Data Description and Usage
1. Overview
The 2022 HRS Core (Early, Version 1.0) data release consists of data obtained as
part of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a national longitudinal study of
the economic, health, marital, and family status, as well as public and private
support systems, of older Americans. The National Institute on Aging provided
funding (NIA U01 AG009740), with supplemental support from the Social Security
Administration. The Institute for Social Research (ISR) Survey Research Center
(SRC) at the University of Michigan conducted the survey.
The 2022 HRS Core (Early, Version 1.0) is an “early partial” public
release. Only panel cases are included in the Early, Version 1.0 data
file. This release includes cases from the seven continuing HRS cohorts (HRS,
AHEAD, CODA, WAR BABY, EARLY BABY BOOMER and MID BABY BOOMER), that had
completed an interview by September 2, 2023. A complete release with the newly
screened Early Generation X cohort will be forthcoming when data collection
concludes. HRS early data releases are provided for users who wish to begin
analyzing data prior to a final public release being available. Early release
files have undergone a fair amount of data cleaning, but errors may be present
in the data files and/or the associated codebooks.
By receiving the data, which have been freely provided, you agree to use them
for research and statistical purposes only and to make no effort to identify the
respondents. In addition, you agree to send us a copy of any publications you
1B. The Sample Interviewed in 2022
While the data collection for the 2022 interview is ongoing for new cohort
cases, the data collection for panel cases ended on September 2, 2023. Thus, the
data for this “early partial” public release consists of panel cases collected
March 2022 through September 2, 2023. The HRS sample is comprised of eight sub-
samples (HRS, AHEAD, CODA, WAR BABY, EARLY BABY BOOMER, MIDDLE BABY BOOMER, LATE
BABY BOOMER and EARLY GEN X). Users should note that data from the newly
screened EARLY GEN X cohort is not available in this early partial data release
but will be published in a future data release.
The first sub-sample, the HRS sub-sample, consists of people who were born 1931
through 1941 and were household residents of the conterminous U.S. in the spring
1992, and their spouses or partners at the time of the initial interview in 1992
or at the time of any subsequent interview. The HRS sub-sample was interviewed
in 1992 and every two years thereafter.
The AHEAD sub-sample consists of people who were born in 1923 or earlier, were
household residents of the conterminous U.S. in the spring 1992, and were still
household residents at the time of their first interview in 1993 or 1994, and
their spouses or partners at the time of the initial interview or at the time of
any subsequent interview. The AHEAD sub-sample was interviewed in 1993-94,
1995-96, 1998 and every two years thereafter.
The Children of the Depression (CODA) sub-sample consists of people who were
born in 1924 through 1930, were household residents of the conterminous U.S.
when first interviewed in 1998, and who, at that time, did not have a spouse or
partner who was born before 1924 or between 1931 and 1947, and their spouses or
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February 2024, Version 1.0