User Guides

User Guides are designed to provide analysts with documentation about the concepts, measures and questions in the HRS surveys. These reports expand upon the information found in codebooks, questionnaires and data descriptions. They also provide comprehensive descriptions of created measures (including their origin), changes made across waves, variable distributions, results from data quality analysis, information about the data structure of individual HRS surveys, and information on special data manipulation topics.

Additional user guides (not listed below) comparing the HRS with HRS International Sister Studies for specific research domains are available on the Gateway to Global Aging Data website.

General

Faul J, Smith JA. Health and Retirement Study: Genetic Data Consortia Collaboration. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2022.

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Servais M. An Elementary Cookbook of Data Management using HRS Data with SPSS, SAS and Stata Examples. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2004.

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Servais M. Overview of HRS Public Data Files for Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Analysis. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2010.

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Sonnega A, Faul J, Ofstedal MBeth, Langa KM, Phillips JWR, Weir DR. Cohort Profile: the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Int J Epidemiol. 2014;43(2):576-85. doi:10.1093/ije/dyu067.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24671021?dopt=Abstract

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Sonnega A. The Health and Retirement Study: An Introduction. 2015.

An online training video, available here.

Cognition

Fisher GG, McArdle JJ, McCammon RJ, Sonnega A, Weir DR. New Measures of Fluid Intelligence in the HRS. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2013.

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Heeringa SG, Fisher GG, Hurd MD, et al. Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS): Sample Design, Weighting and Analysis for ADAMS. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2009.

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McCammon RJ, Fisher GG, Hassan H, Faul J, Rogers W, Weir DR. Health and Retirement Study Imputation of Cognitive Functioning Measures: 1992-2018. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan; 2022.

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McClain CA, Ofstedal MBeth, Couper MP. Measuring Cognition in a Multi-mode Context. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2018:1-48.

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Ofstedal MBeth, Fisher GG, Herzog AR. Documentation of Cognitive Functioning Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.

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Weir DR, McCammon RJ, Ryan LH, Langa KM. Cognitive Test Selection for the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP). Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2014.

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Weir DR, Langa KM, Ryan LH. 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) Study Protocol Summary. Ann Arbor, MI: Health and Retirement Study, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016:1-15.

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Economics

Cao H, Henretta JC, Norgard TM, Soldo BJ, Weir DR. HRS 2001 HUMS College Tuition Imputations. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.

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Fang C, Kapinos K. Prospective Social Security Wealth Measures of Pre-Retirees Wave 10. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016.

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Fang C, Butchart A, Stolyarova H, Nolte MA, Peticolas R. Pension Estimation Program Users Guide. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan; 2016.

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SSA Permissions Consent History: 1992-2012 (Public Version). Ann Arbor: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan; 2015:5.

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Kapinos K, Brown C, Nolte MA, Stolyarova H, Weir DR. Cross-Wave Prospective Social Security Wealth Measures of Pre-Retirees, Public Release: Data Description and Usage. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2009.

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Levy HG, Gutierrez I. Documentation and Benchmarking of Health Insurance Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2009.

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Mitchell OS, Olson J, Steinmeier TL. Construction of the Earnings and Benefits File (EBF) for Use with the Health and Retirement Study. University of Pennsylvania; 1996.

Note - An updated and revised version of this paper is available in Forecasting Retirement Needs and Retirement Wealth, Olivia S. Mitchell, P. Brett Hammond and Anna M. Rappaport, eds., Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000. See Chapter 13, "Social Security Earnings and Projected Benefits"

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Stolyarova H, Nolte MA, Peticolas R. Pension Coding Program Users Guide. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.

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Employment and Work

Fang C, Butchart A, Stolyarova H. Health and Retirement Study Imputations for Employer-Sponsored Pension Wealth from Current Jobs in 2010: Data Description and Usage. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016.

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Nolte MA, Servais M, Turf M. Occupation and Industry Coding in HRS/AHEAD. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016.

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Family

Resources for Analysis of Family Data.

This page brings together reference materials pertaining to HRS data content related to family issues. It contains direct links to relevant questionnaire areas, codebook content and bibliographic materials, as well as other background information.

Health

Crimmins EM, Faul J, Kim JKi, Weir DR. Documentation of Biomarkers in the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan; 2015:15.

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Crimmins EM, Faul J, Thyagarajan B, Weir DR. Venous Blood Collection and Assay Protocol in the 2016 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

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Crimmins EM, Faul J, Kim JKi, Weir DR. Documentation of Blood-Based Biomarkers in the 2014 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

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Crimmins EM, Guyer HM, Langa KM, Ofstedal MBeth, Wallace RB, Weir DR. Documentation of Physical Measures, Anthropometrics and Blood Pressure in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2008.

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Crimmins EM, Faul J, Kim JKi, et al. Documentation of Biomarkers in the 2006 and 2008 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2013.

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Fisher GG, Faul J, Weir DR, Wallace RB. Documentation of Chronic Disease Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.

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Fonda SJ, Herzog AR. Documentation of Physical Functioning Measures in the Health and Retirement Study and the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old Study. The University of Michigan; 2004.

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HRS Staff. USDA Food Access Information All Respondents 1992-2014. Ann Arbor, MI: Health and Retirement Study, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research; 2017.

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Jenkins KRahrig, Ofstedal MBeth, Weir DR. Documentation of Health Behaviors and Risk Factors Measured in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS/AHEAD). Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2008.

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Levy HG. User Guide to Health Insurance in the Health and Retirement Study, 2006-2014. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

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Steffick DE. Documentation of Affective Functioning Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2000.

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Ware EB, Schmitz LL, Faul J. HRS Polygenic Scores: 2006-2010 Genetic Data. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

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Life History

Smith J, Ofstedal MBeth, Larkina M, Helppie-McFall B, Sonnega A, Weir DR. LHMS User Guide 2015-2017. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan ; 2022.

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Methods

Cao H. HRS 1996 Imputations: Documentation. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2001.

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Cao H. HRS 1998 Preliminary Imputations. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2000.

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Guyer HM, Ofstedal MBeth, Lessof C, Cox K. The Benefits and Challenges of Collecting Physical Measures and Biomarkers in Cross-National Studies. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

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Heeringa SG, Connor J. Technical Description of the Health and Retirement Study Sample Design. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 1995.

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Heeringa SG. Technical Description of the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) Study Sample Design. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 1995.

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Heeringa SG. Unfolding Brackets for Reducing Item Nonresponse in Economic Surveys. (Hill DH, ed.).; 1995.

Bracketing_1995_HHH.pdf (8.4 MB)

Ofstedal MBeth, Weir DR, Chen KT, Wagner J. Updates to HRS Sample Weights. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2011.

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Wagner J, Valliant R, Hubbard F, Jiang C. Level-of-Effort Paradata and Nonresponse Adjustment Models for a National Face-to-Face Survey. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2013.

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Weir DR. Validating Mortality Ascertainment in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016.

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Weir DR, Ofstedal MBeth. Evaluating Strategies for Reducing Field Costs in a Longitudinal Study. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016:1-8.

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Psychosocial and Well-being

Sonnega A, Smith J. Health and Retirement Study: A Longitudinal Data Resource for Psychologists. (Pachana NA, ed.). Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2017. doi:10.1007/978-981-287-080-310.1007/978-981-287-080-3_39-1.

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Smith J, Ryan LH, Larkina M, Sonnega A, Weir DR. Psychosocial and Lifestyle Questionnaire 2006 - 2022. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2023.

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