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The Americans' Changing Lives (ACL) survey series is an ongoing, nationally representative, longitudinal study focusing especially on differences between Black and White Americans in middle and late life. These data constitute the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth waves in a panel survey covering a wide range of sociological, psychological, mental, and physical health items. Wave I of the study began in 1986 with a nation face-to-face survey of 3,617 adults ages 25 and up, with Black Americans and people aged 60 and over over-sampled at twice the rate of the others. Wave II constitutes face-to-face re-interviews in 1989 of those still alive. Survivors have been re-interviewed by telephone, and when necessary face-to-face, in 1994 (Wave III), 2001/02 (Wave IV), 2011 (Wave V), and 2019/21 (Wave VI).

Please note that for Wave VI, the majority of data collection occurred in 2019, with only a small subset (n=39) of participants surveyed in 2021.

ACL was designed and sought to investigate the following: (1) The ways in which a wide range of activities and social relationships that people engage in are broadly "productive," (2) how individuals adapt to acute life events and chronic stresses that threaten the maintenance of health, effective functioning, and productive activity, and (3) sociocultural variations in the nature, meaning, determinants, and consequences of productive activity and relationships. Among the topics covered are interpersonal relationships (spouse/partner, children, parents, friends), sources and levels of satisfaction, social interactions and leisure activities, traumatic life events (physical assault, serious illness, divorce, death of a loved one, financial or legal problems), perceptions of retirement, health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight, rest), and utilization of health care services (doctor visits, hospitalization, nursing home institutionalization, bed days). Also included are measures of physical health, psychological well-being, and indices referring to cognitive functioning.

Demographic information provided for individuals includes household composition, number of children and grandchildren, employment status, occupation and work history, income, family financial situation, religious beliefs and practices, ethnicity, race, education, sex, and region of residence.

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.

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.

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.

The Hispanic EPESE provides data on risk factors for mortality and morbidity in older Mexican Americans in order to contrast how these factors operate differently than in non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans, and other major ethnic groups.

The Wave 9 dataset comprises the eighth follow-up of the baseline Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly, 1993-1994: [Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas] (ICPSR 2851). The baseline Hispanic EPESE collected data on a representative sample of community-dwelling Mexican Americans, aged 65 years and older, residing in the five Southwestern states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

The public-use data covers demographic characteristics (age, sex, type of Hispanic race, income, education, marital status, number of children, employment, and religion), height, weight, social and physical functioning, chronic conditions, related health problems, health behaviors, self-reported use of dental, hospital, and nursing home services, and depression. Subsequent follow-ups allow examination of the predictors of mortality, changes in health outcomes, institutionalization, changes in living arrangements, as well as changes in life situations and quality of life.

During this 9th Wave (Dataset 1), 2016, 480 re-interviews were conducted either in person or by proxy, with 283 of the original respondents interviewed in 1993-1994. This Wave also includes 197 re-interviews from the 902 new respondents added at Wave 5 in 2004-2005. All respondents were aged 85 and over at Wave 9.

The Wave 9 Informant Interviews dataset (Dataset 2) includes data from interviews with 460 respondents who provided information on themselves as well as the older respondents. The older respondents were asked to provide the name and contact information of the person they are "closer to" or they "depend on the most for help." These INFORMANTS, many of whom provide caregiving support to the older respondents, were contacted, and interviewed regarding the health, function, social situation, finances, and general well-being of the older Hispanic EPESE respondents. Information was also collected on the informant's health, function, and caregiver responsibilities and burden. This dataset includes information from the 460 informants, more than two-thirds of whom were children of the respective respondents. Thus, there are 460 respondent-informant dyads that provide opportunities for caregiving research.

The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA Study) project tracked the incidence of physical and cognitive impairment as well as dementia and cardiovascular diseases in elderly Latinos in the Sacramento, California, region. The SALSA project aimed to assess cognitive, physical and social functions, which include the ability to follow instructions, to perform certain movements, and to interact with others. The study explored the effects that cultural, nutritional, social and cardiovascular risk factors have on overall health and dementia, and examined the association between diabetes and functional status. Demographic information includes age given at follow-up visits, country of birth, language, religion, marital status, educational level, occupation, household income, and size of household.

This study contains demographic variables for the the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA) Series and can be used with ICPSR studies 22760, 29321, 29322, 29323. Demographic variables include gender, primary language, country of origin, state of birth, cause of death, 2000 census tract codes, birth date, date of death, and age given at follow-up visits.

About SALSA: The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA Study) project tracked the incidence of physical and cognitive impairment as well as dementia and cardiovascular diseases in elderly Latinos in the Sacramento, California, region. The SALSA project aimed to assess cognitive, physical, and social functions, which include the ability to follow instructions, to perform certain movements, and to interact with others. The study explored the effects that cultural, nutritional, social, and cardiovascular risk factors have on overall health and dementia, and examined the association between diabetes and functional status.

The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA Study) project tracked the incidence of physical and cognitive impairment as well as dementia and cardiovascular diseases in elderly Latinos in the Sacramento, California, region. The SALSA project aimed to assess cognitive, physical, and social functions, which include the ability to follow instructions, to perform certain movements, and to interact with others. The study explored the effects that cultural, nutritional, social, and cardiovascular risk factors have on overall health and dementia, and examined the association between diabetes and functional status. This study contains the neuroclinical exam data from the SALSA project. Demographic information includes age given at follow-up visits, country of birth, language, religion, marital status, educational level, occupation, household income, and size of household.

The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA Study) was a longitudinal cohort study of 1,789 community-dwelling Mexican Americans residing in California's Sacramento Valley who were aged 60-101 years at baseline in 1998-1999. Participants were followed every 12-15 months via home visits that included clinical and cognitive assessments. A semiannual phone call was made to obtain updates on medications, health events, and some sociodemographic risk factors. This study, Semi-Annual Phone Call Data, contains data from the six-month follow-up calls of the SALSA project.

The SALSA project tracked the incidence of physical and cognitive impairment as well as dementia and cardiovascular diseases in elderly Latinos in the Sacramento, California region. The SALSA project aimed to assess cognitive, physical, and social functions, which include the ability to follow instructions, to perform certain movements, and to interact with others. The project explored the effects that cultural, nutritional, social, and cardiovascular risk factors have on overall health and dementia, and examined the association between diabetes and functional status.

Demographic information collected in these data includes language and age given at follow-up visits.

The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), is a multi-site longitudinal, epidemiologic study designed to examine the health of women during their middle years. The study examines the physical, biological, psychological, and social changes during this transitional period. The goal of SWAN's research is to help scientists, health care providers, and women learn how mid-life experiences affect health and quality of life during aging. The data include questions about doctor visits, medical conditions, medications, treatments, medical procedures, relationships, smoking, and menopause related information such as age at pre-, peri- and post-menopause, self-attitudes, feelings, and common physical problems associated with menopause.

The study is co-sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health. The study began in 1994. Between 1996 and 1997, 3,302 participants joined SWAN through 7 designated research centers. The research centers are located in the following communities: Detroit, MI; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Oakland and Los Angeles, CA; Newark, NJ; and Pittsburgh, PA. SWAN participants represent five racial/ethnic groups and a variety of backgrounds and cultures. This is the next phase of data collection after the original collection of the screening data (ICPSR 4368).