Understanding America Study

UAS Comprehensive File

The UAS Comprehensive File merges the data from a number core surveys in the UAS that are repeated every two years. It includes basic demographics as well data on cognitive tests, personality, financial literacy, subjective well-being, health, retirement, several surveys dealing with financial management, preparation for retirement and knowledge of Social Security rules. It also includes the harmonized version of the UAS-Health and Retirement Study (UAS-HRS).

Currently, it contains data of Wave 1 of the following core surveys: UAS1, UAS2, UAS16, UAS18, UAS20-UAS25 (the HRS surveys), UAS26, UAS38, UAS42-UAS44 (cognitive ability) and My Household (the quarterly brief demographic survey). For Wave 2 it contains data from the following core surveys: UAS83-UAS85, UAS94, UAS95-UAS100 (HRS Wave 2 surveys), UAS113, UAS119, UAS121, and UAS177. For Wave 3: UAS231, UAS237-UAS239, UAS292-UAS294, UAS322, UAS413, and UAS185-UAS190 (HRS Wave 3 surveys). And for Wave 4: UAS457-UAS460, UAS483-UAS485, and UAS396-UAS401 (HRS Wave 4 surveys).

The UAS Comprehensive Data File can be linked with any of the UAS surveys not already included. The current version of the UAS Comprehensive File (March 2023) can be downloaded here (registration required) and it focuses on measures related to financial decision‑making such as income, housing, and financial wealth, as well as health-related topics such as current health conditions, activity difficulties, and cognitive abilities. For a detailed explanation please have a look at the UAS Comprehensive File Data Description.

To explore some of the UAS Comprehensive File data in an interactive manner check out the UAS Visualization Toolkit (opens in a new window).

What's New in the March 2023 release

New data is added from all core non-HRS surveys completed since the creation of the previous (Dec 2022) Comprehensive File version.
No new UAS HRS data is included in the March 2023 version (but it does include data from all UAS HRS surveys completed up through November 21, 2022). Fully updated UAS HRS data will be available in the June 2023 release.

UAS Component File

Accompanying the UAS Comprehensive File is the UAS Component File. The Component file contains the HRS income and wealth component variables that comprise several HRS income and wealth summary variables. In addition, there are timestamp variables indicating when the respondent began taking each UAS survey in the Comprehensive file, and timestamps marking when the respondent completed each survey. Other variables in the Component file include demographic variables from the My Household survey associated with each UAS survey in the Comprehensive file.

The Component file can be linked to the Comprehensive file by using the uasid identifier variable. The current version of the UAS Component File (March 2023) can be downloaded here. Please look at the UAS Component File Data Description for detailed information about the Component file.

Downloads

The following downloads are available (registration required):

Previous versions of these files can be downloaded in the UAS Comprehensive File Archive.

Funding and citation

Funding for the Comprehensive Data File has been provided by the United States Social Security Administration, the National Institute on Aging through the grant U01AG054580 “Toward Next Generation Data on Health and Life Changes at Older Ages”, and the Society of Actuaries. For citation please use the following for the different files and documentation:

UAS Comprehensive File. Produced by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, with funding from the National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration. Retrieved [RETRIEVAL DATE] from https://uasdata.usc.edu/page/UAS+Comprehensive+File.
UAS Comprehensive File Data Description. Produced by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, with funding from the National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration. Retrieved [RETRIEVAL DATE] from https://uasdata.usc.edu/page/UAS+Comprehensive+File.
UAS Component File. Produced by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, with funding from the National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration. Retrieved [RETRIEVAL DATE] from https://uasdata.usc.edu/page/UAS+Comprehensive+File.
UAS Component File Data Description. Produced by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, with funding from the National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration. Retrieved [RETRIEVAL DATE] from https://uasdata.usc.edu/page/UAS+Comprehensive+File.