Variable Use from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), 2007-2015

• In Event: 136 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 10. Aging Americans

Abstract

This study evaluates the use of variables from Waves 1 and 2 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). The evaluation was undertaken to inform the development of Wave 3 data collection instruments by looking at which NSHAP variables were used, and frequency of use. Articles and book chapters using NSHAP data, published between January 2007 and January 2015 were coded and analyzed. Weighted frequencies of variable use were ranked in order of use, and variables were separated into three categories: Interview Questions, Assessments, and Biospecimen Assays. Analysis also compared publications by authorship to look at differences between NSHAP-affiliated and unaffiliated authors.
A total of 279 variables from NSHAP Waves 1 and 2 were analyzed. 175 (63%) NSHAP variables have been used one or more times in the publications reviewed, leaving 104 (37%) unused. The top variables were listed and Self-Reported Physical Heath was the most frequently used interview question variable; Weight was the most frequently used assessments variable; C-Reactive Protein was the most frequently used biospecimen assay variable. Few differences were found between affiliated and unaffiliated scholars in frequency of variable use.
This study offers insight into how NSHAP variables have been used by the scientific community. While many unused variables were kept for the third wave of data collection, with the expectation that additional time points will encourage use in the future, several unused items were shortened and condensed in the interview questions portion of the protocol.

Authors

• Jennifer Louise Hanis-Martin, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Melissa J. K. Howe, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Kelly Pudelek, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Michael Jeffrey Kozloski, University of Chicago

• Sara Henning, NORC at the University of Chicago