Topic: data structure

Age, calendar period, and birth cohort can be difficult to separate when studying change over time. This workshop introduces approaches to their analysis in longitudinal aging research and explains how research design and data structure affect interpretation. It covers accelerated longitudinal panels, hierarchical age-period-cohort growth models, coordinated analysis across studies, synthesized cohort-sequential designs, and study heterogeneity. Empirical examples connect these methods to practical research questions. Interactive lectures, polls, breakout discussions, and moderated questions s

This workshop introduces the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal study of Americans older than 50. It explains the study’s complex survey design, available subject matter, and the RAND HRS resources that simplify analysis. Practical exercises then cover data structure, basic data management, and analysis using sample weights and design variables. Breakout discussions provide opportunities to ask the study team questions and consider applications to participants’ own research. The session is designed to help new users begin working with the study’s public aging