Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP)

The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) is the first population-based study of health and social factors on a national scale, aiming to understand the well-being of older, community-dwelling Americans by examining the interactions among physical health, illness, medication use, cognitive function, emotional health, sensory function, health behaviors, and social connectedness. It is designed to provide health providers, policy makers, and individuals with useful information and insights into these factors, particularly on social and intimate relationships. NORC, with Principal Investigators at the University of Chicago, conducted more than 3,000 interviews during 2005 and 2006 with a nationally representative sample of adults aged 57 to 85. Face-to-face interviews and biomeasure collection took place in respondents' homes.
Data collection elicited:
1) demographic characteristics;
2) social networks;
3) social and cultural activity;
4) physical and mental health including cognition;
5) well-being;
6) illness;
7) medications and alternative therapies;
8) history of sexual and intimate partnerships; and
9) patient-physician communication.
NSHAP also collected important health information in the home, prioritizing non-invasive collection techniques and cutting edge technology that minimizes respondent burden. NSHAP plans to conduct follow-up interviews with respondents every three years to collect longitudinal data.
This invaluable data is made available to public through ICPSR.

Tags: Aging Project, NSHAP, Face-to-face interviews, biomeasure collection, physical health, illness, medication use, cognitive function, emotional health, sensory function, health behaviors, social connectedness