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: United States

This longitudinal study is the fourth 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 race, sex, age, marital status, education, income, benefits amount, assets, debts, number of children and children attending school, and household composition and relationship. Of the 8,716 cases included in the data file, 727 cases represent interviews with surviving spouses of original respondents who died sometime after the original 1969 survey.

Curated

Retirement History Longitudinal Survey, 1977 (ICPSR 7931)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: United States

This longitudinal study is the fifth 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 spouse. 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 leisure activities, proximity and frequency of contact with close relatives, and receipt of financial support from relatives. Information on food and housing, property ownership, and transportation was also gathered to provide a measure of changes in retirement lifestyle. Demographic items specify race, sex, age, marital status, education, income, benefits amount, assets, debts, number of children and children attending school, and household composition and relationship. Of the 7,993 cases contained in the data file, 7,079 cases represent interviews with original panel members and 914 with surviving spouses of original respondents who died after the initial 1969 survey.

Curated

Retirement History Longitudinal Survey, 1979 (ICPSR 8344)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: United States

This longitudinal study is the last 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 since 1969, 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 leisure activities, socialization, proximity and frequency of contact with close relatives, and receipt of financial support from relatives. Information on food and housing, property ownership, and transportation was also gathered to provide a measure of changes in retirement lifestyle. Demographic items specify race, sex, age, marital status, education, income, benefits amount, assets, debts, number of children and children attending school, and household composition and relationship. Of the 7,352 cases contained in the data file, 1,082 cases represent interviews with surviving spouses of the original respondents who died after the initial 1969 survey.

Curated

Status of the Elderly, 1972 (ICPSR 7694)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: United States

This study contains merged data from the March 1972 Current Population Survey of the United States Census Bureau and the Social Security Administration's benefit record system. The primary objective of the survey was to provide the Social Security Administration with information on the population aged 60 and older in terms of work rates, amount and sources of total money income, and beneficiaries. Information provided by the survey focuses on three areas: (1) the effects of retirement benefit amount on decisions to work, (2) the effectiveness of old age, survivors', disability, and health insurance programs in meeting the needs of those who have retired, either partly or fully, because of ill health, poor skills, mandatory retirement, or the desire for leisure time, and (3) future trends in work and retirement patterns. Demographic variables specify age, sex, race, date of birth, ethnicity, occupation, and income.

Curated

Survey of Aging Veterans, 1983: [United States] (ICPSR 8479)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: United States

The Survey of Aging Veterans was designed to provide the Veterans Administration with information needed to plan for the demands of United States veterans for medical and pension benefits over the next decade and beyond. The goal of the study was to be able to make estimates of future demands and future support needed for the rapidly expanding older veteran population. The survey yielded data on the current social, economic, and health status of noninstitutionalized veterans aged 65 and older, their patterns of utilization of Veterans Administration facilities and benefits, and future expectations regarding use of Veterans Administration programs and services. The survey also profiled the social, economic, and health status of the veteran cohorts aged 55 to 64 who will become eligible for Veterans Administration benefits over the next decade. Variables in this data collection include age, marital status, veteran status, employment, medical conditions, functional status, activity level, health and life insurance coverage, financial status, use of health care services, use of Veterans Administration benefits and services, future expectations regarding such things as personal health, finances, and need for support services, and experience with and attitudes toward Veterans Administration programs and benefits. The survey was conducted for the Veterans Administration by Louis Harris and Associates.

Curated

Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) (ICPSR 24981)

Released/updated on: 2009-02-26

Geographic coverage: Europe, Switzerland, Global, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, Ireland, Denmark, Poland, Italy, Israel, Slovenia, France, Germany

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].

Curated

The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) -- Israel, 2005-2006 (ICPSR 22160)

Released/updated on: 2008-11-21

Geographic coverage: Israel, Global

Time period: 2005-01-01--2006-01-01

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.

