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**Longitudinal Study of AgingSurvey Description | Data File DescriptionData Files at a Glance | Data File CharacteristicsGeographic Coverage | Data Availability | Related ReportsContact | Second Supplement on Aging**
 

**Survey    description**    The Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA) is a collaborative effort of the National Center    for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the National Institute on Aging. The study is conducted    by NCHS, and the data are collected by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Baseline information    for the LSOA came from the Supplement on Aging (SOA), a supplement to the 1984 National    Health Interview Survey. The SOA was based on a probability sample of 16,148 persons 55    years of age and over living in the community, and the data were obtained through personal    interviews in the household. 

The focus of the    SOA was on housing, including barriers and ownership; social support, including number and    proximity of living children and recent contacts in the community; retirement, including    reasons for retirement and sources of retirement income; and measures of disability,    including activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and ability    to perform work-related activities. The sample for the LSOA came from the 7,527 persons on    the SOA who were 70 years of age and over in 1984. Reinterviews were conducted in 1986,    1988, and 1990 using three methods of interviewing: telephone interviewing using    computer-assisted telephone interviewing; mail questionnaires; and telephone interviews    using paper questionnaires. 

The study was designed to make data on    the oldest-old and on people moving into that age group available to the research    community; to describe the continuum from functional independence in the community through    dependence, including institutionalization, to death; to measure change in the functional    status and in the living arrangements of older Americans; to provide mortality rates    according to demographic, social, economic, and health characteristics; and to provide    measures of health care use for individuals over time. 

In addition to the interview data, the    LSOA includes data from record matches. The LSOA matched survey records with three record    data bases: The National Death Index (NDI), the computerized records of deaths in the    United States maintained by NCHS; the multiple-cause-of-death file maintained by NCHS; and    the Medicare Automated Data Retrieval System maintained by the Health Care Financing    Administration.

**Data    file description**    The latest version of the LSOA Public Use Data File is Version 5. This CD-ROM contains    three files: one for persons, one for Medicare Part A Hospital Records, and one for    Medicare Part A and Part B Other Use Records. Information for the Version 5 files was    obtained from:1984 NHIS, SOA, and Health Insurance Supplement    to  the NHIS;1986, 1988, and 1990 telephone interviews;1987 Decedent Followback interviews;1984-90 National Death Index Match;1985-91 Medicare records match.     Weights to produce national estimates are also on the files.

**List    of data file variables at a glance1984 National Health Interview    Survey**Demographic characteristics (age, sex, race,    Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, major activity, education, and family    income)Limitation of activities (long term)Restriction of activities (2 weeks)Bed-days (previous year and 2 weeks)Chronic conditions and impairments (long term)Acute conditions (2 weeks)Doctor visits (previous year and 2 weeks)Hospital stays and days (previous years)

**1984 Health Insurance Supplement**Health insurance coverage for hospital care and doctor visitsWhether insurance is public or privateReceipt of Medicaid, military retirement, Veteran's Administration pensions, and    eligibility for veteran's medical care and disability compensation
**1984 Supplement on Aging**Family structure and living arrangementsRelationships and social contacts Use of community servicesOccupation and retirement (sources of income)Health conditions and impairmentsActivities of daily living (ADLs) Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) Who provided help with ADLs and IADLs Nursing home stays Opinions about one's own health
**LSOA interviews**Living arrangements and changeInstitutionalizationOccupationChanges in physical limitationsADLsIADLsDifficulty with physical movements Nursing home stays since last interview Hospital stays in past year Contacts with doctors in past year Hospital and nursing home stays before death Economic information (1990 only)
**Medicare matchesHospitalizations covered by MedicareDate of discharge DiagnosesSurgical procedures Length of stay Other care covered by Medicare Home health care visits Hospice Outpatient
**National Death Index match**Fact of deathDate of deathCertainty about match
**Death certificate information**Underlying cause of deathMultiple cause of death (up to eight)Whether an autopsy was performedUsual occupation Business or industry 
**NOTE**: LSOA is    Longitudinal Study of Aging.

**Data    file technical characteristics**
*Type of        file**Record        length**Block        size**Number of        records*Interview and        National Death Index**1**        data2,35930,6677,527Medicare Part A Hospital7030,80012,470Medicare Part A and B, Other Use3531,5005,011
**1**National    Death Index data include fact of death; date of death; and match status code. All three    files are contained on one reel. 

**Geographic    coverage**The LSOA is representative    of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population 70 years of age and over in 1984.    Baseline geographic indicators include the four major Census regions (Northeast, Midwest,    South, West); type of primary sampling unit (based on 1970 Census); and 1980 County    Adjacency Codes. 

**Data    availability**The LSOA data is available    as follows: *Product**Year*Magnetic Tape: LSOA, Version 4Interview data 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990NDI data**1**1989Medicare Part A, Hospital Record1990Medicare Part A and B, Other Use1990 Diskettes: Match dataNDI data**1**1991Multiple cause-of-death data1989Medicare Part A, Hospital record1991Medicare Part A and B, Other use record1991 CD-ROM: LSOA, Version 5Interview data1984, 1986, 1988, 1990NDI data**1**1990Medicare Part A, Hospital record1991Medicare Part A and B, Other use record1991
1NDI    data include fact of death; date of death; and match status code.
**Data on tape***Title**NTIS        order no.**Price*Supplement on Aging, 1984PB92-501675$305.00LSOA, Version 4PB92-500099$305.00
**Data on    CD-ROM**
*Data        year**NTIS        order no.**Price**GPO order        no.**Price*1984-90        (Version  5)PB94-500519$30.00017-022-01230-8$16.00
**Related    reports**A detailed description of the survey and    summary tables are published in reports of the *Vital and Health Statistics*, Series **1**, Number **21**    and **28**.    
**Contact**Julie Dawson Weeks    Division of Epidemiology    Office of Analysis, Epidemiology, and Health Promotion    National Center for Health Statistics    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention    6525 Belcrest Road, Room 730    Hyattsville, MD 20782    (301) 436-5979(301) 458-4562 (New number effective 11/15/1999)

 

 

**Longitudinal Study of AgingSurvey Description | Data File DescriptionData Files at a Glance | Data File CharacteristicsGeographic Coverage | Data Availability | Related ReportsContact | Second Supplement on Aging**
 

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This page last reviewed August 15, 2000

**U.S.    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES****Centers    for Disease Control and Prevention**    National Center for Health Statistics    Division of Data Services     Hyattsville, MD    20782-2003    (301) 458-4636
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