Datasets

There are several datasets that contain information relevant to the studies being conducted by BioPop researchers. The following list includes links to some of these datasets along with a brief summary of the available information.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a cross-sectional study that provides a snapshot of the health and nutrition of the US population. Performed periodically since 1971, NHANES became a continuous, annual survey in 1999. Participants representing a wide range of ages and backgrounds are chosen based on a statistical analysis of age, gender, and racial or ethnic backgrounds in the US. The Survey conducts an in-home interview focusing on health status, disease history, and diet, followed by a health exam, performed in a Mobile Examination Center, which includes analysis of blood and urine samples. The information collected varies based on the age and gender of the participant.

National Health and Retirement Study
http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/

The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a longitudinal study of American adults 50 years old and over that began in 1992, aiming to “paint an emerging portrait of an aging America’s physical and mental health, insurance coverage, financial status, family support systems, labor market status, and retirement planning.” An initial face-to-face in-home interview is followed by a phone check-in every second year and a self-administered mail survey on the off years, with a new cohort added every 6 years. Data collection covers a variety of topics including demographics, financial, employment and familial issues, and health status information. Biological data collection began in 2006 as part of an “Enhanced Face-to-Face Interview” and includes a health examination and lab tests on saliva and blood spots.

Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS)
http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/wlsresearch/

The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) is a long-term study based on a random sample men and women who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957. WLS data, collected via questionnaires and phone surveys of the original respondents or their parents in 1957, 1964, 1975, and 1992, and from a selected sibling in 1977 and 1993, provide a full record of social background, youthful aspirations, schooling, military service, family formation, labor market experiences, and social participation of the original respondents. Surveys are the first phase of data collection followed by: brain imaging, personal interviews, anthropometric measurement, and bio-indicators.

Midlife in the United States (MIDUS)
http://midus.wisc.edu/

MIDUS is a longitudinal study first conducted in 1994/95 of randomly selected Americans 25-74 years old to investigate the role of behavioral, psychological, and social factors in understanding age-related differences in physical and mental health. Data on physical and emotional health were collected via phone interviews and self-administered questionnaires. In 2002, the project was continued with MIDUS II, which includes five research projects, which cover the following topics:

* Project 1 provides follow-up on the psychosocial, sociodemographic, and health variables assessed in MIDUS I;
* Project 2 provides follow-up on the daily diary study included in MIDUS I;
* Project 3 includes new cognitive assessments for the full MIDUS samples, plus longitudinal follow-up for the cognitive subsample from MIDUS I;
* Project 4 includes comprehensive biomarker assessments on a subsample of MIDUS respondents, collected at one of 3 General Clinical Research Centers around the country;
* Project 5 includes neuroscience assessments on a subsample of respondents in the biomarker study.

National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health)
http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/addhealth

The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) is a nationally representative study that explores the causes of health-related behaviors of adolescents in grades 7 through 12 and their outcomes in young adulthood. An initial in-school questionnaire administered in 1994/95 was followed by in-home interviews 1, 2, 6, and 13 years later, focusing on the influences of both the individual attributes of adolescents and the attributes of their various environments on health and health-related behavior in vital areas, as well as a physical exam to collect anthropometric measures.

Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW)
http://www.show.wisc.edu/

SHOW is an annual cross-sectional study of the health of Wisconsin residents that collects data via face-to-face interviews, paper and computer surveys, and physical and lab measurements (urine and blood sample analysis). That data collected focuses on health history and health care utilization and aims to present a comprehensive picture of the health of Wisconsin residents, helping to identify needs and target resources where they are most needed.

Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA)
http://www.cardia.dopm.uab.edu/

CARDIA is a longitudinal study examining how heart disease develops in adults. Beginning in 1986, a cohort of American adults 18-30 were both interviewed and asked to participate in a series of lab tests and physical examinations. The data collected includes medical history, lifestyle factors (including diet, exercise, and substance abuse) and psychosocial measures, as well as physical factors believed to contribute to heart disease including blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol levels. Follow up exams have been completed after 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20 years; the lab tests and physical factors collected vary from year to year (see the website for a complete list).

Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)
http://www.mesa-nhlbi.org/

MESA is a study of the characteristics of subclinical cardiovascular disease and the risk factors that predict progression to clinically overt cardiovascular disease. It follows a population based multi-ethnic sample of asymptomatic adults aged 45-84 through 4 exams over a 7 year period. The exams take place at one of 6 field centers and include an intensive physical exam that included blood sample, CT scan, MRI, among other tests as well as an interview to determine sociodemographic, lifestyle and psychosocial factors. Participants were also followed for any cardiovascular disease medical events and contacted annually for a phone follow-up interview.

Nurses’ Health Study
http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/index.html

The Nurses Health Study is a longitudinal study established in 1976 to study the effects of oral contraceptive use on women’s health. The original population consisted of married nurses aged 30-55, with a second population (Nurses’ Health Study II) selected in 1989 of nurses 25-49 years old. The data is collected every 2 years via a self-administered questionnaire regarding disease and lifestyle factors (smoking, hormone use, diet, quality of life), as well as intermittent collection of toenail and blood samples for Study I, and blood and urine samples for Study II.

Framingham Heart Study
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/framingham/

The Framingham Heart Study is a multi-generational longitudinal study beginning in 1949 to study the common risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. The original cohort was sampled from asymptomatic residents of Framingham, MA aged 30-62, with an Offspring cohort of the original participants’ children established in 1971 and a 3rd Generation cohort currently being recruited. Every 2 years, participants return for a medical history/lifestyle interview, physical exam, and lab tests, with new diagnostics being continually integrated. The multi-generational aspect allows the study to consider and understand how genetic factors, as well as traditional risk factors, contribute to cardiovascular disease.

National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm

NHIS is a cross-sectional survey of the amount, distribution, and effects of illness and disability in the United States that began in 1957. The annual survey samples from the civilian non-institutionalized population (both adults and children) and covers a broad range of health topics that vary depending on data needs. The in-home interview also asks basic health and demographic questions and is updated every 10 to 15 years.