Announcements

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) is pleased to announce that Round 5 data files from NHATS and National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) II also conducted in Round 5 are now available at http://www.nhatsdata.org. Data are available in both SAS and Stata formats.

In addition to Round 5 public data files, this data release also includes sensitive data from NHATS. Information on how to apply for NHATS Sensitive data and NSOC data can be found at http://www.nhatsdata.org/ResDataFiles.aspx.

Documentation, including User Guides, new technical papers, crosswalks between the instruments and the codebooks, and a crosswalk of changes from the NHATS Round 5 beta release to the final release, can be found on our website http://www.nhats.org.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) has published four new technical papers. Three reports are being released in conjunction with the Round 5 final data. These technical papers provide information on the Round 5 sample design, income imputation, and the development of the Round 5 survey weights.

A fourth paper offers instructions on how to standardize NHATS population estimates to the Medicare frame and Census totals.

All technical papers can be accessed at https://www.nhats.org/researcher/nhats/methods-documentation.

Additional Medicare-linked Restricted Data Available Medicare-linked restricted files from the years 2013 and 2014 are now available. Information on how to apply for access to these data files can be found here.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) is pleased to announce that Round 5 Beta files are now available at http://www.nhatsdata.org. Data are available in both SAS and Stata formats. Round 5 annotated data collection instrument sections, including those from the Last Month of Life interview, and a crosswalk between the instruments and the codebook can be found at https://www.nhats.org/researcher/nhats.

In Round 5 the sample was replenished to represent a cross-section of Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older. For more information, consult the User Guide.

Please send any data questions or corrections to nhatsdata@westat.com. so that we may incorporate any changes into the final round 5 data release later this year.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) has released survey data collection instruments for Round 5. The instruments are posted at Round 5 Data Collection Instruments. Instrument sections for Round 5 Last Month of Life (LML) interviews have also been posted. These interviews were conducted with proxy respondents of Sampled Persons who died between Rounds 4 and 5. The Round 5 LML instrument sections can be found at Round 5 Last Month Of Life Data Collection Instruments.

A new technical paper has been posted NHATS Technical Papers. The paper provides an overview of calculating work productivity loss in the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) and provides SAS code for users to incorporate into their own analyses.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) has released a new technical paper that describes the information collected in follow-up rounds that allow for the creation of a dementia classification variable in Rounds 2 through 5 of NHATS. Programming statements are included as well; the paper can be found here.

Another technical paper serves as a guide for using the duration of mobility device use and help (DM) and duration of self-care help (DS) information in NHATS. The paper reviews the contents of the DM and DS sections and describes several potential applications for these unique national data.

We are pleased to announce that National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Round 4 Public Use Data files are now available for download at http://www.nhatsdata.org. Data are available in both SAS and STATA formats. Round 4 annotated data collection instrument sections, including those from the Last Month of Life interview, and a crosswalk between the instruments and the codebook can be found at https://www.nhats.org/researcher/nhats.

Additionally, Round 4 Sensitive Data Files, including the Sample Person (SP) Sensitive Demographic and Other Person (OP) Sensitive Demographic file, have been released. Information on how to apply for access to these sensitive data can be found at http://www.nhatsdata.org/ResDataFiles.aspx.

Registration is required to download these data and can be done at http://www.nhatsdata.org.

We are pleased to announce that National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Round 3 Sensitive Data files are now available for download at NHATSdata.org. Round 3 Sensitive Data Files include the Sample Person (SP) Sensitive Demographic and Other Person (OP) Sensitive Demographic file. Information on how to apply for access to these sensitive data can be found at http://www.nhatsdata.org/ResDataFiles.aspx. Data are available in both SAS and Stata formats.

We are pleased to announce that National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Round 3 Public Use Final Data files are now available for download at NHATSdata.org. The final files include updates to the round 3 beta versions of the sample person (SP) and other person (OP) files. Data are available in both SAS and Stata formats.

Updated round 3 crosswalks, annotated data collection instruments, and user guide can be found here. NHATS technical papers, including papers on weighting and income imputation, can be found here.

Registration is required to download these data and can be done at NHATSdata.org.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) is a national study of functioning in later life. The NHATS is being conducted by the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, with data collection by Westat, and support from the National Institute on Aging. NHATS provides a basis for understanding trends and trajectories in late-life functioning, how these differ for various population subgroups, and the economic and social consequences of aging and disability for individuals, families, and society.

More information about NHATS including copies of the instruments and documentation are available online at http://www.nhats.org/

This announcement invites submission of supplemental modules to be included in Round 6 (2016) of the NHATS. Modules should be brief, no more than 3 minutes in length to administer. We anticipate including up to 3 modules. Sample size available for a module will vary depending on the number of modules included in a wave but will include at least 2,500 individuals. Modules are administered at the end of the NHATS interview. Sample persons are randomly assigned to a module in advance of the interview and are assigned to one module only.

