Harmonization of Longitudinal Cross-National Surveys of Aging

描述（由申请人提供）：我们建议利用协调的事后（事后）努力的结果来比较在健康与退休研究（HRS）和英国老龄化纵向研究（ELSA）的背景下收集的主观幸福感（SWB）的现有数据，以制定先验（事前）协调策略，以促进未来对这一主题的创新比较研究。我们的总体目标是利用这些研究提供的大量数据，比较50岁及以上人群中SWB的跨国趋势和相关因素。先前对hr - elsa前后比较的研究侧重于社会经济因素在健康中的作用（Banks, Marmot, Oldfield, & Smith, 2006）。这项重要的开创性研究指出了在美国和英国进行的具有全国代表性的调查中观察到的健康状况趋势的科学和政策价值，因为每个国家的人口结构和老年人口的社会背景不同。对幸福的跨国比较将补充和扩展这项初步工作。与身体健康一样，幸福感的衡量标准（如生活满意度、积极和消极影响）是生活质量和成功老龄化的重要组成部分。然而，在对SWB进行此类hr - elsa分析之前，需要一个平台来促进每个项目的研究人员之间的数据和信息交换。对福利指数的初步分析表明，虽然存在进行跨国比较的可能性，但需要解决若干方法问题。这些包括测量差异可能产生的混淆效应以及样品组成和磨损的影响。理想情况下，如果要进行跨国比较，应在收集数据之前协调测量方法。为此，我们计划利用HRS-ELSA交流和二次分析提供的机会，开发评估SWB的新方法（例如，结合时间使用和活动的评估性自我报告数据）。这将有助于优化未来的跨国比较，不仅在HRS和ELSA之间，而且与SHARE网络中的国家之间。该项目将建立一个平台，以巩固和比较美国、英国和欧洲大陆50岁以上人口主观幸福感水平和相关因素的信息。对具有不同人口结构和老龄化率的国家的福祉进行比较，提供了重要信息，说明国家卫生、财政和社会政策在确保其老年公民的生活质量和尽量减少代际和代际差距方面的不同效果。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to utilize the outcomes of concerted post hoc (ex-post) efforts to compare existing data on subjective well-being (SWB) collected in the contexts of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) to develop a priori (ex-ante) harmonization strategies to facilitate future innovative comparative research on this topic. Our overall aim is to compare cross-national trends and correlates of SWB in populations aged 50- and-older using the extensive data available from these studies. Previous efforts at ex-post HRS-ELSA comparisons have focused on the role of socioeconomic factors in health (Banks, Marmot, Oldfield, & Smith, 2006). This important pioneering research pointed to the scientific and policy value of exploring trends in health status observed in nationally representative surveys the US and England because of the different demographic structures and social contexts of the aged populations in each country. Cross-national comparisons of well-being would complement and extend this initial work. Like physical health, measures of SWB (e.g. life satisfaction, positive and negative affect) are important components of life quality and successful aging. However, before such HRS-ELSA analyses on SWB can be undertaken, a platform is needed to facilitate the exchange of data and information between researchers from each project. Preliminary analyses of well-being indicators suggest that, although the potential to conduct cross-national comparisons exists, several methodological issues need to be addressed. These include the possible confounding effects of measurement differences and the impact of sample composition and attrition. Ideally harmonization of measurement should occur prior to data collection if cross-national comparison is intended. To this end, we plan to use the opportunity provided by the HRS-ELSA exchanges and secondary analyses to develop new ways to assess SWB (e.g., by combining time-use and evaluative self-report data on activities). This will serve to optimize future cross-national comparisons not only between HRS and ELSA but also with countries in the SHARE network. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Project Narrative This project will establish a platform to consolidate and compare information about the level and correlates of subjective well-being in the over-50 population in the USA, UK and mainland Europe. Comparisons of well-being in countries with different demographic structures and rates of aging, provide important information about the differential efficacy of national health, financial, and social policies to ensure the life quality of their older citizens and minimize disparities within and between generations.