HRS International Sister Studies

The shared goal of NIA, HRS and MiCDA is to develop cross-nationally comparable longitudinal data on the economics, health, and demography of aging. Accomplishing this goal is a complex process that involves a mix of technical and scientific collaboration, and is greatly facilitated by personal interaction among researchers and technical staffs of these projects. Sister studies include ELSA (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing), SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) in eleven countries in Europe, and MHAS (Mexican Health and Aging Study), all of which have collected at least one round of data and all of which are committed to make their data available to the international research community in essentially the same way that HRS does.

This international data system is growing. Israel, Ireland, the Czech Republic and Poland have entered SHARE with baseline surveys in 2006. The first Asian study modeled on the HRS is the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA), which fielded its baseline survey in 2006. With the goal of replicating the HRS, Japan did a pilot in 2006 and began collecting its first wave during 2007. New Zealand, Thailand, China and India have expressed interest in doing new surveys of aging. HRS conducted discussions with leaders of these groups during 2006 and during early 2007 plans have advanced further.

Examples of network activities include a conference presentation about the HRS by Robert Willis in Montreal, Canada; assistance by HRS staff with interviewer training in Japan; and hosting of researchers from New Zealand to discuss survey plans.