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Rehabilitation Dataset Directory: Dataset Profile

Dataset: Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement (JSTAR)

Basic Information
Dataset Full Name	Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement
Dataset Acronym	JSTAR
Summary	JSTAR is a longitudinal survey of the Japanese aging population 50 years and older living in 10 metropolitan areas. It is designed to be comparable with the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, the English ELSA, and the European SHARE studies. The study began in 2007 and subsequent follow-up was conducted in 2009. In 2009 new samples were recruited from two additional municipalities. The 2011 survey included follow-ups for the 2007 and 2009 sample as well as new samples from three additional municipalities.
Key Terms	Aging, Longitudinal, Health Social participation, Social and family networks Health services utilization, Health expenses, Long-term care, Nursing care Health risk behaviors, Chronic disease, Health trajectories, Childhood circumstances Depression, Cognition, Satisfaction with life Employment, Retirement, Income, Pension, Assets, Consumption and Expenditures
Study Design	Longitudinal
Data Type(s)	Survey
Sponsoring Agency/Entity	Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan
Health Conditions/Disability Measures
Health Condition(s)	Alzheimer's/dementia, Arthritis, Body mass index (BMI)/obesity, Cancer, Cardiovascular conditions, Depression, Diabetes, Eye diseases, Osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, Pulmonary disorders, Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Disability Measures	Functional limitations (ADLs and/or IADLs), Hearing disability, Visual disability Self-reported health status, CESD depression scale, Mental health, Grip strength, 10-world list for memory recall
Measures/Outcomes of Interest
Topics	Regional variations in health risks and health behaviors Health and disability in the elderly Social support, family structure and social participation Retirement and and economic well-being
Sample
Sample Population	Adults over 50 years old, living in one of 10 metropolitan areas
Sample Size/Notes	4,163 at baseline (2007)
Unit of Observation	Individual
Continent(s)	Asia, Oceania
Countries	Japan
Geographic Coverage	10 Municipalities: Adachi, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Sendai, Takikawa (2007, 2009, 2011) Tosu and Naha (2009, 2011) Chofu, Tondabayashi, Hiroshima (2011)
Geographic Specificity	No geographic identifiers available in the basic "High" confidentiality level data Municipality identifier available in "Very high" confidentiality level data "Ultra high" confidentiality level data includes (very restricted access)
Special Population(s)	Aging/Older people
Data Collection
Data Collection Mode	Computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI) Self-completed questionnaires
Years Collected	2007-2011
Data Collection Frequency	Every 2 years
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths	Representative sample of the Japanese aging population living in the 10 selected municipalities Can be used for longitudinal analyses on health risk factors and on the interactions of health and disability with social and economic aspects of life. The study can be compared with other similar aging studies, such as the European SHARE and US HRS study, allowing for comparisons of trends among different countries
Limitations	Sample not nationally representative - limited to 10 municipalities Attrition and loss to follow up. Not all participants/regions were enrolled in each wave. Information on earlier life medical history and was self-reported and collected retrospectively. No biomarkers or physical examination information Application for data access is an involved process
Data Details
Primary Website	http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/projects/jstar/index.html
Data Access	Application Criteria for Use of the JSTAR Datasets: https://www.rieti.go.jp/en/projects/jstar/data/jstar_application_criteria.pdf
Data Access Requirements	Data Use application, No cost (for basic "High" confidentiality level data) Extensive application requirements for "Very high" and "Ultra high" confidentiality level data
Summary Tables/Reports	JSTAR First Results 2009 Report http://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/publications/dp/09e047.pdf
Data Components	2007 1st wave (Adachi, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Sendai, and Takikawa) 2009 1st wave (Tosu and Naha) 2009 2nd wave (Adachi, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Sendai, and Takikawa) 2011 1st wave (Chofu, Tondabayashi, and Hiroshima) 2011 2nd wave (Tosu and Naha) and 3rd wave (Adachi, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Sendai, and Takikawa)
Similar/Related Dataset(s)	Other longitudinal ageing studies: Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) Health and Retirement Study (HRS) - U.S. Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) World Health Organization Study on global Ageing and adult health (SAGE)
Selected Papers
Other Papers	Probing the Issue of Health Disparities: High correlation with income and education - Policies based on the premise of homogeneity should be reconsidered https://www.rieti.go.jp/en/papers/contribution/shimizutani/05.html Stability of Preference against Aging and Health Shocks: A comparison between Japan and the United States https://www.rieti.go.jp/en/publications/summary/13080005.html Toward a Comprehensive Resolution of the Social Security Problem: A new economics of aging http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/projects/program/pg-08/006.html Regional Variations in Access to Healthcare among Japanese Individuals over 50 Years Old: An analysis using JSTAR http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/publications/summary/17050005.html
Technical	JSTAR First Results 2009 Report http://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/publications/dp/09e047.pdf

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