I. Data:
1. The Government Printing Office has made available via CD-ROM the National
Hospital Discharge Survey (1997 and 1979-1997). For more details and or online
ordering see:
1997 NHDS:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/sale/cdrom233.html
1979-1997 NHDS:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/sale/cdrom231.html
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2. The Census Bureau has released State and County Population Changes for the
Nation's Racial and Hispanic Groups. Estimates are available from 1990-1998.
Note that tables are available for age by race.
Press Release:
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-170.html
Note that the press release links to the relevant data tables.
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3. ICPSR (Inter-University Consortium of Political and Social Research) released
23 studies on September 15, 1999. Of possible interest are:
NATIONAL SURVEY OF RURAL PHYSICIANS, 1993 (#6848)
NATIONAL HOSPITAL AMBULATORY MEDICAL CARE SURVEY, 1997 (#2740)
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/recadd.html
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II. Reports
4. The Census Bureau has released the Summer 1999 issue of _Eurasia Bulletin_
(HTML and .pdf formats). It contains an article titled "Pension Management
and Reform in Asia: An Overview," by Loraine A. West and Kevin Kinsella.
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/eb.html
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5. The Social Security Administration has released the following publications
that may be of interest.
A."Social Security Programs Throughout the World 1999" (.pdf format,
393p.).
>From the Abstract:
The 1999 edition provides, in summary form, the basic provisions of social security
legislation and administration in 172 countries, updated through January 1,
1999. The report contains information on old-age, survivors, and disability
insurance, sickness and maternity coverage, work injury provisions, unemployment
compensation, and family allowances. Each section is further subdivided into:
dates of basic laws, coverage, source of funds, contribution rates and ceilings,
qualifying conditions, benefit amounts, and administrative organizations. A
detailed introduction discussing concepts, practices, and terminology can be
found in the pdf file Guide to Social Security Programs Throughout the World.
Each country summary is a separate file.
http://www.ssa.gov/statistics/ssptw99.html
B. The SSA has recently made available Social Security Annual Trust Fund Reports
for all years from 1941-1999. The addition of the 1941-1994 Reports allows easy
access to this historical information for the first time. Most reports are available
in .pdf format.
http://www.ssa.gov/history/reports/trust/trustreports.html
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6. The National Institute of Aging has released an Alzheimer's Disease Research
Update: "Blueberries: New Thrills for Those Over the Hill."
It describes results of a study that appeared in the September 15, 1999 issue
of the _Journal of Neuroscience_.
http://www.alzheimers.org/nianews/nianews23.html
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III. Working Papers
7. The Social Security Administration Office of Research, Evaluation and Statistics
has recently released Working Paper #83: "Characteristics of Individuals
With Integrated Pensions" (July 1999). Although not available online, the
paper is free of charge and can be ordered by following the instructions at
the bottom of:
http://www.ssa.gov/statistics/oreswps.html
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8. The National Bureau of Economic Research has released: "Incentive Effects
of Social Security Under an Uncertain Disability Option," by Axel Borsch-Supan
(Working Paper No. W7339, September 1999, .pdf format, 24p.).
>From the Abstract:
Incentive effects of pension systems are usually estimated under the assumption
that the institutional environment provides a single optimal 'pathway' for retirement.
However, many countries provide competing pathways which may include several
early retirement options in addition to normal retirement. Moreover, early retirement
options often comprise special provisions for disabled and unemployed workers
that can be strategically manipulated by the employer and the employee while
ultimate eligibility for such provisions is uncertain in advance. This paper
shows that ignoring the endogeneity and/or uncertainty in the relevant institutional
setting can severely bias the estimates of incentive effects. Ignoring the endogeneity
leads to overestimated incentive effects that unduly exaggerate the 'pull' view
of early retirement. In turn, when the uncertain option set is specified too
generously, incentive effects are underestimated. The paper proposes several
estimates to bound the true incentive effects of social security on early retirement,
and applies them to the German public pension system.
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7339
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IV. Books
9. _Living and Dying in the USA: Behavioral, Health, and Social Differentials
of Adult Mortality_, by Roger G. Rogers, Robert A. Hummer and Charles B. Nam.
(Academic Press, Available September 1999.)
"This book uses the annual, cross-sectional National Health Interview Surveys
of adults aged 18+ who responded in 1986-94 and matches their responses to any
death certificates filed on them in the Multiple Cause of Death file. It describes
and explains how biological and socioeconomic factors in younger adults' lifestyles
set the final stage for death in old age by specific medical causes. In these
ways, it helps us understand why, even after three decades of Medicare, elderly
Americans (the majority of all who die in the USA) live lifestyles in earlier
stages that keep them alive longer if they have higher socioeconomic status
in old age."
For more information see:
http://www.apnet.com/sbe/sociology.htm
and scroll to "Living and Dying in the USA..."
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10. From Baker-Taylor
Blau, Zena Smith. CURRENT PERSPECTIVES ON AGING AND THE LIFE CYCLE. JAI Pr.
August 1999 ISBN 0762300337. HRD. $73.25.
Hall, C. Margaret. THE SPECIAL MISSION OF GRANDPARENTS. Bergin & Garvey.
August 1999 ISBN 0897896726. LCCN 99012701. HRD. $39.95
http://www.baker-taylor.com/Academia/M08/UBBS.html
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V. Conferences
11. The Gerontological Society of America provides a conference calendar with
dates (and Internet links when available) to relevant conferences in the near
future. There is a link to international conferences as well.
http://www.geron.org/calendar.html
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VI. Funding Opportunities:
12. The National Institutes of Health has released "Exploratory Grants
for Behavioral Research in Cancer Control." (Program Announcement 99-163,
September 1999).
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-99-163.html
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13. The National Institute on Aging has announced: SECONDARY ANALYSIS IN DEMOGRAPHY
AND ECONOMICS OF AGING grant opportunity.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-99-160.html
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14. As part of its supporting documentation for its recently released Summary
Analysis in the Demography of Aging Grant Solicitation the National Institute
on Aging has released an annotated list of "high priority data sets that
could be incorporated into a successful R03 proposal." The list can be
found on the Administration on Aging website:
http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/research/sec-analysis.html
=====================================================
VII. Legislation Information Updates
15. The Administration on Aging has recently updated the Web site it maintains
on the current status of the Older Americans Act Reauthorization (106th Congress).
The site keeps track of major developments with all aspects of the bill.
http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/Oaa/status/default.htm
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VIII. Websites of Interest
16. This section of the report will attempt to highlight one useful website
that may be of interest. The first site is one of the better places to bookmark
as launching points to Internet resources for aging. It has a general rather
than research orientation, but within its categories, interested users can find
research oriented information.
National Aging Information Center Internet Information Notes:
http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/NAIC/Notes/default.htm
Jack
Jack Solock
Data Librarian--Center for Demography and Ecology
4470 Social Science
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI 53706
608-262-9827
jsolock@ssc.wisc.edu