Welcome Researchers
This website provides researchers access to data, documentation and other resources for the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC). If you are an NHATS or NSOC participant, please visit www.mynhats.org.
Welcome Researchers
This website provides researchers access to data, documentation and other resources for the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC). If you are an NHATS or NSOC participant, please visit www.mynhats.org.
About NHATS & NSOC
Begun in 2011, the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) conducts annual in-person interviews with a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 or older. Designed as a platform for scientific study of late-life disability trends and trajectories, NHATS fosters research to reduce disability, maximize independent functioning, and enhance quality of life at older ages. Online dashboards and a companion chartbook track trends. The supplemental National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) is conducted periodically to provide the perspective of family and friends who help older adults experiencing limitations in daily life. Support for NHATS and NSOC is provided by the National Institute on Aging.
Announcements
For the latest NHATS/NSOC news, follow us on Twitter: 
@NHATS_NSOC
New Online Course for Beginners5/20/2022
NHATS has created an online course for beginners, available through the Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging (MiCDA).
This self-paced set of modules is designed for researchers who are learning to use the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). There is an optional module for learning to use the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC).
The workshop is organized into three sections that take approximately 4-5 hours altogether to complete: Getting to know NHATS; Learning to use NHATS; and Using NHATS.
To register, please visit https://nhats.org/researcher/nhats/videos.
New Procedures for Requesting and Accessing NHATS-CMS Linked Data5/19/2022
New procedures for obtaining restricted NHATS-CMS linked files have been posted. NHATS-CMS linked data files will now be made available through the Health and Aging Data (HaAD) Enclave. A few key changes:
• The HaAD Enclave is accessible from the applicant's institution or other specified location; research teams may share directories across institutions
• DUAs will be required with JHU and NIA (rather than CMS); Federal funding is no longer required to apply
• Claims and assessment files are available through 2021 with more timely and frequent updates expected than in the past
• Output will be reviewed by NHATS for disclosure risk before removal from the enclave
For more information, please see "Obtaining CMS Data for the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS)".
New NHATS/NSOC Income Imputation Files4/10/2024
We are pleased to announce that new income imputation files have been released for NHATS and NSOC. We now provide researchers with 20 imputations using an interval regression methodology. To obtain the new imputation files, please redownload the data zip files. New technical papers describing the imputation methodology have been posted (and prior technical papers archived).
Additionally, value labels were corrected for the Part 1 interview mode variable (r11dpt1mode) on the NHATS Round 11 Sample Person (SP) file. Researchers working with this variable should redownload the file. The NHATS User Guide has also been updated to include an issue identified in Round 12 in how missing values were treated for interviewer observations about the home environment.
Applications Open for NHATS/NSOC 2024 Virtual Workshops4/8/2024
The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) will host two hands-on virtual workshops this summer. The NHATS workshop will be held June 24 -26, 2024 and the NSOC workshop will be held July 29-31, 2024. Applications are due May 20, 2024. More details are available here.
NHATS Polygenic Scores (PGS)3/27/2024
We are pleased to share that new NHATS Polygenic Scores (PGS) files are now available. The files include polygenic scores for a variety of phenotypes for NHATS participants who provided dried blood spot-based DNA in Round 7. Please see the “National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Polygenic Scores User Guide” for more details on the construction of the scores.
The PGS files are sensitive. For information on applying for these data, please see “Obtaining Sensitive Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study”.
