THE SECOND LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF AGING (LSOA II) Public-use Linked Mortality File Updated December 11, 2013 PUBLIC-USE DATA RELEASE * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * WARNING - DATA USE RESTRICTIONS! Read Carefully Before Use The Public Health Service Act (Section 308 (d)) provides that the data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), may be used only for the purpose of health statistical reporting and analysis. Any effort to determine the identity of any reported case is prohibited by this law. NCHS does all it can to assure that the identity of data subjects cannot be disclosed. All direct identifiers, as well as any characteristics that might lead to identification, are either omitted from the data file or perturbed to prevent re-identification. Any intentional identification or disclosure of a person or establishment violates the assurances of confidentiality given to the providers of the information. Therefore, users will: 1. Use the data in these data files for statistical reporting and analysis only. 2. Make no use of the identity of any person or establishment discovered inadvertently and advise the Director, NCHS, of any such discovery (301-458-4500). 3. Not link these data files with individually identifiable data from other NCHS or non-NCHS data files. By using these data, you signify your agreement to comply with the above-stated statutorily based requirements. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - INTRODUCTION NCHS has conducted a mortality linkage of The Second Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA II) with the National Death Index (NDI). The LSOA II is a prospective survey of 9,447 civilian non-institutionalized persons 70 years of age and over at the time of their baseline interview. This baseline interview, also known as the Second Supplement on Aging (SOA II), was conducted in 1994-1996. The LSOA II followed this cohort of older persons through two follow-up interviews, in 1997-1998 and 1999-2000. Linkage of the LSOA II survey participants with the NDI provides the opportunity to conduct studies designed to investigate the association of a variety of health factors with mortality. DATA FILE DESCRIPTION The LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File contains information based upon the results from a probabilistic match between the NCHS National Death Index (NDI) records, as well as previously identified deaths collected during The Second Longitudinal Study of Aging. The LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File provides mortality follow-up data from the date of LSOA II survey participation (1994-2000) through December 31, 2006. All LSOA II participants aged 70 years of age and over are included on the Linked Mortality File. Additional variables provided on the file include: eligibility status, assigned vital status, quarter and year of death and cause of death. MORTALITY LINKAGE METHODOLOGY DOCUMENTATION NCHS employed a methodology for the LSOA II Linked Mortality File that was similar, but not identical, to the standard methodology offered by the NDI. The matching methodology document contains detailed information regarding the methodology utilized for the linkage. Users are urged to carefully read this document to gain a better understanding of the matching methodology employed to link LSOA II records to death records in the NDI. The matching methodology document can be found at this web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/matching_methodology_lsoa2_final.pdf LSOA II PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE SAMPLE PROGRAMS There are two sample programs provided to assist researchers when reading in the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File. The first sample program provides data input statements. By using the ASCII data file (.DAT file) as input to the program, other types of data files (e.g. SAS, SPSS) can be created. The LSOA II sample ASCII input statement program that reads in the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File can be found at this web site: ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/datalinkage/linked_mortality/lsoa2_sample_ascii_pgm_2010.sas The second program provides researchers using STATA with code to read in the data file and run their analyses using the STATA software. The LSOA II sample STATA program that reads in the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File can be found at this web site: ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/datalinkage/linked_mortality/lsoa2_sample_stata_ascii_pgm_2010.do NOTE TO STATA USERS: If STATA users click on the "Sample STATA Program" link, STATA may attempt to automatically run the program, resulting in an error message. To avoid getting an error message, we suggest STATA users save the program by right clicking on the link "Sample STATA Program" and select the "Save Target As" option. FILE NAME FILE DESCRIPTION FORMAT (KB) lsoa2_mort_public_use_2010.dat LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File ASCII 314 DOWNLOADING THE LSOA II PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE To download the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File, go to the web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/data_linkage/mortality/lsoaii_linkage.htm Scroll down to the link named, "LSOA II Linked Mortality Public-use Data file". Right click on the link and select "Save Target as...". A “Save as” screen will appear and you will need to select and input a location where to save the data file on your computer. It is also important that the box "Save Type as" reads ".dat Document". This will ensure that the data file is saved to your computer in the correct format. LSOA II PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE DOCUMENTATION There is a data file layout (also called data dictionary) associated with the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File. The data file layout is in PDF format that can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat software. The Adobe Acrobat Reader Software can be downloaded from the Adobe Acrobat Web site at: http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html The data file layout for the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File can be found at this web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/lsoa2_file_layout_public_2010.pdf LSOA II PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE RECORD SEQUENCE All records on the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File have been sorted by the LSOA II person level PUBLICID. Detailed instructions are provided showing the construction of the LSOA II PUBLICID at this web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/lsoa2_file_layout_public_2010.pdf MERGING THE LSOA II PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE TO OTHER PUBLIC-USE LSOA II FILES To merge data from the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File to other public-use LSOA II data files, the PUBLICID variable provided on the Linked Mortality File should be used. User should review the Detailed Notes for Selected Variables in the file layout to construct the PUBLICID at the web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/lsoa2_file_layout_public_2010.pdf CONTACT INFORMATION For additional information on LSOA II data linkage products, please visit the NCHS data linkage web page at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/data_linkage_activities.htm For additional information on LSOA II data products: E-mail : lsoa@cdc.gov Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/lsoa/lsoa2.htm For additional information on other NCHS data products: Phone : 800-CDC-INFO E-mail : nchsquery@cdc.gov Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs Although the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File was carefully edited, errors may be detected. Please e-mail the NCHS Data Linkage Staff at datalinkage@cdc.gov if any errors are detected in the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality File data or documentation. STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY This material has been cleared for public distribution by CDC/ATSDR and will be authentic if obtained directly from ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/. CDC/ATSDR takes all effort to assure the authenticity of electronically distributed documents. However, in all instances where the electronic and official agency record differ, the authenticity of the official agency record is controlling. Guidelines for Citation of the LSOA II Public-use Linked Mortality Data With the goal of mutual benefit, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) requests that recipients of data files cooperate in certain actions related to their use. Any published material derived from the data should acknowledge NCHS as the original source. The suggested citation to appear at the bottom of all published tables is as follows: Source: National Center for Health Statistics When cited in a bibliography, the citation should read: National Center for Health Statistics. Office of Analysis and Epidemiology, Public-use Second Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA II) Linked Mortality File, 2010. Hyattsville, Maryland. (Available at the following address: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/data_linkage/mortality/lsoaii_linkage.htm) The published material should also include a disclaimer that credits any analyses, interpretations, or conclusions reached to the author (recipient of the data file) and not to NCHS, which is responsible only for the initial data. Consumers who wish to publish a technical description of the data should make an effort to insure that the description is not inconsistent with that published by NCHS.