National Health And Aging Trends Study
- PIs: Judith Kasper, Ph.D., and Vicki Freedman, Ph.D. (University of Michigan)
- Funder: National Institute on Aging
- Status: Ongoing
The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) is a resource for the scientific study of functioning in later life. NHATS gathers information on a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and older. In-person interviews collect detailed information on activities of daily life, living arrangements, economic status and well-being, aspects of early life, and quality of life.
Among the specific content areas included are: the general and technological environment of the home, health conditions, work status and participation in valued activities, mobility and use of assistive devices, cognitive functioning, and help provided with daily activities (self-care, household, and medical). Study participants are re-interviewed every year in order to compile a record of change over time. The content and questions included in NHATS were developed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the fields of demography, geriatric medicine, epidemiology, health services research, economics, and gerontology.
Links:
Products:
Kasper JD & Freedman VA. Findings from the 1st Round of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS): Introduction to the Special Issue. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Special Issue (November 2014 Volume 69 (Suppl 1)).
Wolff JL and Spillman BC. Older Adults Receiving Assistance with Physician Visits and Prescribed Medications and Their Family Caregivers: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Hours of Care. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Special Issue (November 2014 Volume 69 (Suppl 1:S65-72)).
Spillman BC, Wolff JL, Freedman VA, Kasper JD. Informal Caregiving for Older Americans: An Analysis of the 2011 National Survey of Caregiving, Prepared for the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHSP23320100025WI-HHSP23337003T, February 2014; 1-32. http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/2014/NHATS-IC.cfm
Wolff JL and Boyd CM. 2015 A look at person- and family-centered care among older adults: Results from a national survey. Journal of General Internal Medicine, May 2 (Epub ahead of print).