Welcome Researchers
This website provides researchers access to data, documentation and other resources for the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC). If you are an NHATS or NSOC participant, please visit www.mynhats.org.
Welcome Researchers
This website provides researchers access to data, documentation and other resources for the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC). If you are an NHATS or NSOC participant, please visit www.mynhats.org.
About NHATS & NSOC
Begun in 2011, the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) conducts annual in-person interviews with a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 or older. Designed as a platform for scientific study of late-life disability trends and trajectories, NHATS fosters research to reduce disability, maximize independent functioning, and enhance quality of life at older ages. Online dashboards and a companion chartbook track trends. The supplemental National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) is conducted periodically to provide the perspective of family and friends who help older adults experiencing limitations in daily life. Support for NHATS and NSOC is provided by the National Institute on Aging.
Announcements
For the latest NHATS/NSOC news, follow us on Twitter: 
@NHATS_NSOC
New Online Course for Beginners5/20/2022
NHATS has created an online course for beginners, available through the Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging (MiCDA).
This self-paced set of modules is designed for researchers who are learning to use the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). There is an optional module for learning to use the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC).
The workshop is organized into three sections that take approximately 4-5 hours altogether to complete: Getting to know NHATS; Learning to use NHATS; and Using NHATS.
To register, please visit https://nhats.org/researcher/nhats/videos.
New Procedures for Requesting and Accessing NHATS-CMS Linked Data5/19/2022
New procedures for obtaining restricted NHATS-CMS linked files have been posted. NHATS-CMS linked data files will now be made available through the Health and Aging Data (HaAD) Enclave. A few key changes:
• The HaAD Enclave is accessible from the applicant's institution or other specified location; research teams may share directories across institutions
• DUAs will be required with JHU and NIA (rather than CMS); Federal funding is no longer required to apply
• Claims and assessment files are available through 2021 with more timely and frequent updates expected than in the past
• Output will be reviewed by NHATS for disclosure risk before removal from the enclave
For more information, please see "Obtaining CMS Data for the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS)".
New Research Opportunity for NHATS users: NIA Notice of Special Interest5/22/2023
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has released a Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to encourage the use of existing cohorts and datasets, like NHATS, in aging research. Proposed research topics should focus on health across the lifespan, disease and disability in older adults, or changes in the biology of aging that impact health. The full NOSI can be found here.
AAPOR Awards the 2023 Policy Impact Award to NHATS/NSOC5/2/2023
The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) has awarded NHATS and NSOC the 2023 Policy Impact Award. The award recognizes “outstanding research that has had a clear impact on improving policy decisions, practice and discourse, either in the public or private sectors.”
A special thank you to our registered users whose research is improving policy, practice, and discourse related to aging, late-life disability, and family care.
Updated Dementia Classification Code4/4/2023
NHATS has released updated dementia classification code for Rounds 1-11 in SAS, Stata and R. The new code allows users to classify NHATS participants with probable, possible, and no dementia over multiple rounds with minimal editing. Please see the Dementia Classification with Programming Statements zip file for the new code.
