Surveys of the Life Course and Aging: Some Comparisons

In this paper, we introduce, compare, and evaluate the design and content of five major
longitudinal studies of aging: the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), Health and Retirement
Survey (HRS), National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), Americans' Changing
Lives (ACL), and Midlife in the United States (MIDUS). We first compare population coverage,
sampling design, response rate, observational duration, sources of relational and multi-level data,
and links to public records. Overall, WLS, HRS, and NSFH excel in many respects. We also
evaluate questions and measures in each study. In topical coverage, WLS and NSFH are the
most complete. In question quality, WLS, HRS, and NSFH excel in several areas, while MIDUS
and ACL stand out mainly in life event inventories, psychological measures and some health
measures.