Harmonization of Cross-National Studies of Aging to the Health and Retirement Study – User Guide: Family Transfer – Informal Care

Abstract

This guide reviews and summarizes questions on informal/non-institutional care/help from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its sister surveys. These include: the 2010 wave of the HRS, five waves (2002-03, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2008-09 & 2010-11) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), Waves 1, 2, and 42 (2004-05, 2006-07 & 2010-11) of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), first three waves (2006-07, 2008-09, 2010-11) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA), first three waves (2006-07, 2008-09, 2010-11) of the Japanese Study on Aging and Retirement (JSTAR), first wave (2010-11) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), first wave (2010-11) of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), first two waves (2000-01 & 2002-03) of the Mexican Health and Ageing Study (MHAS), fourth wave (2007-08) of Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) and the pilot wave (2010) of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI). All of the surveys collected information on informal care received and provided, but varied in the spectrum and details of questions asked.

Keywords: HRS, ELSA, SHARE, KLoSA, JSTAR, CHARLS, TILDA, MHAS, IFLS