The socio-economic module of the Berlin Aging Study II (SOEP-BASE): Description, structure, and questionnaire

Boeckenhoff, Anke et al. Research Report The socio-economic module of the Berlin Aging Study II (SOEP-BASE): Description, structure, and questionnaire SOEP Survey Papers, No. 898 Provided in Cooperation with: German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) Suggested Citation: Boeckenhoff, Anke et al. (2020) : The socio-economic module of the Berlin Aging Study II (SOEP-BASE): Description, structure, and questionnaire, SOEP Survey Papers, No. 898, Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin This Version is available at: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/226799 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. 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If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ SOEP Survey Papers Series C – Data Documentation The Socio-Economic Module of the Berlin Aging Study II (SOEP-BASE): Description, Structure, and Questionnaire 898 SOEP — The German Socio-Economic Panel at DIW Berlin 2020 Anke Boeckenhoff, Denise Sassenroth, Martin Kroh, Thomas Siedler, Peter Eibich, Gert G. Wagner Anke Boeckenhoff, Denise Sassenroth, Martin Kroh, Thomas Siedler, Peter Eibich, Gert G. Wagner Berlin, 2020 Preprint 2013 1 The Socio-Economic Module of the Berlin Aging Study II (SOEP-BASE): Description, Structure, and Questionnaire Anke Boeckenhoff1, Denise Sassenroth1, Martin Kroh1,2, Thomas Siedler1,3, Peter Eibich1 and Gert G. Wagner1,4 1 German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) 2 Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin 3 Universität Hamburg 4 Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, and Berlin University of Technology (TUB) Berlin, July 2013 SOEP Survey Papers 898 2 Abstract The Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) is a multidisciplinary study that allows for the investigation of how a multitude of health status factors as well as many other social and economic outcomes interplay. The sample consists of 1,600 participants aged 60 to 80, and 600 participants aged 20 to 35. The socio-economic part of BASE-II, the so called SOEPBASE, is conducted by the SOEP Group at the DIW Berlin. The surveyed socio-economic variables are fully comparable with the variables of the long running German SocioEconomic Panel Study (SOEP), which increases the analytical power of BASE-II. The socioeconomic data collected on the individual and on the household level are enriched with georeferenced context data (“neighbourhood data”) in order to disentangle the interplay between individual, societal and regional determinants on individuals’ health status and other outcome variables. Furthermore, as the BASE-II study is based on a convenience sample, the SOEP Group at the DIW provides weights for the BASE-II dataset that correct for selectivity bias. Zusammenfassung Die Berliner Altersstudie II (BASE-II) ist eine multidisziplinäre Studie, die es erlaubt, das Zusammenspiel verschiedenster Faktoren auf den Gesundheitsstatus und viele andere soziale und ökonomische Outcomes zu untersuchen. Die Stichprobe besteht aus 1.600 Teilnehmern zwischen 60 und 80 Jahren und 600 Teilnehmern im Alter von 20 bis 35 Jahren. Der sozioökonomische Teil von BASE-II wird von der SOEP-Gruppe am DIW Berlin durchgeführt und die entsprechenden SOEP-BASE-Daten mit den SOEP-Daten voll vergleichbar gemacht. Daten liegen sowohl auf der Individualebene als auch auf Haushaltsebene vor und werden mit geo-referenzierten Kontext-Daten (auf der Ebene von „Nachbarschaften“) angereichert, sodass das Zusammenspiel von individuellen, gesellschaftlichen und regionalen Determinanten auf den individuellen Gesundheitszustand und andere Outcome-Variablen herausgearbeitet werden kann. Da die BASE-II Studie auf einem Convenience-Sample beruht, werden extensive Selektions-Analysen durchgeführt und darauf aufbauend wird der BASE-II Datensatz mit Gewichten versehen, die für Selektionsverzerrungen korrigieren. Keywords: Cohort Study, Berlin Aging Study, BASE-II, SOEP JEL Classification: C81, C83, I12, I14, I24, I31, I32, J14, Y80, Z13 SOEP Survey Papers 898 3 1 Introduction The Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) is a joint project of five research institutions, namely the SOEP Group at the DIW Berlin, the Research Group Geriatrics at the Charité Berlin, the Ageing and Tumour Immunology Group (TATI) of the University of Tuebingen, the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. BASE-II is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).1 The focus of this paper solely is on the socio-economic part of the BASE-II study (in the following called SOEP-BASE2) conducted by the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) group at the DIW Berlin (German Institute for Economic Research). Section 2 delineates the SOEP-BASE in detail and briefly describes the research areas of each research unit involved in the BASE-II study3 in order to provide an overview of the whole study. The third section documents the target population and the data structure of SOEP-BASE. Since the target population of the BASE-II study is a convenience sample, analyses of self-selection of participants and weighting of the data are of particular importance for data of BASE-II. Thus section 3.3 addresses this issue and provides some basic information on weighting prospects and selectivity of the BASE-II data. Section 4 gives an overview of the concepts, instruments and inventories used in the SOEP-BASE study. Finally, the possibilities of data access for external users are presented in the fifth section. 