Resources

Publications

Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) Program Resource CD
For Windows 2000 and XP

This CD contains information about BSR and NIA. There are descriptions of more than 50 available BSR-related data sets and tips for searching for additional data sets. The CD features summaries and/or agendas for several BSR-sponsored workshops. Publications available include economics and demography highlights and 19 full-text publications from the NIA and the National Academy of Sciences. The CD is frequently updated.

Books on Aging and Health by the U.S. National Academies CD
For Windows and Macintosh

This CD, last updated in spring 2003, contains the complete contents of 14 books published by the National Academies Press.

The Aging Mind: Opportunities in Cognitive Research
Assessing Knowledge of Retirement Behavior
Assessing Policies for Retirement Income: Needs for Data, Research, and Models
Between Zeus and the Salmon: The Biodemography of Longevity
Cells and Surveys: Should Biological Measures Be Included in Social Science Research?
Demography of Aging
Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America (new)
Forecasting Survival, Health, and Disability (summary of a workshop)
Improving Access to and Confidentiality of Research Data (report of a workshop)
Improving Data on America’s Aging Population (summary of a workshop)
New Horizons in Health: An Integrative Approach
Preparing for an Aging World: The Case for Cross-National Research
Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Health of Older Americans
Trends in Disability at Older Ages (summary of a workshop)

Publicly Available Databases for Aging-Related Secondary Analyses in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (Adobe PDF [828K])
The databases included in this document have been supported entirely or in part by NIA. It is grouped by current archival status: (1) data sets archived at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research Data Archive (ICPSR), available on CD, or through the Internet; (2) data sets expected to be archived in the future, but currently available through principaI investigator (PI); (3) data sets not expected to be archived, but available through the PI; and (4) data sets expected to be archived, but currently unavailable.

BSR Program FY 1997 Abstracts
Abstracts of active grants in FY 1997 include Research Project Gtrants, Centers, Program Projects, and Subprojects by branch in the BSR. Abstracts are categorized by research topics within each branch and are organized alphabetically by PI. Each abstract contains the following information: project number, name and address of the investigator, award amount, performing organization, title, and project summary.

Volume I (Adobe PDF [378K])
Office of the Associate Director; Cognitive Functioning and Aging; and Personality and Social Psychological Aging.
Volume II (Addobe PDF [657K])
Demography of Aging; Health and Retirement Economics; and Population Epidemiology.
Volume III (Adobe PDF [695K])
Psychological Geriatrics Research; Health Care Organizations; and Older People in Society.

Diverse Voices—The Inclusion of Language-Minority Populations in National Studies: Challenges and Opportunities
Edited by Rose Maria Li (NIA), Peggy McCardle (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD]), Rebecca Clark (NICHD), Kevin Kinsella (NIA), and Daniel Berch (NIA), this report was published in August 2001. The report's executive summary is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. This report represents the proceedings from a workshop jointly sponsored by NIA, NICHD, and the Office of Research on Minority Health (ORMH) that was held on July 27–28, 2000, at the NIH campus. The workshop convened survey design/data collection experts, social science researchers, and Federal research agencies to identify best practices and create a research agenda for improving the inclusion of language-minority populations in national studies, particularly studies referenced by policy analysts and policymakers. The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) provided supplemental funding for printing the report.

An Aging World 2001
Issued in December 2001, the Census Bureau released its latest report on global aging entitled An Aging World: 2001. This publication updates and expands on previous Census Bureau reports that focused on past, current, and projected numbers, proportions, and growth rates of the elderly population worldwide. Recognizing the characteristics of the elderly are increasingly heterogeneous among and within nations, a second objective of An Aging World: 2001 is to summarize socioeconomic statistics for both developed and developing nations. This report highlights such data for 52 nations when information is available and reasonably comparable.

Minority Aging and Health: The National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA) Topical CD Collection
Through funding provided by NIA and ORMH, NACDA's topical CD focuses on disparities in the health and the lifecourse of minority populations. Working with NIA, ORMH, members of the NACDA Council, and senior researchers in the field of gerontology, a collection of publicly available data sets was developed to promote research on disparities among minority populations in the United States.

Data sets were selected to allow for analysis at various points in time; a complete understanding of the lifespan process required information that addressed both current and historic data on health and the aging process. More than 30 data sets are contained on the Minority Aging and Health CD. The CD stratifies the data offerings into six subheadings, including studies with nationally representative samples of Black, Hispanic, and White populations for comparative analysis and data sets that specifically address the health and aging process among other specific minority groups, including Native Americans.

Additionally, there is a data series on immigrant populations. Included in the data collection are selections from longitudinal studies such as the 1998 Health Retirement Survey, American's Changing Lives Waves 1 and 2, the 1994 Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly, and the four waves of the National Survey of Black Americans. These studies can be linked to additional waves and represent tremendous potential for the study of change in health and economic patterns among minority elderly across time.

Collectively, these studies represent the most comprehensive and detailed information related to the health and economic stability of U.S. minority populations currently available. To promote the use of these data, the Minority Aging and Health CD will be distributed free of charge to all interested researchers.

To receive a copy of the Minority Aging and Health CD, users must complete a request form. Request forms can be requested either by telephone at 734-998-9790 or by sending an e-mail to NACDA staff at NACDA@icpsr.umich.edu. Many of these datasets also are available from: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACDA/.

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Electronic Data Warehouse on Trends in Health and Aging
Developed by the NCHS with the support of NIA, this Web site is specifically designed to show trends in health-related behaviors, health status, health care utilization, and cost of care for the older population in the United States (see: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/otheract/aging/trenddata.htm).

Disability Decline: What We Know and What We'd Like To Know
This is a summary report from the NIA/National Bureau of Economic Research Workshop on November 30, 2001. Both Microsoft Word and PDF formats are available. MS Word (69K) | Adobe PDF (123K)

Web Sites

OBSSR, Office of the Director/NIH
OBSSR is an NIH office devoted to the study of the role of behavioral and social factors in illness and health.

Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center
The ADEAR Center is an NIA information service.

Other

Demographic Data on Aging
Demographic data on aging resources include links to NIA Centers on the Demography of Aging, Federal Web sites, and selected publicly archived data sets.

Data Resources for BSR
BSR data resources include ICPSR and NACDA.