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Effects of Attrition and Non-Response in the Health and Retirement Study

Author

Listed:
  • Kapteyn, Arie

    (University of Southern California)

  • Michaud, Pierre-Carl

    (HEC Montreal)

  • Smith, James P.

    (RAND)

  • van Soest, Arthur

    (Tilburg University)

Abstract

We study the effect of attrition and other forms of non-response on the representativity over time of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) sample born 1931-1941; the sample was initially drawn in 1992. Although some baseline characteristics of respondents do appear correlated with non-response over time, the 2002 sample of respondents does not appear to suffer significantly from selection on observables, except for race and ethnicity; for these two observables, longitudinal weights based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) can be used and are provided with the data set. We attribute this lack of selection to the fact that attritors who differ most eventually come back to the survey in waves prior to 2002. Although this allows cross-sections to remain fairly representative in later waves, it suggests that longitudinal analysis should use the unbalanced sample rather than the balanced sample of those interviewed in all waves. Individuals who attrit but who are recruited back into the survey are very different from those who are permanent attritors to the HRS. Finally, we investigate the selective nature of the decision of respondents to grant HRS permission to access their Social Security records and of the non-response introduced by employers of pension policyholders not providing HRS with worker’s Summary Plan Descriptions. We find that subsamples for which such information is available are selective on a number of dimensions, such as education and other socioeconomic status (SES) outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Kapteyn, Arie & Michaud, Pierre-Carl & Smith, James P. & van Soest, Arthur, 2006. "Effects of Attrition and Non-Response in the Health and Retirement Study," IZA Discussion Papers 2246, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2246
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Pierre-Carl Michaud & Dana Goldman & Darius Lakdawalla & Adam Gailey & Yuhui Zheng, 2009. "International Differences in Longevity and Health and their Economic Consequences," NBER Working Papers 15235, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Robert Hauser & David Weir, 2010. "Recent developments in longitudinal studies of aging in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 47(1), pages 111-130, March.
    3. Frick, Joachim R. & Grabka, Markus M. & Groh-Samberg, Olaf, 2012. "Dealing With Incomplete Household Panel Data in Inequality Research," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 41(1), pages 89-123.
    4. James Banks & James P. Smith, 2012. "International Comparisons in Health Economics: Evidence from Aging Studies," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 4(1), pages 57-81, July.
    5. Pierre-Carl Michaud & Dana Goldman & Darius Lakdawalla & Yuhui Zheng & Adam Gailey, 2009. "Understanding the Economic Consequences of Shifting Trends in Population Health," NBER Working Papers 15231, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. John L. Czajka & Gabrielle Denmead, "undated". "Income Data for Policy Analysis: A Comparative Assessment of Eight Surveys," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 19724257b78544bdbd55f15be, Mathematica Policy Research.
    7. Delavande, Adeline & Rohwedder, Susann, 2017. "Changes in spending and labor supply in response to a Social Security benefit cut: Evidence from stated choice data," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 10(C), pages 34-50.
    8. Li Donni, Paolo, 2019. "The unobserved pattern of material hardship and health among older Americans," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 31-42.
    9. Slade, Alexander N., 2012. "Health investment decisions in response to diabetes information in older Americans," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 502-520.
    10. Tobias Stucki, 2009. "How long do external capital constraints matter?," KOF Working papers 09-241, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    11. Philip Armour & Michael F. Lovenheim, 2016. "The Effect of Social Security Information on the Labor Supply and Savings of Older Americans," Working Papers wp361, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    12. Dave, Dhaval & Saffer, Henry, 2008. "Alcohol demand and risk preference," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 810-831, December.
    13. Philip Armour & Angela A. Hung, 2017. "Drawing Down Retirement Wealth Interactions between Social Security Wealth and Private Retirement Savings," Working Papers WR-1165, RAND Corporation.
    14. Xiaoyan Li & Nicole Maestas, 2008. "Does the Rise in the Full Retirement Age Encourage Disability Benefits Applications? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study," Working Papers wp198, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    15. Erik Meijer & Lynn A. Karoly & Pierre-Carl Michaud, 2010. "Using Matched Survey and Administrative Data to Estimate Eligibility for the Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy Program," Working Papers WR-743, RAND Corporation.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    economics of aging; non-response; administrative records; attrition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C42 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Survey Methods
    • C80 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - General
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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