Digital rectal examinations

This dataset covers waves 0-7 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, known as ELSA. Wave zero consists of 1998, 1999, and 2001 Health Survey of England (HSE) subsample selected to participate in ELSA. The ELSA sample is occasionally refreshed from HSE. ELSA provides data on health, social engagements, and the financial status of England residents ages 50 and over. In even number waves, health tests are conducted. Tests include standing and sitting, height, weight, waist and hip measurement, lung function, balance, leg raise, chair rise, grip strength, and a saliva log (cortisol test). Blood tests were conducted in waves two and four. Cognition tests are conducted at each wave.

The 2015 Mexican Health and Aging Study was the fourth wave of data collection to be conducted as part of the survey effort. It was conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography via computer-assisted personal interviewing, and covered the following topics: health, socioeconomics, family background, children, income, housing, time use, and psychosocial characteristics.

The survey consisted of follow-up interviews with respondents ages 50 and older, and their respective spouses, who had completed one interview or more since the 2001 survey. Those who had been added to the 2012 sample but were not available to complete an interview at the time were contacted, as well. 

A next-of-kin interview on major events in the last year of life was included for respondents who were deceased. In total, 15,898 respondents completed full interviews from a nationally representative sample of 18,006.

The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) is based on outpatient, office-based visits to physicians engaged in direct patient care and is designed to collect data on the provision and use of ambulatory care services.  It is a national sample of nonfederally employed physicians and excludes subspecialists in anesthesiology, pathology, and radiology.