The Health and Retirement Study
A Longitudinal Study of Health, Retirement, and Aging
Sponsored by the National Institute on Aging
[Health and Retirement Study]
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Sensitive Health Data

The Health and Retirement Study strives to provide high quality data without compromising respondent confidentiality. Since respondent health data records contain particularly sensitive information, such data products are released to researchers who qualify for access only through a supplemental registration system. Product availability, application steps, and download instructions are described on this page.

Products

Data Collection Year Dataset Name Field Period Latest Release
20062006 Biomarker Data (Early V1.0)Mar 2006-Feb 2007Oct 2007
20052005 Prescription Drug Survey (PDS) (Early V1.0)Aug 2005 - Mar 2006Jan 2007
20032003 Diabetes Study (Final V2.0)Oct 2003 - Aug 2004Apr 2007
2001The Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS) (Early V1.1)Aug 2001 - Mar 2005Dec 2007

How to Apply

  1. Visit the HRS User Registration/File Download Web site. If you do not already have a username and password, you must register in order to enter the site.
  2. Identify the desired data set(s) under the HRS Special Access File Request Information heading.
  3. For each data set, download and complete the appropriate Data Use Agreement in hardcopy format. (Sample)
  4. Send a signed copy of the agreement via surface mail to: 
       Health and Retirement Study
   DUA Review Committee
   426 Thompson Street, Room 3050 ISR
   Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-2321

The Approval Process

The Health and Retirement Study will review your request, and based on the information that you provided when you registered at the HRS User Registration/File Download Web site, verify your identity and institutional affiliation. Once this authentication process has been completed to our satisfaction, we will authorize access to the desired data set(s). We will communicate with you at the email address that you provided when you registered at the File Download Web site.

Download Instructions

  1. Once you receive your approval notification, login at the HRS User Registration/File Download Web site.
  2. In the HRS Special Access Files box on the right hand side of the page you will now see links to the data set(s) that you have requested.
  3. Click on the appropriate link and follow instructions to download the file(s) you need.
Health and Retirement Study Institute for Social Research University of Michigan
Copyright ©2007 The Regents of the University of Michigan