National Couples' Health and Time Study (NCHAT), United States, 2020-2021

The National Couples' Health and Time Study (NCHAT) is a population-based study of couples in America that contains representative samples of racial and ethnic diverse and sexual and gender diverse individuals. NCHAT entered the field on September 1, 2020, and data collection completed in April 2021. The sample includes 3,642 main respondents. The sample frame included adults in the United States who ranged in age from 20-60 years old, who were married or cohabiting, and who were able to read English or Spanish. About 1,515 partners participated. NCHAT sample participants were recruited through the Gallup Panel. About 9 percent of the sample was non-Latinx Black, 6 percent non-Latinx Asian, 5 percent non-Latinx Multirace, 16 percent Latinx, and 1 percent another racial or ethnic identity. Approximately 55 percent of the sample identified as heterosexual, 20 percent as gay or lesbian, 10 percent as bisexual, and 15 percent as another sexual identity or multiple sexual identities. The sample was about evenly split between men and women, and almost 3 percent identified as another gender identity. 27 percent of couples were the same gender, and 4 percent were non-binary. About 75 percent were married and the remainder were cohabiting. The average age was 45. 65 percent of the sample had no children. One-third of the sample was in an interracial couple. 10 percent were born outside the US. Survey, time diary, experience sampling method, and geospatial data were collected. NCHAT is uniquely suited to address COVID, stress, family functioning, and physical and mental health and includes an abundance of contextual and acute measures of race and racism, sexism, and heterosexism.