Prior modules for NHATS are:

Round 1: National Long Term Care Survey Screening Questions administered to all sample persons

Round 2: 3 modules administered to a random 1/3 of the sample 1) American Community Survey Disability Questions, 2) Engagement in Health Care, 3) End of Life Plans and Care

Round 3: 3 modules administered to a random 1/3 of the sample 1) Pain, 2) Sleep Quality, 3) Personality Traits.

Round 4: The Round 3 modules were administered to a different random 1/3 of the sample.

Round 5: National Long Term Care Survey Screening Questions administered to all sample persons

For more information on the modules administered in Rounds 1 through 5 see the NHATS Round 3 User Guide at http://www.nhats.org/

Submissions for proposed modules should include the following:

• Brief summary of the topic and rationale for its inclusion in NHATS (one page or less)
• Sample size being requested
• Overview of variables that the module will try to measure
• References to recent publications on the topic
• Any survey instruments, scales or other measurement tools that have been used to examine the topic (if any)

The NHATS leadership team will select modules and identify a team member to work in partnership with researchers whose modules are selected to develop the module for administration

Proposals (subject line: NHATS module proposal) should be sent by March, 15, 2015 to Maureen Skehan at mskehan1@jhu.edu. Module selections will be made by June 1, 2015. Please contact Maureen Skehan with any questions.

We are pleased to announce that National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Round 3 Public Use Beta Data files are now available for download at NHATSdata.org. Data are available in both SAS and STATA formats. Round 3 annotated data collection instrument sections, including those from the Last Month of Life interview, and a crosswalk between the instruments and the codebook can be found here.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) has released survey data collection instruments for Round 3. The instruments are posted at Round 3 Data Collection Instruments.

NHATS also has released instrument sections for Round 3 Last Month of Life (LML) interviews. These interviews were conducted with proxy respondents for Sampled Persons who died between Rounds 2 and 3. The Round 3 LML instrument sections can be found at Round 3 Last Month Of Life Data Collection Instruments.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) has released new data files. Data files newly available include:

• Round 2 sensitive files (both sample person (SP) and other person (OP) files),
• 2012 Medicare-linked restricted data, and
• Restricted geocoded data for rounds 1 and 2.

Information on how to apply for access to these data files can be found here. Data are available in both SAS and STATA formats.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Round 2 Final files are available for download at http://www.nhatsdata.org/. The final files include updates to the round 2 beta versions of the sample person (SP) and other person (OP) files. Data files are available in SAS and Stata format.

Updated round 2 crosswalks, annotated data collection instruments, and user guide can be found at https://www.nhats.org/researcher/nhats. NHATS technical papers, including an updated document on weighting, can be found at https://www.nhats.org/researcher/nhats/methods-documentation.

We encourage all users to download the data and updated documentation.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Round 2 Beta Other Person (OP) file is now available for download at http://www.nhatsdata.org. Data are available in both SAS and STATA formats. Users will need to download either the SAS or STATA Round 2 zip file (which also contain the Round 2 Beta Sample Person (SP) and Tracker files) to access the OP file.

We are also pleased to announce that instructions on how to apply for access to Round 1 Restricted Data (including geographic data and Medicare claims data) have been posted at http://www.nhatsdata.org/ResDataFiles.aspx.

We are pleased to announce that National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Round 2 Public Use Beta Data files are now available for download at http://www.nhatsdata.org. Data are available in both SAS and STATA formats. Round 2 annotated data collection instrument sections, including those from the Last Month of Life interview, and a crosswalk between the instruments and the codebook can be found at https://www.nhats.org/researcher/nhats. Please note that the Round 2 Other Person (OP) file is forthcoming.

Registration is required to download these data and can be done at http://www.nhatsdata.org/.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) has released procedures on how to apply for Round 1 Restricted data. Restricted data include information collected by NHATS, such as geographic data, and data linked to NHATS sample person, such as Medicare data. Access to these data is restricted to qualifying researchers who fulfill the additional requirements for restricted data access. Further information and application instructions and forms can be found here.

Data Collection Instruments for Round 2 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) have been posted to the website. To access the NHATS Round 2 Data Collection Instruments, please click here.

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) has released a new technical paper on constructing a dementia classification variable in NHATS. SAS and STATA programming statements to create the variable are available as well. The technical paper and programming statements can be found at Dementia Classification.

The technical paper on construction of performance-based summary measures has been revised to provide an alternative coding for scores of zero on the SPPB, which some analysts may choose over the original coding. The amended technical paper is located at Performance Based Summary Measures

An amended NHATS Round 1 Other Person (OP file) has been released to correct a coding error for the variable op1dhrsmth and to amend value labels for the variables op1prsninhh and op1childinhh. Data are available in both SAS and STATA formats and can be accessed at http://www.nhatsdata.org/Project/PubUseFiles.aspx (registration required).

Instrument sections for the Last Month of Life interview initiated with the Round 2 Interview are available. These interviews were conducted with proxy respondents for Sample Persons who died between Rounds 1 and 2. The instrument sections can be found at Round 2 Last Month Of Life Data Collection Instruments.