2 Description and Background of the Berlin Aging Study II Aging as a systemic and dynamic process is interrelated with genetic factors, and likely to be influenced by various demographic, social, economic or psychological factors. BASE-II 1 Support by the BMBF via VDI/VDE, grant numbers #16SV5536K, #16SV5537, #16SV5538, and #16SV5837 (previous BMBF support via DLR-grant #01UW0808) until December 2014. Another source of funding is the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (MPIB), Berlin, Germany. Additional contributions (e.g. equipment, logistics, and personnel) are made from each of the other participating sites. 2 From the SOEP’s point of view BASE-II is a “related study” (cf. Siedler et al. 2009). All such related studies have acronyms that begin with “SOEP” (instead of “BASE II”). 3 Further information on the BASE-II study can be found on the program website, located at http://www.base2.mpg.de SOEP Survey Papers 898 4 achieves a better understanding about the conditions for “successful aging” (Rowe & Kahn, 1987). BASE-II presents a unique longitudinal study aggregating somatic, behavioral and social dimensions of the developments in adulthood. For this, BASE-II covers not only hypothesis-driven analyses but also broad possibilities for explorative studies. BASE-II, as a truly multi-disciplinary (and multi-institutional) study, contains much potential for the robust analyzation and understanding of aging processes. However, the study concentrates on identifying the causes for healthy and unhealthy aging as well as their interdependencies and changes during the process of aging. With the different participating project partners originating from diverse disciplines, BASE-II focuses on integrating evidence from ‘macro level’, e.g. physical health, behavior, and aspects of the environment, with data at the ‘micro level’, e.g. represented by cellular and various molecular and biochemical parameters (Bertram et al., 2013). The study’s central topics can be summarized as follows: - cardiovascular status, physical fitness and cognition; - molecular genetics, social and environmental correlations with life satisfaction; - education, metabolic disorder and cognition; - immune biomarkers and health ; and - mobility and prevention of drops. The comprehensive collection of bio-measures, accomplished by the Charité's Geriatrics Research Group at the Evangelisches Geriatriezentrum Berlin, constitutes a major part of the study by providing objective measures of an individual’s health. Moreover, Charité collects data on nutrition, subjective well-being and sex life using self-administered questionnaires. One of the aims of the study is to eventually predict future health and diseases from this data. In addition, each BASE-II participant undergoes several medical examinations which shed light on the participant’s diseases, namely heart diseases, metabolic disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, cancer and disorders of the sensory organs. In addition, the Charité collects new types of bio-measures for aging processes as well as information on drug therapies and on negative effects of medication. The idea is to disclose determinants of predispositions for late onset disorders. This data collection of bio-measures is rounded out through an analysis of the immune parameters in the BASE-II participants, SOEP Survey Papers 898 5 which is carried out by the Ageing and Tumour Immunology Group (TATI) at the University of Tuebingen. The Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics (MPIMG) aims at identifying the genetic factors that influence the aging process. For this purpose, a genome-wide screening is conducted by microarray genotyping and imputation of unobserved genotypes using reference panels based on whole genome sequencing. The Max Planck Institute for Human Development (MPIB) conducts a comprehensive cognitive battery to test different cognitive domains, such as fluid intelligence, episodic memory, working memory, attention, executive control, verbal knowledge, reading skills, as well as decision making. Additionally, BASE-II participants are asked to fill in a questionnaire comprising different aspects of subjective indicators of health and wellbeing as well as the "Subjective Health questionnaire (SHH)", which measures the individuals’ expectations regarding the future development of their health status. The SHH postulates that a broad subjective health horizon is a main source of one’s own motivation to engage in an active and explorative lifestyle, which, in turn, is assumed to affect cognitive performance and health in aging. Research aim of this part of the BASE-II study is to analyse age-related differences in cognitive performance and the relation of subjective health expectations on cognitive skills and health-conscious behaviour. BASE-II connects with the first Berlin Aging Study – BASE-I (Baltes and Mayer 2001; Lindenberger, Smith et al. 2009), which was initiated in 1988 by some of the current project partners.4 At that time the target population of the Berlin Aging Study consisted of West Berlin residents aged 70 to over 100 years. Between 1990 and 1993 “516 individuals were […] broadly examined regarding their mental and physical health, psychological functioning, and social as well as economic situation” (Bertram et al., 2013: 5). Thus, the thematic link between the two Berlin Aging Studies is very clear – just like the differences: Between the 1990s and today there has been a large quantity of new scientific findings, especially in the field of molecular genetics. For this purpose, it is almost a necessity to use these findings for further research and to rerun the Berlin Aging study for a more detailed understanding of the aging process. 