Curated

Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) [1984 Panel] (ICPSR 8317)

Released/updated on: 2002-09-03

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 1983-06-01--1986-06-01

This longitudinal survey was designed to add significantly to the amount of detailed information available on the economic situation of households and persons in the United States. These data examine the level of economic well-being of the population and also provide information on how economic situations relate to the demographic and social characteristics of individuals. There are three basic elements contained in the survey. The first is a control card that records basic social and demographic characteristics for each person in a household, as well as changes in such characteristics over the course of the interviewing period. The second element is the core portion of the questionnaire, with questions repeated at each interview on labor force activity, types and amounts of income, participation in various cash and noncash benefit programs, attendance in postsecondary schools, private health insurance coverage, public or subsidized rental housing, low-income energy assistance, and school breakfast and lunch participation. The third element consists of topical modules which are series of supplemental questions asked during selected household visits. No topical modules were created for the first or second waves. The Wave III Rectangular Core and Topical Module File offers both the core data and additional data on (1) education and work history and (2) health and disability. In the areas of education and work history, data are supplied on the highest level of schooling attained, courses or programs studied in high school and after high school, whether the respondent received job training, and if so, for how long and under what program (e.g., CETA or WIN). Other items pertain to the respondent's general job history and include a description of selected previous jobs, duration of jobs, and reasons for periods spent not working. Health and disability variables present information on the general condition of the respondent's health, functional limitations, work disability, and the need for personal assistance. Data are also provided on hospital stays or periods of illness, health facilities used, and whether health insurance plans (private or Medicare) were available. Respondents whose children had physical, mental, or emotional problems were questioned about the causes of the problems and whether the children attended regular schools. The Wave IV Rectangular Core and Topical Module file contains both the core data and sets of questions exploring the subjects of (1) assets and liabilities, (2) retirement and pension coverage, and (3) housing costs, conditions, and energy usage. Some of the major assets for which data are provided are savings accounts, stocks, mutual funds, bonds, Keogh and IRA accounts, home equity, life insurance, rental property, and motor vehicles. Data on unsecured liabilities such as loans, credit cards, and medical bills also are included. Retirement and pension information covers such items as when respondents expect to stop working, whether they will receive retirement benefits, whether their employers have retirement plans, if so whether they are eligible, and how much they expect to receive per year from these plans. In the category of housing costs, conditions, and energy usage, variables pertain to mortgage payments, real estate taxes, fire insurance, principal owed, when the mortgage was obtained, interest rates, rent, type of fuel used, heating facilities, appliances, and vehicles. The Wave V topical modules explore the subject areas of (1) child care, (2) welfare history and child support, (3) reasons for not working/reservation wage, and (4) support for nonhousehold members/work-related expenses. Data on child care include items on child care arrangements such as who provides the care, the number of hours of care per week, where the care is provided, and the cost. Questions in the areas of welfare history and child support focus on receipt of aid from specific welfare programs and child support agreements and their fulfillment. The reasons for not working/reservation wage module presents data on why persons are not in the labor force and the conditions under which they might join the labor force. Additional variables cover job search activities, pay rate required, and reason for refusal of a job offer. The set of questions dealing with nonhousehold members/work-related expenses contains items on regular support payments for nonhousehold members and expenses associated with a job such as union dues, licenses, permits, special tools, uniforms, or travel expenses. Information is supplied in the Wave VII Topical Module file on (1) assets and liabilities, (2) pension plan coverage, and (3) real estate property and vehicles. Variables pertaining to assets and liabilities are similar to those contained in the topical module for Wave IV. Pension plan coverage items include whether the respondent will receive retirement benefits, whether the employer offers a retirement plan and if the respondent is included in the plan, and contributions by the employer and the employee to the plan. Real estate property and vehicles data include information on mortgages held, amount of principal still owed and current interest rate on mortgages, rental and vacation properties owned, and various items pertaining to vehicles belonging to the household. Wave VIII Topical Module includes questions on support for nonhousehold members, work-related expenses, marital history, migration history, fertility history, and household relationships. Support for nonhousehold members includes data for children and adults not in the household. Weekly and annual work-related expenses are documented. Widowhood, divorce, separation, and marriage dates are part of the marital history. Birth expectations as well as dates of birth for all the householder's children, in the household or elsewhere, are recorded in the fertility history. Migration history data supplies information on birth history of the householder's parents, number of times moved, and moving expenses. Household relationships lists the exact relationships among persons living in the household. Part 49, Wave IX Rectangular Core and Topical Module Research File, includes data on annual income, retirement accounts, taxes, school enrollment, and financing. This topical module research file has not been edited nor imputed, but has been topcoded or bottomcoded and recoded if necessary by the Census Bureau to avoid disclosure of individual respondents' identities.

Curated

Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) [1990 Panel] (ICPSR 9722)

Released/updated on: 2002-09-19

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 1989-10-01--1992-08-01

This data collection is part of a longitudinal survey designed to provide detailed information on the economic situation of households and persons in the United States. These data examine the distribution of income, wealth, and poverty in American society and gauge the effects of federal and state programs on the well-being of families and individuals.

