Table of Contents

Component Description

The social support section provides personal interview data on emotional, material, and network (the number of members in a network) support. The questions were selected from the Yale Health and Aging Study (MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging) and the Social Network Index – Alameda County Study. Starting in 2005, an additional question about attendance at church or religious services was added to the social support section.

Eligible Sample

All survey participants 40 or more years of age were eligible. Before 2005, only participants 60 or more years of age were eligible.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The questions were asked in the home, using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing -CAPI (interviewer administered) system.

Data Processing and Editing

Edits were made to ensure the completeness, consistency, and analytic usefulness of the data. The number of times that a respondent reported attending church or religious services (SSD044) was originally reported as number of times per day, week, month, or year and converted to times per year.

Analytic Notes

Since the questions were asked in the household interview, the interview sample weights may be used in their analysis. However, if the data is joined with data from the Mobile Examination Center (MEC), the MEC sample weights should be used.

Please refer to the Analytic Guidelines for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.

References

Codebook and Frequencies

SEQN - Respondent sequence number

Variable Name:
SEQN
SAS Label:
Respondent sequence number
English Text:
Respondent sequence number.
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS

SSQ011 - Anyone to help with emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ011
SAS Label:
Anyone to help with emotional support
English Text:
Now I would like to ask a few questions about {your/SP's} friends and family. Can {you/SP} count on anyone to provide {you/him/her} with emotional support such as talking over problems or helping {you/him/her} make a difficult decision?
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 2786 2786
2 No 229 3015 SSD044
3 SP doesn't need help 30 3045 SSD044
7 Refused 4 3049 SSD044
9 Don't know 6 3055 SSD044
. Missing 1 3056

SSQ021A - Spouse gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021A
SAS Label:
Spouse gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
10 Spouse 1416 1416
77 Refused 0 1416
99 Don't know 4 1420
. Missing 1636 3056

SSQ021B - Daughter gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021B
SAS Label:
Daughter gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
11 Daughter 752 752
. Missing 2304 3056

SSQ021C - Son gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021C
SAS Label:
Son gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
12 Son 499 499
. Missing 2557 3056

SSQ021D - Sibling gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021D
SAS Label:
Sibling gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
13 Sister/brother 477 477
. Missing 2579 3056

SSQ021E - Parent gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021E
SAS Label:
Parent gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
14 Parent 227 227
. Missing 2829 3056

SSQ021F - Other relative gives emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021F
SAS Label:
Other relative gives emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
15 Other relative 224 224
. Missing 2832 3056

SSQ021G - Neighbors give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021G
SAS Label:
Neighbors give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
16 Neighbors 29 29
. Missing 3027 3056

SSQ021H - Co-workers give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021H
SAS Label:
Co-workers give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
17 Co-workers 37 37
. Missing 3019 3056

SSQ021I - Church members give emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021I
SAS Label:
Church members give emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
18 Church members 155 155
. Missing 2901 3056

SSQ021J - Club members give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021J
SAS Label:
Club members give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
19 Club members 10 10
. Missing 3046 3056

SSQ021K - Professionls give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021K
SAS Label:
Professionls give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
20 Professionals 27 27
. Missing 3029 3056

SSQ021L - Friends give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021L
SAS Label:
Friends give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
21 Friends 744 744
. Missing 2312 3056

SSQ021M - Others give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021M
SAS Label:
Others give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
22 Other 67 67
. Missing 2989 3056

SSQ021N - No one gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021N
SAS Label:
No one gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
23 No one 20 20
. Missing 3036 3056

SSQ031 - Needed more support in past year

Variable Name:
SSQ031
SAS Label:
Needed more support in past year
English Text:
[In the last 12 months], could {you/SP} have used more emotional support than {you/s/he} received?
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 596 596
2 No 2175 2771 SSD044
7 Refused 0 2771 SSD044
9 Don't know 15 2786 SSD044
. Missing 270 3056

SSQ041 - How much more support needed

Variable Name:
SSQ041
SAS Label:
How much more support needed
English Text:
Would you say that {you/SP} could have used . . .
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 A lot more emotional support 159 159
2 Some emotional support 201 360
3 A little more emotional support 235 595
7 Refused 0 595
9 Don't know 1 596
. Missing 2460 3056

SSD044 - How often attend church per year

Variable Name:
SSD044
SAS Label:
How often attend church per year
English Text:
How often {do you/does SP} attend church or religious services?
English Instructions:
Enter number of days
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 2557 Range of Values 3038 3038
77777 Refused 7 3045
99999 Don't know 10 3055
. Missing 1 3056

SSQ051 - Anyone to help with financial support

Variable Name:
SSQ051
SAS Label:
Anyone to help with financial support
English Text:
If {you/SP} need{s} some extra help financially, could {you/s/he} count on anyone to help {you/him/her}; for example, by paying any bills, housing costs, hospital visits, or providing {you/him/her} with food or clothes?
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 2250 2250
2 No 709 2959
3 Offered help but wouldn't accept it 60 3019
7 Refused 6 3025
9 Don't know 30 3055
. Missing 1 3056

SSQ061 - Number of close friends

Variable Name:
SSQ061
SAS Label:
Number of close friends
English Text:
In general, how many close friends {do you/does SP} have? PROBE: By "close friends" I mean relatives or non-relatives that {you s/he} feel{s} at ease with, can talk to about private matters, and can call on for help.
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER OF CLOSE FRIENDS.
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Hard Edits:
0 to 50
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 50 Range of Values 3025 3025
7777 Refused 6 3031
9999 Don't know 23 3054
. Missing 2 3056