Learning to Use Health and Retirement Study Data: The Basics
Includes a Live Web Event on 10/14/2026 at 12:00 PM (EDT)
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Register
- Non-Member - $25
- Comp Member - $15
- Emeritus Member - $15
- Regular Member - $15
- Retired Member - $15
- Spouse Member - $15
- GSA Staff - Free!
- Transitional Member - $15
- Graduate Student/Post-Doc Member - $15
- Undergraduate Student Member - $15
The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is the largest and most comprehensive nationally representative panel study of Americans over age 50. The HRS provides decades of cutting-edge, publicly available data on aging, supporting research, policy, and innovation to address the challenges of a rapidly aging population. The study also employs a complex sample design. It can be quite daunting to new users trying to get started with their own analyses, This workshop will provide a very high level overview in the first hour and a detailed walk-through of basic data management and analysis exercises in the second hour.
Amanda Sonnega, PhD
Research Scientist
University of Michigan
Amanda Sonnega, PhD, is a Research Scientist in the Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan (UM), where she is responsible for integrating communication, outreach, and education efforts for the Health and Retirement Study. She received her doctorate through the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society at the Johns Hopkins University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship within the ISR program in Social Environment and Health. Dr. Sonnega has lectured in the UM School of Public Health on psychosocial factors in health-related behavior. Her research focuses on life course trajectories of physical and mental health; institutional and personal factors associated with vulnerability and resilience in aging individuals; and work transitions and their broad effects on health and well-being.
Ryan McCammon, MA, MS
Research Area Specialist
University of Michigan
Ryan McCammon earned his master's degree from the Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Michigan. He contributes to many facets of the HRS, including data training.
All times are ET
Agenda
| Part One | Basic Study Design and Content |
| 12:00 PM | Introduction & Overview |
| 12:05 PM | How We Get the Data: the HRS Complex Survey Design |
| 12:20 PM | What's Available: High-Level Overview of Study Content |
| 12:40 PM | How We Make it Easier to Use: the RAND HRS |
| Part Two | Basics of Simple Data Management and Analysis |
| 12:50 PM | Data Structure |
| 1:00 PM | Breakout Rooms: Close Q&A |
| 1:10 PM | Simple Data Management |
| 1:20 PM | Breakout Rooms: Close Q&A |
| 1:30 PM | Walk Through Simple Data Analysis with Emphasis on Applying Sample Weights and Design Variables |
| 1:40 PM | Breakout Rooms: Participants to Discuss Applications to Their Own Research with Each Other and HRS Staff |
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