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Senior Citizen Longevity & Statistics
Health and Retirement Study Highlights Published in
New Book by NIA
Premier study of Americans 50-plus by U. Michigan
Social Research
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Older Americans are in reasonably
good health overall, but there are striking differences by age
and by race and ethnicity. Almost half of HRS participants ages
55 to 64, but only about one quarter of those age 65 and older,
say they are in very good or excellent health. White respondents
report very good or excellent health at a rate almost double
that of Blacks and Hispanics. |
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Aug. 13, 2007 Those who follow the news and
information on aging are aware of increasing number of studies that
reference data from the Health & Retirement Study. The National
Institute on Aging, sponsor of this ongoing national survey of Americans
age 50 and over, is now making available a comprehensive publication,
Growing Older in American: The Health & Retirement Study.
The study follows more than 20,000 men and women at
two-year intervals, providing data from pre-retirement to advanced age
to understand the dynamic nature of health, well-being, work and social
circumstances in later life.
Launched in 1992, this multidisciplinary,
longitudinal study has become known as the Nation's leading resource for
data on the combined health and economic conditions of older Americans.
This new publication describes the breadth and
depth of the HRS to help familiarize a broad range of researchers;
policymakers; media; and organizations concerned with health, economics,
and aging with this data resource.
Although sponsored by the NIA, The Health and
Retirement Study (HRS) is actually done under a cooperative agreement
with the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.
Funded primarily by the NIA, the HRS has received
significant support from other federal agencies, including the Social
Security Administration. NIA is part of the National Institutes of
Health.
The colorful data book describes the HRS's
development and features and offers a snapshot of research findings
based on analyses of the Study's data.
Sections of the report look at older adults
health, work and retirement, income and wealth, and family
characteristics and intergenerational transfers. More than 65 figures
and tables illustrate the text.
A major goal of the study, which is unique in
providing data on the combined health and economic conditions of older
Americans over time, is to help address the scientific and policy
challenges posed by the nation's rapidly aging population.
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Objectives and Design of the HRS
The HRS collects data to help:
● Explain the antecedents and consequences of
retirement
● Examine the relationships among health, income, and wealth over time
● Examine life cycle patterns of wealth accumulation and consumption
● Monitor work disability
● Examine how the mix and distribution of economic, family, and
program resources affect key outcomes, including retirement,
dissaving, health declines, and institutionalization
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Editor's Notes:
Growing Older in America
Growing Older in America: The Health & Retirement
Study describes the survey's development and offers a snapshot of
diverse research findings. More than 65 colorful figures and tables
illustrate the text. PDF and plain-text editions of Growing Older in
America: The Health & Retirement Study can be accessed at
www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/HRS.htm.
National Institute on Aging
The NIA leads the federal effort supporting and
conducting research on aging and the medical, social and behavioral
issues of older people. For more information on research and aging, go
to www.nia.nih.gov. Publications on research and on a variety of topics
of interest on health and aging can be viewed and ordered by visiting
the NIA Web site or can be ordered by calling toll-free 1-800-222-2225.
National Institutes of Health
NIH - the nation's medical research agency -
includes 27 institutes and centers and is a component of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal
agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational
medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures
for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit
www.nih.gov.
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