Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Health and Retirement Study, A Longitudinal Data Resource for Psychologists

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

  • 246 Accesses

Synonyms

Aging cohort; Health; Longitudinal; Nationally representative data; Retirement

Definition

Psychologists are discovering opportunities to explore complex questions using large datasets. This chapter describes and illustrates the value of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative multidisciplinary dataset on aging in the USA featuring a rich blend of economic, health (including genetics and biomarkers), cognition, and psychosocial information.

Introduction

Psychologists are increasingly using population-based multidisciplinary survey data to examine questions about health and aging. A major data resource that may be less well known to psychological research scientists is the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). HRS is a nationally representative longitudinal study of more than 37,000 individuals aged 50 to 100+ (and deceased) from about 23,000 households in the USA. The survey, which has been fielded every 2 years since 1992, was established at the...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,699.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 1,799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ailshire, J. A., & Crimmins, E. M. (2011). Psychosocial factors associated with longevity in the United States: Age differences between the old and oldest-old in the Health and Retirement Study. Journal of Ageing Research, 2011, 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., & Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: The hopelessness scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 861–865.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Epstein, N., Brown, G., & Steer, R. A. (1988). An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: Psychometric properties. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 893–897.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., & Rodgers, W. L. (1976). The quality of American life: Perceptions, evaluations, and satisfactions. New York: Russell Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantril, H. (1965). The pattern of human concerns. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carstensen, L. L., Pasupathi, M., Mayr, U., & Nesselroade, J. R. (2000). Emotional experience in everyday life across the adult life span. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(4), 644–655.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, P., & Smith, J. (2011). Aging in a cultural context: Cross-national differences in disability and the moderating role of personal control among older adults in the United States and England. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 66(4), 457–467.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cook, W. W., & Medley, D. M. (1954). Proposed hostility and pharisaic-virtue scales for the MMPI. Journal of Applied Psychology, 38, 414–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crimmins, E. M., Guyer, H., Langa, K. M., Ofstedal, M. B., Wallace, R. B., & Weir, D. R. (2008). Documentation of physical measures, anthropometrics and blood pressure in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crimmins, E., Faul, J., Kim, J. K., Guyer, H., Langa, K., Ofstedal, M. B., Sonnega, A., Wallace, R., & Weir, D. R. (2013). Documentation of biomarkers in the 2006 and 2008 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Everson, S. A., Kaplan, G. A., Goldberg, D. E., Salonen, R., & Salonen, J. T. (1997). Hopelessness and 4-year progression of carotid atherosclerosis: The Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 17, 1490–1495.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fetzer Institute. (2003). Brief multidimensional measure of religiousness/spirituality: 1999. In N. W. Group (Ed.), Multidimensional measurement of religiousness/spirituality for use in health research: A report of the Fetzer Institute/National Institute on Aging Working Group (2nd ed., pp. 85–88). Kalamazoo: John E. Fetzer Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, G. G., Faul, J. D., Weir, D. R., & Wallace, R. B. (2005). Documentation of chronic disease measures in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS/AHEAD). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fonda, S., & Herzog, A. R. (2004). Documentation of physical functioning measured in the Health and Retirement Study and the Asset and Health Dynamics among the Oldest Old Study. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forgays, D. K., Spielberger, C. D., Ottaway, S. A., & Forgays, D. G. (1998). Factor structure of the state-trait anger expression inventory for middle-aged men and women. Assessment, 5, 141–155.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haynes, C. E., Wall, T. D., Bolden, R. I., Stride, C., & Rick, J. E. (1999). Measures of perceived work characteristics for health services research: Test of a measurement model and normative data. British Journal of Health Psychology, 4, 257–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heeringa, S. G., & Connor, J. H. (1995). Sample design and methods for the Health and Retirement Survey. Technical report. Statistical Design Group, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heeringa, S. G., Fisher, G. G., Hurd, M. D., Langa, K. M., Ofstedal, M. B., Plassman, B. L., Rodgers, W. L., & Weir, D. R. (2009). ADAMS: Sample design, weighting and analysis for ADAMS. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, M. E., Waite, L. J., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2004). A short scale for measuring loneliness in large surveys: Results from two population-based studies. Research on Aging, 26, 655–672.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ilmarinen, J., & Rantanen, J. (1999). Promotion of work ability during ageing. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1, 21–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, K. R., Ofstedal, M. B., & Weir, D. (2008). Documentation of health behaviors and risk factors measured in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS/AHEAD). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Jopp, D. S., & Hertzog, C. (2010). Assessing adult leisure activities: An extension of a self-report activity questionnaire. Psychological. Assessment, 22, 108–120.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Juster, F. T., & Suzman, R. (1995). An overview of the health and retirement study. Journal of Human Resources, 30, S7–S56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karasek, R. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job re-design. