German Ageing Survey, Deutscher Alterssurvey (DEAS): Documentation of instruments and variables 1996-2017

Abstract

The German Ageing Survey (DEAS) is a nationwide representative cross-sectional and longitudinal survey of the German population aged over 40. It is funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). The comprehensive surveying of persons in middle and later adulthood provides micro data for social and behavioural scientific research and for the reporting on social developments. Participants are questioned in detail on their objective and subjective living situation. In addition, tests of cognitive capability and physical functioning are applied. The DEAS has a cohort-sequential longitudinal design, a broad thematic spectrum, national representativity with a comparatively large number of cases and a relatively long observation period, and is hence a unique German database for interdisciplinary research on the living conditions and life courses as well as the subjective perception and scheme of life of ageing and older individuals. Data thus provides a source of information for decision-makers, the general public and for scientific research. The first DEAS survey wave took place in 1996, further waves followed in 2002, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2017. New cross-sectional samples are drawn every six years (next in 2020) and then followed up as panels. Therefore, the surveys in 2002, 2008, and 2014 include a cross-sectional sample as well as a panel sample of study participants who took part in the DEAS before; in 2011 and 2017, only panel participants were re-interviewed. For reasons of comparability, most variables from previous waves are adopted, some are slightly modified. This documentation of variables serves as an overview of the variables which have been collected in the DEAS, given in German and English. All variables are documented by assigning them to different thematic fields. This documentation provides a thorough overview over the collected variables and derived scales of the different waves. The single questionnaires served as basis for the compilation of this documentation, the third wave of the year 2008, however, has been used as reference. The following information can be found in this documentation: All items of the variables are listed in German and English. Their coding, the name of the variable and the information from which wave or in which instrument (CAPI or drop-off) the variable has been collected, is listed in a table. Items of scales which have been recoded to match the direction of the scale are marked with (*). Additionally, references for applied scales are given at the bottom of the respective table. An overview over all scales used in the DEAS questionnaires can be found in the second chapter. Next to short information, the wave in which it has been used is given. Chapter three contains a summary of all derived variables that were generated to make analyses for specific thematic problems or questions easier. Some of these variables were generated from questions that had been used in the DEAS questionnaire. Other derived variables were added to the data from other sources in order to facilitate in-depth analyses in specific thematic fields. The short description of every wave of the DEAS describes all derived variables more closely. These - as well as the codebooks - can be downloaded from the website of the Research Data Centre of the German Centre of Gerontology at: https://www.dza.de/en/fdz.html.The fourth wave of the year 2011 has been used as reference for the list of the derived variables in this documentation. Previous scientific use files have been revised to harmonise the derived variables of all waves. All used lists (for example person cards) are named in every chapter of this documentation. If a list is used more often the first entry is noted. All lists that have ever been used in the questionnaire of the DEAS are added in chapter 20.