DOI: 10.3886/icpsr04652.v8
title: Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 2), 2004-2006
title: Version 8

description: In 1995-1996, the MacArthur Midlife Research Network
carried out a national survey of 7,108 Americans aged 25 to 74
(MIDLIFE IN THE UNITED STATES (MIDUS),
1995-1996 [ICPSR 2760]). The purpose of the study was to investigate
the role of behavioral, psychological, and social factors in
understanding age-related differences in physical and mental
health. The study was innovative for its broad scientific scope, its
diverse samples (which included twins and the siblings of main sample
respondents), and its creative use of in-depth assessments in key
areas (e.g., daily stress and cognitive functioning). A description of
the study and findings from it are available at
http://www.midus.wisc.edu. With support from the National Institute on Aging, a longitudinal follow-up of the original MIDUS samples: core sample (N = 3,487), metropolitan over-samples (N = 757), twins (N = 925 complete pairs), and siblings (N = 950), was conducted in 2004-2006. Guiding hypotheses for it, at the most
general level, were that behavioral and psychosocial factors are
consequential for physical and mental health. MIDUS 2 respondents were
aged 35 to 86. Data collection largely repeated baseline assessments
(e.g., phone interview and extensive self-administered questionnaire),
with additional questions in selected areas (e.g., cognitive
functioning, optimism and coping, stressful life events, and
caregiving). To add refinements to MIDUS 2, an African American sample
(N = 592) was recruited from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who participated in
a personal interview and completed a questionnaire paralleling the
above assessments. Survey data for the Milwaukee sample are available in a separate project [ICPSR 22840]. Also administered was a modified form of the mail questionnaire, via telephone, to respondents who did not complete a
self-administered questionnaire.
description: Response Rates: Detailed information regarding the response rates for various aspects of the MIDUS II data collection is located in the following documents: "Documentation [PDF] sample_descriptions" and "Documentation [PDF] field_report". These documents are available for download through the ICPSR and NACDA Web sites.
description: Presence of Common Scales: See the document "Documentation [PDF] psychosocial_constructs" available through the ICPSR and NACDA Web sites for complete information regarding the scales for the MIDUS II data collection.
description: The respondents to this study were first interviewed as part of the NATIONAL SURVEY OF MIDLIFE DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES (MIDUS), 1995-1996 (ICPSR 2760). MIDUS was based on a nationally representative random-digit-dial (RDD) sample of noninstitutionalized, English-speaking adults, aged 25 to 74, selected from working telephone banks in the coterminous United States. Predesignated households were selected in random replicates, one-fourth of which included a special nonrespondent incentive
component. Contact persons were informed that the survey was being carried out through the Harvard Medical School and that it was designed to study health and well-being during the middle years of life. After explaining the study to the informant, a household listing was generated of people in the age range of 25 to 74, and a random respondent was selected. Oversampling of older people and men was achieved by varying the probability of carrying out the interview at this stage as a joint function of the age and sex of the randomly selected respondent. No other person in the household was selected if the respondent did not complete the interview. There was no additional
sampling of cases for the longitudinal component of MIDUS II -- it was a follow-up study and attempted to recontact original MIDUS participants. More information about the MIDUS II sample can be found in the document "Documentation [PDF] sample_descriptions", available for download through the ICPSR and NACDA Web sites.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: M2_P1_Aggregate Data
DS2: M2_P1_Disposition Codes Data
DS3: M2_P1_Coded Text Data
DS4: M2_P1_SAQxPhone Data
description: The noninstitutionalized, English-speaking population of
the United States.
description: audio computer-assisted self interview (ACASI); computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI); computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI); mail questionnaire; telephone interviewThe data in this collection can be linked to the following MIDUS studies by using the variable M2ID: ICPSR 2760, 22840, 25281, 26841, 28683, and 29282.The missing value assignments for the following variables have been reduced from 9-10 digits in length to a maximum of 8 digits in length due to a limitation in Stata: B1SG17A, B1SG18A, B1SG18B, B1SG19A, B1SG21B, B1SG22A, B1SG24A, B1SG25A, B1SG25B, B1SG25C, B1SG25D, B1SG25E, B1SG25F, B1SG25G, B1SG25H, AND B1SG25I.The DDI codebook (PDF file) and the XML file (contained in a zip package) released by ICPSR were provided by MIDUS and were not changed in any way by ICPSR. These original files do not reflect any of the processing done by ICPSR.The online analysis (SDA) file is a merged file comprised of the four datasets within this data collection. The files were merged using the variable M2ID. Users of this merged file should review the information in the "Documentation [PDF] weights" available through the ICPSR and NACDA Web sites, prior to analysis.A document pertaining to the naming conventions for this study has been added to the collection.The title of this study was changed from National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS 2), 2004-2006, to Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 2), 2004-2006, on May 9, 2017.Additional information about the Midlife in the United States study can be found at the MIDUS website:
http://midus.wisc.edu.