4 Further information about the BASE-I study can be found on the following website: http://www.base-berlin.mpg.de/Introduction.html SOEP Survey Papers 898 12 The data collection mode varied by wave. In 2008, all interviews were conducted via computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). For the same subpopulation (L1), the main survey mode in 2009 was again CAPI, while the remaining six households chose another option for being surveyed, namely a face-to-face interview or a self-administered interview. In contrast, subpopulation L2 was mainly surveyed by computer-assisted web-interviews (CAWI) and mailed questionnaires in 2009. In 2010, participants from L1 were surveyed for the third time. The exclusive survey mode in this year was a self-administered interview via mailed questionnaire. In 2012, all participants could choose between a CAWI and a mail survey mode.6 Table 3 provides an overview of the modes per survey year. Table 3: Main Survey Modes by Wave and Subpopulation 2008 2009 2010 2012 L1 CAPI CAPI Mail CAWI/Mail L2 Not surveyed CAWI/Mail Not surveyed CAWI/Mail L3 Not surveyed Not surveyed Not surveyed CAWI/Mail 3.3 Weighting Convenience samples like the BASE-II population are characterised by a high risk of biased data resulting from the self-selection of participants into the sample. Moreover, given that a random selection of participants is required for common statistical inferences, convenience samples allow generalizing findings only after an assessment of a potential self-selection bias is carried out. Siedler and Sonnenberg (2010: 7-8) highlight the benefits of combining convenience samples with representative surveys arguing that not only such potential biases can be assessed, but also knowledge on the generalizability of findings based on convenience 6 For a survey-methodological “side study” the choice of survey mode in 2012 was manipulated by offering monetary incentives that varied in the amount conditional on the choice of data collection mode. Participants were assigned either to a CAWI group or to a mail group. An incentive of 15 Euros was offered to individuals of the CAWI group who chose the CAWI mode and to individuals of the mail group who chose the mail mode. An incentive of 10 Euros was offered to those individuals who chose the mode contrary to their group assignment. The incentives were offered conditional on having filled in the individual questionnaire, while no incentive was provided for filling in the household questionnaire. This type of incentive design differs from that in the other survey years. In 2008, all participants who completed an individual questionnaire were provided with a personalised lottery ticket of 5 €. The same conditional incentive was provided in 2009 and 2010 to individuals who participated for the first time. For those, who had already participated in the previous wave, the lottery ticket was sent unconditionally before the interview was conducted. SOEP Survey Papers 898 13 samples can be gained. Given that the SOEP serves as such a representative survey (Siedler et al. 2009), it is possible to compare the BASE-II participants with the German population of the same age groups surveyed in the SOEP. Indeed, table 1 shows, in such a comparison, that the BASE-II participants are characterized by a higher educational background and a more positive outlook on life compared to other inhabitants of Berlin and Germany. The comparison illustrates that the target population of the BASE-II study does not resemble a representative sample (Bertram et al. 2013: 7). As a consequence, weighting of the data is of particular importance in this study. The weights for the BASE-II study are inspired by the weighting procedures conducted in the SOEP. The selective nature of mortality and panel attrition is compensated for by longitudinal weights constructed in analogy to the longitudinal weights for the SOEP (see Kroh 2012). In contrast to the design weights of the SOEP Core study, no design weights are provided for the BASE-II study as no sampling design had been used for the selection of participants. Instead, selectivity analyses serve as basis for the weights that shall compensate for self-selection processes in the study. For BASE-II longitudinal weights as well as cross-sectional weights will be provided for households and individuals. In contrast to the SOEP Core study, SOEP-BASE weighting procedures focus on the individual level in order to accommodate the individual sample character of the BASE-II study. Therefore, individual weights are designed and then transferred to the household level (for a more detailed overview see Sassenroth et al. 2013). Given that data users are interested in combining the SOEP-BASE data with other data collected for the BASE-II study, weights concerning solely the BASE-II participants are relevant. In the case that researchers intend to combine the SOEP-BASE data with the SOEP Core data, household level weights are more appropriate. Therefore different weights for the divergent research questions will be provided for users. Moreover, differentiations between the young