User Guides and Documentation Reports

User Guides and Documentation Reports are designed to provide analysts with documentation about the concepts, measures and questions in the HRS surveys. These reports expand upon the information found in codebooks, questionnaires and data descriptions. They also provide comprehensive descriptions of created measures (including their origin), changes made across waves, variable distributions, results from data quality analysis, information about the data structure of individual HRS surveys, and information on special data manipulation topics.

Additional documentation (not listed below) comparing the HRS with the HRS International Family of Studies for specific research domains is available on the Gateway to Global Aging Data website.

General

Agree EM, Sonnega A, Wolf DA. Building Survey Data Infrastructure on Aging: The Legacy of NIA. Gerontologist. 2025. doi:10.1093/geront/gnaf038

Sonnega A. The Health and Retirement Study: An Introduction. 2015. http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/index.php?p=trainvid1.

Sonnega A, Faul J, Ofstedal MB, Langa KM, Phillips JWR, Weir DR. Cohort Profile: the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Int J Epidemiol. 2014;43(2):576-85. doi:10.1093/ije/dyu067

Servais M. Overview of HRS Public Data Files for Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2010.

Servais M. An Elementary Cookbook of Data Management Using HRS Data With SPSS, SAS and Stata Examples. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2004.

Biomarkers and Physical Measures

Crimmins E, Faul J, Kim JK, Weir D. Documentation of Lnterleukin-6 (IL-6) Assays from Dried Blood Spots 2014 and 2016. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2023.

Guyer HM, Ofstedal MB, Lessof C, Cox K. The Benefits and Challenges of Collecting Physical Measures and Biomarkers in Cross-National Studies. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

Crimmins EM, Faul J, Thyagarajan B, Weir DR. Venous Blood Collection and Assay Protocol in the 2016 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

Crimmins EM, Faul J, Kim JK, Weir DR. Documentation of Blood-Based Biomarkers in the 2014 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

Crimmins EM, Faul J, Kim JK, Weir DR. Documentation of Biomarkers in the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan; 2015:15.

Crimmins EM, Faul J, Kim JK, et al. Documentation of Biomarkers in the 2006 and 2008 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2013.

Crimmins EM, Guyer HM, Langa KM, Ofstedal MB, Wallace RB, Weir DR. Documentation of Physical Measures, Anthropometrics and Blood Pressure in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2008.

Cognition

Staff H. Protocols for Missing Data in the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP). Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan ; 2025.

McCammon RJ, Fisher GG, Hassan H, Faul J, Rogers W, Weir DR. Health and Retirement Study Imputation of Cognitive Functioning Measures: 1992-2020. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan; 2023.

Ofstedal MB, McClain CA, Couper MP. Measuring Cognition in a Multi-Mode Context. In: Lynn P, ed. Advances in Longitudinal Survey Methodology. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; 2021:250-271. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119376965.ch11

McClain CA, Ofstedal MB, Couper MP. Measuring Cognition in a Multi-Mode Context. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2018:1-48.

Weir DR, Langa KM, Ryan LH. 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) Study Protocol Summary. Ann Arbor, MI: Health and Retirement Study, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016:1-15.

Weir DR, McCammon RJ, Ryan LH, Langa KM. Cognitive Test Selection for the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP). Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2014.

Fisher GG, McArdle JJ, McCammon RJ, Sonnega A, Weir DR. New Measures of Fluid Intelligence in the HRS. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2013.

Heeringa SG, Fisher GG, Hurd MD, et al. Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS): Sample Design, Weighting and Analysis for ADAMS. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2009.

Ofstedal MB, Fisher GG, Herzog R. Documentation of Cognitive Functioning Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005. http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/sitedocs/userg/dr-006.pdf.

Disability

Hyde JS. Health-Related Work Limitations and Experiences With Work-Related Disability Benefit Programs. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2024.

Economics

Gok N, Chen A, Quinby LD. Measuring Wealth, Income, and Replacement Rates in the Health and Retirement Study. Chestnut Hill, MA: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College; 2024. https://crr.bc.edu/project-page/measuring-wealth-income-and-replacement….

Fang C, Butchart A, Stolyarova H, Nolte MA, Peticolas R. Pension Estimation Program Users Guide. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan; 2016.

Levy HG, Gutierrez I. Documentation and Benchmarking of Health Insurance Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2009.

Cao H, Henretta JC, Norgard T, Soldo BJ, Weir DR. HRS 2001 HUMS College Tuition Imputations. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.

Mitchell OS, Olson J, Steinmeier TL. Construction of the Earnings and Benefits File (EBF) for Use With the Health and Retirement Study. University of Pennsylvania; 1996.

Employment and Work

Fang C. Health and Retirement Study Imputations for Employer-Sponsored Pension Wealth from Current Jobs in 2016: Data Description and Technical Documentation. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2022.

Nolte MA, Servais M, Turf M. Occupation and Industry Coding in HRS AHEAD. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016.

Family

Staff H. Resources for Analysis of Family Data. http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/index.php?p=famdat. Published 2010.

Genetics

Faul J, Smith JA. Health and Retirement Study: Genetic Data Consortia Collaboration. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2022.

Ware EB, Schmitz LL, Faul J. HRS Polygenic Scores: 2006-2010 Genetic Data. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

Health

Levy HG. User Guide to Health Insurance in the Health and Retirement Study, 2006-2014. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.

Staff H. USDA Food Access Information All Respondents 1992-2014. Ann Arbor, MI: Health and Retirement Study, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research; 2017.

Weir DR. Validating Mortality Ascertainment in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016.

Jenkins KR, Ofstedal MB, Weir DR. Documentation of Health Behaviors and Risk Factors Measured in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS AHEAD). Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2008.

Fisher GG, Faul J, Weir DR, Wallace RB. Documentation of Chronic Disease Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.

Fonda SJ, Herzog R. Documentation of Physical Functioning Measures in the Health and Retirement Study and the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old Study. The University of Michigan; 2004.

Steffick DE. Documentation of Affective Functioning Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2000.

Life History

Smith J, Ofstedal MB, Larkina M, Helppie-McFall B, Sonnega A, Weir DR. LHMS User Guide 2015-2017. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan ; 2022.

Psychosocial and Well-being

Smith J, Ryan LH, Larkina M, Sonnega A, Weir DR. Psychosocial and Lifestyle Questionnaire 2006 - 2022. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2023.

Social Security Data Linkage

Fang C. Cross-Wave Prospective Social Security Wealth Measures of Pre-Retirees 1992-2020: Data Description and Usage. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2024.

Abramowitz J, Fang C, Hyde JS. An Overview of Linked Social Security Administration Data in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan; 2024. https://hrs.isr.umich.edu/publications/biblio/14167.

Staff H. SSA Permissions Consent History: 1992-2018 (Public Version). Ann Arbor: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan; 2021:5.

Survey Design and Methods

Schroeder H, Weir DR, West BT. Representativeness of the Oversamples of Blacks and Hispanics in the Health and Retirement Study: A Geographic Analysis of 2020. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2023.

Heeringa SG, Connor J. Technical Description of the Health and Retirement Study Sample Design. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 1995.

Archive

Cao H. Impute: A SAS Application System for Missing Value Imputations-With Special Reference to HRS Income Assets. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2001.