The Supplement on Aging (SOA) is a collaborative effort of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The study was conducted by NCHS as a supplement to the 1984 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The sample is comprised of 16,148 NHIS participants 55 years of age and over and is nationally representative of the 1984 U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population in that age group. Data were obtained through personal interviews in the household, collected by U.S. Census Bureau interviewers.
The SOA data file contains information collected from multiple sources: the 1984 NHIS, the 1984 Health Insurance Supplement, and the SOA. Below is an overview of data file variables at a glance:
The SOA sample is representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population 55 years of age and over in 1984. Geographic indicators include the four major census regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West), type of primary sampling unit (based on 1970 census), and SMSA/Non-SMSA residence status.
The SOA data are available on CD-ROM: The 1984 National Health Interview Survey, Series 10, No. 16H (issued July 2001). This CD-ROM also includes data obtained during the 1984 NHIS interview and all related documentation. Details are provided below. To request a copy of this CD-ROM, email nchsquery@cdc.gov or telephone (301) 458-INFO.
The CD-ROM contains the following microdata files in ASCII format:
Data File (\directory\filename.file type) | Content Description |
\DATA\HOUSEHLD.ASC | Household Level Data |
\DATA\PERSONSX.ASC | Person Level Data |
\DATA\CONDITON.ASC | Condition Level Data |
\DATA\DRVISITX.ASC | Doctor Visit Level Data |
\DATA\HOSPITAL.ASC | Hospital Level Data |
\DATA\HEALTHIN.ASC | Health Insurance Supplement Data |
\DATA\SOAGECON.ASC | Supplement on Aging - Condition Data |
\DATA\SOAGEPER.ASC | Supplement on Aging - Person Data |
These files may be read by standard data analysis software packages such as SAS or SPSS.
In addition, the CD-ROM includes associated survey documentation files in Portable Document Format (PDF):
Documentation File |
Content Description |
\FILEDOC\NHCORE84.PDF | Core Questionnaire Documentation - Part I |
\FILEDOC\FRMANL84.PDF | Interviewer's Manual - Part II |
\FILEDOC\MEDMAN84.PDF | Medical Coding Manual - Part III |
\FILEDOC\CUREST84.PDF | Current Estimates |
\FILEDOC\DSGN7583.PDF | Design and Estimation for NHIS |
\FILEDOC\HEALTH84.PDF | Health Insurance Supplement |
\FILEDOC\SOACPF84.PDF | Supplement on Aging-Condition File |
\FILEDOC\SOAPUF84.PDF | Supplement on Aging-Person File |
These files require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 4.0 or greater to be viewed. A Windows version of the Acrobat Reader software is enclosed with this CD-ROM and may be installed on individual computers using one of the following files:
File (\directory\filename.file type) |
Description |
\ACROBAT\AR16E301.EXE | Acrobat Reader for Windows 3.x |
\ACROBAT\AR405ENG.EXE | Acrobat Reader for Windows NT/95 |
A detailed description of the survey is published in reports of the Vital and Health Statistics, Series 1, Number 21.
National Center for Health
Statistics
3311 Toledo Road
Hyattsville, MD 20782
Phone:
1-800-232-4636
nchsquery@cdc.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A
Tel: (404) 639-3311 / Public Inquiries: (404) 639-3534 / (800) 311-3435