and the old cohort will be considered in the weights. Table 4: Weights for the SOEP-BASE and all BASE-II Data Files Cross-Sectional Longitudinal Young Age Cohort individual level individual level household level household level Old Age Cohort individual level individual level household level household level SOEP Survey Papers 898 14 4 Survey Instruments SOEP-BASE For saving the possibility to produce data compatible with the regular SOEP, in 2008, 2009 and 2010 the BASE-II PIs decided to use the regular SOEP questionnaires for the BASE-II participants. In 2012 a newly developed SOEP-BASE-Questionnaire was in the field. Table 5 shows in detail, which questionnaires were used for each subsample. Table 5: Subsamples and Questionnaires per year Household Questionnaire Individual Questionnaire Individual Psychological Questionnaire Individual Biography Questionnaire Integrated Individual Questionnaire 2008 L1 L1 2009 L1 L2 L1 L2 L2 L1 2010 L1 L1 2012 L1 L2 L3 L1 L2 L3 In the years 2008 and 2009, the respondents of L1 were treated like regular SOEP respondents. This means for 2008 that each BASE-II respondent filled in the individual questionnaire from the SOEP.7 Additionally, the regular household questionnaire was answered, too. Furthermore, every additional adult in the household of the BASE-II respondents was asked to respond to an individual questionnaire as well. In 2009, the Core SOEP questionnaires were used again (household and individual questionnaire). Additionally, the L1 participants filled in the SOEP biography questionnaire as well, while the L2 participants filled in a short supplementary questionnaire about personality. In 2010, the household questionnaire as well as the individual questionnaire was used again. For 2012 the BASE group within the SOEP-group at DIW Berlin developed an integrated individual questionnaire for all three subsamples, including the L3-originating sample, in order to achieve a homogenous questionnaire system. With the purpose to save the longitudinal character of the BASE-II study, the integrated questionnaire covers questions from the regular SOEP questionnaires as well as those from the former waves. 7 The SOEP Core questionnaires are free for download from the following webpage: http://www.diw.de/en/diw_02.c.238114.en/questionnaires_fieldwork_documents.html SOEP Survey Papers 898 15 The creation of an integrated questionnaire is oriented at the SOEP Innovation Sample (SOEP-IS) (see Richter und Schupp 2012) and combines questions from the regular SOEP, meaning the individual questionnaire, as well as questions about life history and questions from the SOEP-IS. Additionally, the SOEP-BASE questionnaire 2012 covers specific topics for the Berlin residents, for example questions for former residents in the German Democratic Republic (GDR).8 Table 6 displays all topics of the household questionnaires that were asked in this wave. Topics and instruments in the integrated individual questionnaire are shown in Table 7. All questionnaires used in the BASE-II study by TNS Infratest are provided by TNS Infratest Sozialforschung (2013). All the regular SOEP questionnaires are also available on the SOEP website.9 The integrated questionnaire for 2012 and the short questionnaire about psychological concepts for L2 in 2009 are also provided at the SOEP-BASE project homepage10. Table 6: Topics of SOEP-BASE 2012 household questionnaire by categories Category Topics in 2012 Housing and expenses for house or flat Housing status Size of dwelling Features of dwelling Owning and renting Revenues and credits Public welfare benefits Monthly earnings Does your household have...? People in need of care children 8 Another specific feature of the 2012 SOEP-BASE questionnaire is the biographic part which includes questions about experiences during World War II. These special data will not be free for public use before 2015. 9 http://www.diw.de/en/diw_02.c.222729.en/questionnaires.html 10 http://www.diw.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=diw_01.c.395666.en SOEP Survey Papers 898 16 Table 7: Topics of SOEP-BASE 2012 individual questionnaire by categories Category Topics in 2012 Your current life situation Satisfaction, Mobility, Financial situation Your past occupation Your current occupation Income and other earnings Second Job Pension Health and illness Sleeping, Nutrition, Smoking Aircraft noise Height, weight Physiological disorder, diseases Consultations, amount of hospital stays Health insurance Sports Current sport activities Past sport activities Personality Trust, Risk aversion Big Five, Life Orientation Test Loneliness Social desirability, Need to evaluate Religion Attitude and opinions Politics and parties Concerns Family situation and friends Partnership, Children Financial support Experienced discriminations Biography: childhood and origin Birth Date, Birth weight Breast feeding Country of birth, immigration Siblings Biography: parents Parents’ country of birth and nationality Parents’ school leaving certificate Biography: education School leaving certificate Professional education Biography: GDR Experienced limitations Attitudes towards past GDR Biography: unemployment and former employers Unemployment after unification Unemployment during last 10 years Number of jobs Biography: Living Residential history Satisfaction SOEP Survey Papers 898 17 5 Data Access The BASE-II study, as a joint project, is an infrastructure for the entire research community. 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