Health & Retirement Study (HRS)

Site: hrs.isr.umich.edu

Updated 5/16/22

Country: United States

Study design: Observational cohort with repeated measurements over time

Participant age range: Adults over age 50

Number of participants at baseline: 12,000–14,000 for psychosocial measures

Year of initial enrollment: 2006 / 2008

Number of data collection waves: 6

Measures of well-being:

  • Positive psychological well-being (overall / multidimensional)
  • Flourishing (multidimensional)
  • Optimism
  • Positive affect
  • Purpose / meaning in life / ikigai
  • Life satisfaction
  • Mastery
  • Subjective happiness
  • Social support / integration / cohesion
  • Social capital
  • Prosocial behavior or attitudes
  • Personal growth or self-acceptance

Quantity of well-being measures (e.g., number of constructs, number of times well-being was assessed): High

Quality of well-being measures (e.g., were measures reliable and valid in the study population): High

Measures of physical health: 

  • Self-rated / questionnaire-based health
  • Self-reported medical and medication history
  • Measured anthropometrics, e.g., weight
  • Biomarkers
  • Genetics
  • Linked medical records

Access Information:

This dataset is available to all researchers.

Researchers are not required to submit an application to access this data.

There are no fees required to access this dataset.

Notable citation:

Kim E, Delaney S, Tay L, Chen Y, Diener E & VanderWeele T. (2021). Life satisfaction and subsequent physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health in older adults. The Milbank Quarterly, 99(1), 209-239.