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24, 285–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kastenbaum, R., Durbin, V., Sabatini, P., & Artt, S. (1972). “The ages of me”: Toward personal and interpersonal definitions of functional aging. Aging and Human Development., 3, 197–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Mickelson, K. D., & Williams, D. R. (1999). The prevalence, distribution, and mental health correlates of perceived discrimination in the United States. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 208–230.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, E. S., Chopik, W. J., & Smith, J. (2014). Are people healthier if their partners are more optimistic? The dyadic effect of optimism on health among older adults. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 76(6), 447–453.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Krause, N., Shaw, B. A., & Cairney, J. (2004). A descriptive epidemiology of lifetime trauma and the physical health status of older adults. Psychology and Aging, 19, 637–648.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lachman, M. E., & Weaver, S. L. (1997). Midlife Development Inventory (MIDI) personality scales: Scale construction and scoring. Unpublished technical report, Brandeis University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lachman, M. E., & Weaver, S. L. (1998). The sense of control as a moderator of social class differences in health and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 763–773.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Langa, K. M., Llewellyn, D. J., Lang, I. A., Weir, D. R., Kabeto, M. U., & Huppert, F. (2009). Cognitive health among older adults in the United States and England. BMC Geriatrics, 9(23), 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawton, M. P. (1975). The Philadelphia geriatric center morale scale: A revision. Journal of Gerontology, 30, 85–89.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacDermid, S. M., Barnett, R., Crosby, F., Greenhaus, J., Koblenz, M., Marks, S., Perry-Jenkins, M., Voydanoff, P., Wethington, E., & Sabbatini-Bunch, L. (2000). The measurement of work/life tension: Recommendations of a virtual think tank. Boston: Alfred P Sloan Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendes de Leon, C. F., Cagney, K. A., Bienias, J. L., Barnes, L. L., Skarupski, K. A., Scherr, P. A., & Evans, D. A. (2009). Neighborhood social cohesion and disorder in relation to walking in community-dwelling older adults: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Aging and Health, 21, 155–171.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ofstedal, M. B., & Weir, D. R. (2011). Recruitment and retention of minority participants in the health and retirement study. Gerontologist, 51, S8–S20.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ofstedal, M. B., Fisher, G. G., & Herzog, A. R. (2005). Documentation of cognitive functioning measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pearlin, L. I., & Schooler, C. (1978). The structure of coping. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 19, 2–21.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, B. W., Smith, J., Jackson, J., & Edmonds, G. (2009). Compensatory conscientiousness and health in older couples. Psychological Science, 20(5), 553–559.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi, A. S. (2001). Developmental roots of adult social responsibility. In A. S. Rossi (Ed.), Caring and doing for others: Social responsibility in the domains of family, work, and community. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D. (1995). Psychological well-being in adult life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4, 99–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., & Bridges, M. W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1063–1078.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, J., Fisher, G., Ryan, L., Clarke, P., House, J., & Weir, D. R. (2013). Psychosocial and lifestyle questionnaire 2006 – 2010: Documentation report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, J., Ryan, L. H., Queen, T. L., Becker, S., & Gonzales, R. (2014). Snapshots of mixtures of affective experiences in a day: Findings from the health and retirement study. Journal of Population Ageing, 7(1), 55–79.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sonnega, A. J., Faul, J. F., Ofstedal, M. B., Langa, K., Phillips, W. R. J., & Weir, D. (2014). Cohort Profile: The Health and Retirement Study. International Journal of Epidemiology, 43, 576–585.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Steffick, D. E. (2000). Documentation of affective functioning measures in the Health and Retirement Study. HRS Health Working Group, Ann Arbor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troxel, W. M., Matthews, K. A., Bromberger, J. T., & Sutton-Tyrrell, K. (2003). Chronic stress burden, discrimination, and subclinical carotid artery disease in African American and Caucasian women. Health Psychology, 22, 300–309.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. J., Frankel, G., & Levin, D. M. (1983). Social support: Conceptualization, measurement, and implications for mental health. In J. R. Greenley & R. G. Simmons (Eds.), Research in community and mental health (pp. 67–111). Greenwich: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. J., Wheaton, B., & Lloyd, D. A. (1995). The epidemiology of social stress. American Sociological Review, 60, 104–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., & Clark, L. A. (1994).The PANAS-X: Manual for the positive and negative affect schedule – expanded form. Unpublished manuscript. University of Iowa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weir, D., Faul, J. D., & Langa, K. (2011). Proxy interviews and bias in the distribution of cognitive abilities due to non-response in longitudinal studies: A comparison of HRS and ELSA. Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 2, 170–184.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, D. R., Yu, Y., Jackson, J. S., & Anderson, N. B. (1997). Racial differences in physical and mental health: Socio-economic status, stress and discrimination. Journal of Health Psychology, 2, 335–351.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health and Retirement Study, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Street, 1248, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106-1248, USA

    Amanda Sonnega & Jacqui Smith

Authors
  1. Amanda Sonnega
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jacqui Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amanda Sonnega .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Nancy A. Pachana

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

About this entry

Cite this entry

Sonnega, A., Smith, J. (2017). Health and Retirement Study, A Longitudinal Data Resource for Psychologists. In: Pachana, N.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-082-7_39

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation