National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States

The National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) was first funded by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development. An interdisciplinary network of scholars from multiple disciplines such as psychology, epidemiology, and sociology was involved with the project. Some prominent investigators of the original MIDUS development included Orville Brim (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on Successful Midlife Development), Paul Baltes (Max Planck Institute for Human Development), and Ronald Kessler (Harvard Medical School). The focus of MIDUS was conceptually broad, examining a collection of behavioral, psychological, and social factors associated with age-related variations in health and well-being extending from midlife into older adulthood (Brim, Ryff, & Kessler, 2004). Data collection began from 1995 through 1996, with the original MIDUS sample consisting of 7,108 predominantly Caucasian participants aged 25 to 74 years. This wide age range combined with strategic sampling design captures the developmental variation needed to examine the foundations of midlife change and aging processes. Along with the national probability sample (N1⁄4 3,487), MIDUS also includes a selective oversampling of metropolitan areas (N1⁄4 757), a sibling sample of the main respondents (N1⁄4 950), and a national sample of twin pairs (N1⁄4 1,914). With a diverse team of coinvestigators, MIDUS measures were oriented to collect a wide array of information in different content areas. Content areas included demographic and life history factors, physical and mental health histories, behavioral patterns, relationship and social network characteristics, exercise and dietary activities, occupational information, childhood characteristics, religiousness, financial data, and future interests and hopes. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development 2014, Vol. 79(4) 329–331 ! The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0091415015574174 ahd.sagepub.com

[1]  H. Mccubbin,et al.  Families and Health Care: An Emerging Arena of Theory, Research, and Clinical Intervention , 1985 .

[2]  K. Rook,et al.  The negative side of social interaction: impact on psychological well-being. , 1984, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[3]  T. Baranowski,et al.  Family Self -Help: Promoting Changes in Health Behavior , 1982 .

[4]  R. S. Zimmerman,et al.  Health Promotion in Context: The Effects of Significant Others on Health Behavior Change , 1989, Health education quarterly.

[5]  C. Schoenborn.  Health habits of U.S. adults, 1985: the "Alameda 7" revisited. , 1986, Public health reports.

[6]  H. Friedman,et al.  Marital history at midlife as a predictor of longevity: alternative explanations to the protective effect of marriage. , 1996, Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[7]  H. Thomas,et al.  Role of support networks in maintenance of improved cardiovascular health status. , 1989, Social science & medicine.

[8]  N. Breslow,et al.  Health practices and disability: some evidence from Alameda County. , 1993, Preventive medicine.

[9]  J K Langlie,et al.  Social networks, health beliefs, and preventive health behavior. , 1977, Journal of health and social behavior.

[10]  J. Orford,et al.  The Role of Excessive Drinking in Alcoholism Complicated Marriages: A Study of Stability and Change over a One-Year Period , 1977 .

[11]  L. Ovesen.  Human bonding. , 2004, European Journal of Cancer Prevention.

[12]  J. Halter,et al.  Correlates of Preventive Health Behavior in Late Life , 1987, Research on aging.

[13]  D. Bloom,et al.  The Demography of Aging , 2014 .

[14]  D. Jacobs,et al.  Relationships between exercise or physical activity and other health behaviors. , 1985, Public health reports.

[15]  D. Quade,et al.  Characteristics of smokers who enroll and quit in self-help programs , 1992 .

[16]  R S Paffenbarger,et al.  Changes in physical activity and other lifeway patterns influencing longevity. , 1994, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[17]  D. Mechanic,et al.  Factors associated with the maintenance of positive health behavior. , 1980, Preventive medicine.

[18]  American College of Sports Medicine position stand. The recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness in healthy adults. , 1990, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[19]  Michel A Ibrahim,et al.  Health and Ways of Living: The Alameda County Study , 1985 .

[20]  I. Waldron,et al.  Why do women liver longer than men? , 1976, Journal of human stress.