There are three basic elements contained in the survey. The first is a control card that records basic social and demographic characteristics for each person in a household, as well as changes in such characteristics over the course of the interviewing period. The second element is the core portion of the questionnaire, with questions repeated at each interview on labor force activity, types and amounts of income, participation in various cash and noncash benefit programs, attendance in post-secondary schools, private health insurance coverage, public or subsidized rental housing, low-income energy assistance, and school breakfast and lunch participation. The third element consists of topical modules, which are a series of supplemental questions asked during selected household visits.

Topical modules include some core data to help link individuals to the core files.

A topical module was not created for Wave I. The Wave II Topical Module (Part 17) covers recipiency, employment, work disability, education and training, marital status, migration, and fertility histories along with household relationships. The Wave III Topical Module (Part 19) includes data on work schedules, child care, child support agreements, support for nonhousehold members, functional limitations and disability, and utilization of health care services. Data from the Wave IV Topical Module (Part 21) include assets and liabilities, retirement expectations and pension plan coverage, and real estate property and vehicles. The Wave V Topical Module (Part 23) provides data on educational financing and enrollment. The Wave VI Topical Module (Part 25) covers time spent outside the work force, child care, child support agreements, support for nonhousehold members, functional limitations and disability, and utilization of health care services. Data in the Wave VII Topical Module (Part 27) cover selected financial assets, medical expenses and work disability, and real estate, shelter costs, dependent care, and vehicles. Wave VIII Topical Module (Part 29) includes data on annual income and retirement accounts, taxes, and school enrollment and financing. Part 33 of this study is the Wave V Topical Module Research File, an unedited version of Part 23. This research file has not been edited nor imputed but has been topcoded or bottomcoded and recoded if necessary by the Census Bureau to avoid disclosure of individual respondents' identities.

Curated

Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) [1991 Panel] (ICPSR 9855)

Released/updated on: 2002-09-19

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 1990-10-01--1992-08-01

Topical modules include some core data to help link individuals to the core files.

A topical module was not created for the first wave of the 1991 Panel. The Wave 2 Topical Module (Part 5) covers employment, work disability, education and training, marital status, migration, fertility history, and receipt of benefits from government programs. The Wave 3 Topical Module (Part 9) includes data concerning work schedule, child care, child support agreements, support for nonhousehold members, functional limitations and disability, and utilization of health care services. Data in the Wave 4 Topical Module (Part 13) include selected financial assets, medical expenses and work disability, real estate, shelter costs, dependent care, and vehicles. The Wave 5 Topical Module (Part 17) covers annual income and retirement accounts, taxes, and school enrollment and financing. The Wave 6 Topical Module (Part 20) includes information on consumer durables, living conditions, and basic needs. The Wave 7 Topical Module (Part 22) focuses on assets and liabilities, retirement expectations and pension plan coverage, and real estate property and vehicles. The Wave 8 Topical Module (Part 24) covers school enrollment and financing. Part 26 of this study is the Wave 5 Topical Module Microdata Research File, an unedited version of Part 17. This research file has not been edited nor imputed but has been topcoded or bottomcoded and recoded if necessary by the Census Bureau to avoid disclosure of individual respondents' identities.

Curated

Survey of Newly-Entitled Social Security Beneficiaries, 1970 (ICPSR 7659)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

This data collection contains survey information gathered from a sample of people who had recently filed for Social Security benefits or enrolled for Medicare in 1970. The purpose of the study was to learn the extent to which the Social Security program was meeting the needs and expectations of persons entitled to benefits. Respondents supplied information concerning their health, health insurance, physical disabilities, job characteristics of current/last/longest employment (e.g., type of industry, private, federal government, state or local government, self-employed, or working without pay), hours worked per week, reasons for leaving longest job, attitudes about adequacy of income, types of income currently receiving, ability to afford to stop working, type of retirement (e.g., early, compulsory, willing, or unwilling), pension plans, and attitudes toward Social Security benefits. Other demographic information includes home ownership, highest grade completed, marital status, and spouse's income and job type. Survey responses are linked with administrative data. The units of analysis are persons and earnings.

Curated

Simple Crosstabs

Swedish Adoption/Twin Study on Aging (SATSA), 1984, 1987, 1990, 1993, 2004, 2007, and 2010 (ICPSR 3843)

Released/updated on: 2015-05-13

Geographic coverage: Sweden, Global

Time period: 1984-01-01--2010-01-01

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.