a cooperative agreement between the National Institute on Agingand the Survey Research Center

of the Institute for Social Researchat the University of Michigan

(U01AG009740)

The Health and Retirement Study

http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/

The HRS is:

A study of aging in the US (population over age 50) Multi-disciplinary in content A longitudinal study with replenishment A public-use dataset: collects data for distribution to other

researchers, does not control analysis A foundation for smaller, more focused studies A leader in administrative linkages An example and support for similar studies in other

countries

HRS Longitudinal Sample Design

AGE

92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

YEAR

70

65

60

AHEAD

CODA

HRS

90

85

80

75

55

50

War Babies

Early Boomers

Mid Boomers

How big is the HRS?

From 1992 through 2006:

Over 30,000 people were interviewed at least once

138,000 interviews were completed

6,400 workers retired

8,500 people have died7800 interviews with their survivors

Aging

Loss of physical abilities

Loss of cognitive abilities

Better emotional regulation

Hand grip strength in kg, by age and sex (HRS 2006)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Men

Women

Lung function: peak expiratory volume, by age and sex (HRS 2006)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Men

Women

HRS and cognition

Basic measures of cognition (memory, mental status) back to 1992

Episodic Memory: Number of words recalled, by age and sex (HRS 2006)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Men

Women

McArdle, Fisher, and Kadlec, Psychology and Aging 22(3):525-45

HRS and cognition: ADAMS

A stratified sub-study of N=856 got very detailed neuropsychological assessment and diagnosis of dementia, CIND, or normal (team led by Brenda Plassman at Duke)

All ADAMS data also available to public

Papers published describing study, estimating prevalence of dementia and CIND

Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia, by Age (ADAMS)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

70 75 80 85 90 95

CIND

Demented

Psychosocial measures in HRS

Other than cognition and depression, little psychological measurement in HRS

Beginning in 2006, half the sample gets a detailed in-person interview with biomarkers

AND a psychosocial questionnaire

HRS Meeting June 5, 2007

HRS Psychosocial Battery 2006Personality Traits

ExtraversionNeuroticismOpennessAgreeablenessConscientiousness

Control Beliefs (Internal-External)Domain control

LonelinessAnxietyHostilityAngerOptimism/PessimismHopelessness

Subjective Well-beingLife SatisfactionPositive AffectNegative Affect

Psychological Well-beingPurpose in lifePersonal GrowthSelf Acceptance

Social Network and RelationshipsSize of kin and friend networkCloseness of relationshipsQuality of spousal relationshipQuality of child relationshipsQuality of kin relationshipsQuality of friend relationships

Social Participation Perceived social statusSocial Integration

Neighborhood Social Capital

Everyday / Lifetime Discrimination

Religiosity

Critical lifetime / recent events

Work StressDomain-specific stressesWork-family balance

Different Age Patterns in Control by Domain

Bars = 95% confidence interval

Smith: HRS Workshop June 21, 2007

Bars = 95% confidence interval

Smith , GSA November 16-20, 2007

Locus of Control Shifts from Internal to External

What happens to me in the future mostly depends on me.

I can do the things that I want to do.

I often feel helpless in dealing with the problems of life

I have little control over the things that happen to me.

Constraints Mastery

HRS 2006 Age Patterns in PersonalityTraits

No Age Cohort Differences in Agreeableness Bars = 95% confidence interval Smith , GSA November 16-20, 2007

Anger is Less Intense at Older Ages

Spielberger Anger Expression Scale (STAX), 1988

Trait Anger State Anger

Example items (Anger-in):When I am feeling angry or mad,

I keep things in I withdraw from people

Example items (Anger-out):When I am feeling angry or mad,

I lose my temper I argue with others

HRS Psychosocial Project

Bars = 95% confidence interval

Loneliness – Higher in Midlife and Very Old Age

Three item survey scale (Hughes, Waite, Hawkley & Cacioppo [2004]):How often do you feel you lack companionship?How often do you feel left out?How often do you feel isolated from others?

HRS Psychosocial Project

Bars = 95% confidence interval

Loneliness is closely linked to marriage and friendships

0

1

2

3

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Number of Close Friends

Not Married

Married