Dataset Directory: Dataset Profile
Dataset: National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS)
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Dataset Full Name | National Health and Aging Trends Study |
| Dataset Acronym | NHATS |
| Summary | The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) collects individual level information on a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and older through in-depth interviews. It is a longitudinal study that began in 2011 with yearly follow-up of each participant. NHATS is designed to collect data on late life trends, functional decline, and impact of disability on socio-economic dynamics of individual functioning, and burden on family and society. The data include a broad set of activities including self care, care giving, environment, technology usage, types of mobility device, early life status, household, income, medical, and participation in productive/social activities. |
| Key Terms | Aging, Disability, Late-life functioning, Physical, Cognitive, Medical needs |
| Study Design | Longitudinal |
| Data Type(s) |
Survey |
| Sponsoring Agency/Entity | National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Aging (NIA) |
Health Conditions/Disability Measures |
| Health Condition(s) | Alzheimer's/dementia, Anxiety disorders, Arthritis, Body mass index (BMI)/obesity, Cancer, Cardiovascular conditions, Chronic pain, Depression, Diabetes, Heart attack, Orthopedic conditions, Osteoporosis, Stroke |
| Disability Measures | ACS 6 question disability series, Ambulatory disability, Cognitive disability, Communication impairment, Functional limitations (ADLs and/or IADLs), Hearing disability, Independent living disability, Self-care disability, Special equipment use/assistive technology, Visual disability |
Measures/Outcomes of Interest |
| Topics | Housing and household, Self care, Participation, Physical/cognitive activities, Health status and conditions, Children and siblings, Environment, Environment modification, Community participation, Technology, Mobility device, Sensory impairment, Physical impairments, Sensory capacity, Physical capacity, Driving, Transportation, Self care activities, Medical care, Smoking, Labor force participation, Home ownership, Car ownership, Long-term care, Insurance, Income, Assets, Facility and caregiver information | Sample |
| Sample Population | Medicare beneficiaries (65 years old or older) |
| Sample Size/Notes | 2011 (Round 1): 8,245 2016 (Round 6): 7,276 |
| Unit of Observation | Individual |
| Continent(s) | North America |
| Countries | United States |
| Geographic Coverage | National |
| Geographic Specificity | National |
| Special Population(s) | Aging/Older people |
Data Collection |
| Data Collection Mode | In-person interview |
| Years Collected | 2011-present |
| Data Collection Frequency | Annual | Strengths and Limitations |
| Strengths | The NHATS sample is drawn from the Medicare enrollment file, oversampling the oldest age groups and Black non-Hispanic persons. In 2011, 96% of persons ages 65 and older in the U.S. were Medicare beneficiaries. Replenishment sampling planned for ongoing waves. Includes unique variables regarding environment, modification, accommodations, care giver burden, information on early life, and burden of disability on families, and society. 71% response rate (wave 1). Validated procedure between self-reported and performance-based measures. Restricted data includes NHATS geographic data and Medicare data linked to NHATS sample person. |
| Limitations | Very limited baseline biomarker data. | Data Details |
| Primary Website | http://www.nhats.org/ |
| Data Access |
Public Use Dataset: https://www.nhatsdata.org/ Sensitive and Restricted Use Datasets: https://www.nhatsdata.org/ResDataFiles.aspx |
| Data Access Requirements | Public Use Dataset Data Use Agreement, No Cost (sensitive and restricted use datasets) |
| Summary Tables/Reports | Construction of performance-based summary measures of physical capacity in the National Health and Aging Trends Study https://www.nhats.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/NHATS_SPPB_Technical_Paper_Jul2013.pdf |
| Data Components | Public Use Data: Sample Person (SP) File - Sample Person survey and Facility Questionnaire (FQ) data Tracker file - Tracks status of total sample for each round of surveys includes weights for differential non-response Other Person (OP) file - each record represents a person identified in the SP file including proxy respondents, spouse/partner, household member, caretaker, social network member, etc. Last Month of Life (LML) file – proxy respondent provides information about the deceased who died between interview rounds (Round 2 and beyond). Pubic Use NHATS data can be linked to additional information including the following: Sensitive data: National Study of Caregivers, NHATS Sample Person Sensitive Demographics file, NHATS Other Person (spouse/partner) Sensitive Demographic file
Restricted data files: linked Medicare data and geographic data |
Selected Papers |
| Other Papers | Bibliography: |
| Technical | User Guide: Technical Papers: |
Related Repositories |
| Repositories |