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Curated

Detroit Area Study, 1993: Health and Aging (ICPSR 2839)

Released/updated on: 2001-03-26

Geographic coverage: Detroit, United States, Michigan

The 1993 Detroit Area Study explored a variety of issues related to health, the effects of aging, living conditions, and participation in civic life in the Michigan tri-county area of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. A battery of questions probed respondents' perceptions of their health and mental state and those of their spouse, their ability to perform certain physical and mental activities, and the effect of their emotional state on their appetite and sleeping patterns. Other explored their feelings about neighborhood safety, means of transportation, relationships, accommodation, the portrayal of older people on television programs, and the treatment of older people by employers. The survey also sought respondents' opinions about government, their personal financial situation and problems, money management, savings and investments, and their life as a whole. Additional items questioned respondents about the frequency of their visits to the doctor, overnight hospitalization, chronic health conditions, smoking and drinking habits, and medical coverage, as well as electoral participation, political party preference, ideological leanings, class self-identification, assistance received from community organizations, family, and friends, personal regrets, and time spent watching television and engaging in pleasurable activities. Other questions gauged respondents' memory, vision, and motor skills. Respondents also provided demographic information on sex, age, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, and education.

Curated

National Survey of the Aged [United States], 1962 (ICPSR 7687)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: United States

This data collection contains the results of a survey of the aged in the United States in 1962. The study gathered information on the health, economic status, living arrangements, and family relationships of persons aged 65 years and older. The emphasis of the survey was on the general physical capacity of older people, the relationship of physical capacity to economic conditions, employment and retirement patterns, housing, and family and social relationships. The survey was designed to produce national estimates of the needs of older persons. In particular, the services that facilitate continued independent living arrangements were examined. The survey was conducted by the National Opinion Research Center and was part of a three-nation study in Denmark, Great Britain, and the United States (see NATIONAL SURVEY OF THE AGED [UNITED STATES], 1957 [ICPSR 7686] and NATIONAL SURVEY OF THE AGED, 1975 [ICPSR 7945]). In personal interviews respondents who were currently employed (and those who were retired or housewives) were asked for employment details and occupational history, their attitudes about work and retirement, and descriptions of their physical health, with specific questions asked of both nonambulatory and housebound persons, (e.g., if they needed and/or received help with various personal care tasks, what specific illness kept them indoors, and who provided their in-home care). Respondents were also asked for information about their children and relatives (e.g., the amount of financial help received from them, the number of times each sibling and child visited, and the amount of time it would take each to make the trip to the respondent's dwelling) and their finances (e.g., living expenses, life insurance, value of property, amount of mortgage payment or rent, and amount and sources of income). Other questions concerned attitudes about aging (e.g., if respondents were satisfied with their life accomplishments, if they believed in an afterlife, and how often they experienced feelings of loneliness and isolation). The interviewers provided observational data about respondents (e.g., level of cooperation and alertness and ability to hear and see). Demographic data gathered include age, sex, marital status, relationship to head of household, number of persons in household, type of household, country of origin, age when arrived in the United States, last grade or year of school completed, religious preference, and if living on a farm.