National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS)
National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS)
Overview
The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) is a new resource for the scientific study of functioning in later life. In-person interviews are being used to collect detailed information on activities of daily life, living arrangements, economic status and well-being, aspects of early life, and quality of life.
Data Collection
NHATS is now gathering information on a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older. Both self-report of functioning and performance-based measures (e.g. grip strength, chair stands, walking) are collected. 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). Baseline data was collected in 2011. Study participants are re-interviewed every year, with sample replenishment at regular intervals (the sample was refreshed in 2015). The National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) is conducted in conjunction with the NHATS to represent a nationally representative sample of family and other unpaid caregivers of older people, and has been conducted at periodic intervals (2011, 2015, 2017).
Biomarkers
NHATS collected performance measures of physical functioning (balance, grip strength, chair stands, walking, peak air flow). NHATS collected dried blood spots in wave 7 (2017), which are being assayed for hemoglobin A1C, IL-6, CRP, and CMV.