[21]  M. Selzer.  The Michigan alcoholism screening test: the quest for a new diagnostic instrument. , 1971, The American journal of psychiatry.

[22]  C. Ryff,et al.  Who Participates? Accounting for Longitudinal Retention in the MIDUS National Study of Health and Well-Being , 2010, Journal of aging and health.

[23]  L. Breslow,et al.  Relationship of physical health status and health practices. , 1972, Preventive medicine.

[24]  R. Simon,et al.  Parental role strains, salience of parental identity and gender differences in psychological distress. , 1992, Journal of health and social behavior.

[25]  G. L. Weiss,et al.  The development of health protective behaviors among college students , 1996, Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

[26]  N. Roos,et al.  Predictors of successful aging: a twelve-year study of Manitoba elderly. , 1991, American journal of public health.

[27]  D. Umberson,et al.  Family status and health behaviors: social control as a dimension of social integration. , 1987, Journal of health and social behavior.

[28]  T. Kamarck,et al.  Social support interventions for smoking cessation. , 1988 .

[29]  M. Ory,et al.  Forging ahead: Linking health and behavior to improve quality of life in older people , 1994 .

[30]  T. Seeman,et al.  Families and Health: the Negative Side of Social Ties , 1994, Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

[31]  D. Umberson,et al.  Gender, marital status and the social control of health behavior. , 1992, Social science & medicine.

[32]  C. Connell.  Impact of spouse caregiving on health behaviors and physical and mental health status , 1994 .

[33]  T. Wills,et al.  Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. , 1985, Psychological bulletin.

[34]  J F Sallis,et al.  Explanation of vigorous physical activity during two years using social learning variables. , 1992, Social science & medicine.

[35]  N B Belloc,et al.  Relationship of health practices and mortality. , 1973, Preventive medicine.

[36]  L. Aaronson.  Perceived and Received Support: Effects on Health Behavior During Pregnancy , 1989, Nursing research.

[37]  C. Ross.  The Impact of the Family on Health: The Decade in Review , 1990 .

[38]  M. J. Quadrel,et al.  Development and change of young adults' preventive health beliefs and behavior: influence from parents and peers. , 1990, Journal of health and social behavior.

[39]  James F. Sallis,et al.  Family Determinants of Health Behaviors , 1988 .

[40]  J. Ockene,et al.  Gender, social pressure, and smoking cessations: the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation (COMMIT) at baseline. , 1997, Social science & medicine.

[41]  G M Christenson,et al.  A multivariate study of determinants of vigorous exercise in a community sample. , 1989, Preventive medicine.

[42]  J. Rowe,et al.  Human aging: usual and successful. , 1987, Science.

[43]  P E Leaverton,et al.  Predictors of good function: the Framingham Study. , 1987, Journal of chronic diseases.

[44]  P. Franks,et al.  Social relationships and health: the relative roles of family functioning and social support. , 1992, Social science & medicine.

[45]  A. Jette,et al.  Personal health practices and mortality among the elderly. , 1984, American journal of public health.

[46]  L P Knudsen,et al.  Mortality among the elderly in the Alameda County Study: behavioral and demographic risk factors. , 1987, American journal of public health.

[47]  M. S. Goldstein,et al.  Social Support, Health-Promotive Beliefs, and Preventive Health Behaviors Among the Elderly , 1992 .

[48]  A. Kristal,et al.  How women's adopted low-fat diets affect their husbands. , 1992, American journal of public health.

[49]  T. Conway,et al.  Demonstration of replicable dimensions of health behaviors. , 1990, Preventive medicine.

[50]  V. Bengtson,et al.  Intergenerational solidarity in aging families: An example of formal theory construction. , 1991 .

[51]  R. Kessler,et al.  How healthy are we?: A national study of well-being at midlife. , 2004 .

[52]  Terry E. Duncan,et al.  Social support and efficacy cognitions in exercise adherence: A latent growth curve analysis , 1993, Journal of Behavioral Medicine.