National Survey of Self-Care and Aging: Baseline, 1990-1991

The National Survey of Self-Care and Aging (NSSCA) was conducted during 1990 and 1991 to create a baseline database on the prevalence of self-care behaviors by noninstitutionalized older adults. Personal interviews were conducted with 3,485 individuals 65 years of age and older. Oversampling of the oldest old was employed to assure representation of those who were frail or difficult to reach. A proxy was substituted if the subject was hospitalized, too ill, or cognitively not able to respond. Questions were asked about the type and extent of self-care behaviors for activities of daily living, management of chronic conditions (through self-care activities, equipment use, and environmental modifications), medical self-care for acute conditions, and health promotion/disease preventions. Social support, health service utilization, and socio-demographic/economic variables were also included. A follow-up study was conducted in 1994 (see NATIONAL SURVEY OF SELF-CARE AND AGING: FOLLOW-UP, 1994 [ICPSR 2592]).