MIDUS: Midlife in the U.S. National Study of Health and Well-Being

The next round data collection for Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) is underway! The University of Wisconsin Survey Center (UWSC) is contacting participants about completing an interview by phone, through 2024. With the help of our participants, MIDUS is teaching us a great deal about the factors that influence health and well-being as people age from early adulthood to later life.

Longitudinal Study of Generations (LSOG)

The Longitudinal Study of Generations is contacting previous participants and inviting the fifth generation of participating families into the study. For over 50 years the Longitudinal Study of Generations has been exploring how families transmit culture, values, and beliefs across multiple generations. Researchers are interested in how interfamily relationships affect values, beliefs, health, and well-being over time. The University of Wisconsin Survey Center is honored to administer this important study.

Wisconsin Early Care Caregiver Study

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families is working with researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to gather information about Wisconsin families’ experiences with early childhood programs such as home visitation programs, child care, and early education programs.  The information collected from this multi-mode survey of families with young children will to help understand how early childhood programs can be improved to better serve families across Wisconsin.

SYNAR Tobacco Compliance Study

Under the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block grant Synar requirement, every state in the country must conduct annual unannounced random inspections of tobacco retailers to determine the compliance rate with laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to persons under the age of 18. UWSC has been conducting the yearly sample frame creation, coverage studies, and compliance checks for the state of Wisconsin since 2000.

New study indicates poor health — not aging itself — decreases older Americans’ likelihood of voting

University of Wisconsin–Madison sociology professor Michal Engelman led the study, published Oct. 15 in the Journals of Gerontology: Series B, along with sociology graduate student Won-tak Joo, sociology Professor Jason Fletcher and political science Professor Barry Burden.

The study uses data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which Engelman directs. The WLS has followed more than 10,000 Wisconsin high school graduates since 1957, surveying them about once a decade. In addition to the original participants, the survey has interviewed their siblings and spouses and includes detailed data on wealth, physical and mental health, and a range of social activities.

New Study by UWSC Researchers and Collaborators Explores Differences in How Black and White Respondents Answer Questions about Trust and Medical Researchers

Check out the newly published “Understanding Survey Methodology: Sociological Theory and Applications” for results from a new UWSC study. The study examines how Black and White respondents answer questions about trust in medical researchers and participation in medical research.