DOI: 10.3886/icpsr38837
title: Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 3): Biomarker Project, 2017-2022
title: Archival Version

description: The Biomarker Project is one of multiple projects that comprise the MIDUS 3 (M3) "Integrative
Pathways to Health and Illness" study. For the past two decades, the overarching objective of
MIDUS has been to investigate linkages between sociodemographic, psychosocial, behavioral,
and neurobiological variables to account for unfolding profiles of morbidity and mortality across
the decades of adult life as well as the maintenance of good health and functional capacities. The
study has facilitated analyses that pay attention simultaneously to age, gender, race, and
socioeconomic variation in how psychosocial and neurobiological variables are linked. In
addition, the M3 data permit longitudinal assessment of the impact of ongoing historical events,
such as the 2008 economic recession, on the health of diverse-aged adults, which was also
included in the MIDUS Refresher 1 (MR1) assessments. M3 included recruitment of additional
twins to facilitate genomic analysis.
The M3 Biomarker Project (P4) includes assessment of multiple indicators of physiological
regulation/dysregulation and health according to the basic protocol implemented in the MR1
study, which repeated and expanded the M2 biomarker protocol. The M3 protocol included bone
density and body composition assessments at all sites and expansion of Actigraphy, Ankle
Brachial Index (ABI) and Gait assessments to all three sites. Data were collected during a
24-hour stay at one of three Clinical Research Units (CRU).
description: The purpose of the Biomarker Project was to add comprehensive biological assessments on a subsample of MIDUS respondents, thus facilitating analyses that integrate behavioral and psychosocial factors with biology. The broad aim is to identify biopsychosocial pathways that contribute to diverse health outcomes. A further theme is to investigate protective roles that behavioral and psychosocial factors have in delaying morbidity and mortality, or in fostering resilience and recovery from health challenges once they occur. The research was not disease-specific, given that psychosocial factors have relevance across multiple health endpoints.
description: Biomarker data collection was carried out at three General Clinical Research Centers (at UCLA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Georgetown University). The biomarkers reflect functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the autonomic nervous system, the immune system, cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, antioxidants, and metabolic processes. Specimens (fasting blood draw, 12-hour urine, saliva) allow for assessment of multiple indicators within these major systems. The protocol also included assessments by clinicians or trained staff, including vital signs, morphology, functional capacities, bone densitometry, medication usage, and a physical exam. Project staff obtained indicators of heart-rate variability, beat to beat blood pressure, respiration, and salivary cortisol assessments during an experimental protocol that included both a cognitive and orthostatic challenge. To augment the self-reported data collected in Project 1, participants completed a medical history, self-administered questionnaire, and self-reported sleep assessments. For respondents at one site (UW-Madison), objective sleep assessments were also obtained with an Actiwatch(R) activity monitor.
description: The data are not weighted and no weight variables are present in the dataset.
description: Response Rates: Overall Rate: 747/1266 = 59% (Eligible = living, healthy enough to travel safely)
Adjusted Rate: 747/1162 = 64.3% (Eligible excludes: No contact/Unable to locate)
description: Presence of Common Scales: 
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality (PSQ)
Mood and Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ)
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Inventory (CES-D)
Perceived Stress Scale-10 Item Version (PSS)
Spielberger Anger Expression Inventory
Spielberger Trait Anger
Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory
Social Anxiety Scale
Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ)
Positive Events Scale
Singelis Self-Construal Scale
Social Obligation Scale
Relational-Interdependent Self Construal Scale
Sympathy Scale (Expanded)
Adjustment Scale
Support and Strain Given to Friends Scale
Friendship Support
Support Given to Family Scale
Support Given to Spouse Scale
Self-Control Scale
Subjective Well-Being Scale
UCLA Loneliness Scale
Subjective Well-Being: Japanese Comparison Scale
Symptoms and Conditions
Counts of Health Events
MIDUS Healthy Eating Index
Family Medical History
Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)
Marital Status
Counts of Intervening Events
Medication Use
Body IndicesAdditional information regarding scales can be found in the Psychosocial Constructs and Composite Variables documentation.
description: The MIDUS 3 Biomarker Project contains data from 747 respondents. These respondents include two distinct subsamples, all of whom completed the MIDUS 3 Survey Project: (1) longitudinal survey sample (n = 644) and (2) Milwaukee sample (n = 103). The Milwaukee group contained individuals who participated in the MIDUS Milwaukee 2 study.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Biomarker Aggregate Dataset
DS2: Biomarker Medication Stacked Dataset
description: Respondents who completed the MIDUS 3 Survey Project longitudinal survey sample and Milwaukee sample. The Milwaukee group contained individuals who participated in the MIDUS Milwaukee 2 study. Smallest Geographic Unit: Other
description: computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI); mail questionnaire; self-enumerated questionnaire; on-site questionnaireThe M3 dataset uses the M2ID variable to identify individual respondents. This variable can be used to merge any MIDUS datasets derived from the original longitudinal sample.Due to pandemic-related interruptions in data collection, the M3 field period was extended from April 2017 to May 2022.The uploaded materials are already available to the public freely via the MIDUS Colectica Portal.