AIDSQuest: The HIV/AIDS Survey Library
Survey Summaries

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development—National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health Study)

Overview
The surveys in the Add Health study were developed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), in order to collect data on adolescents’ health in the United States. The surveys were conducted in the adolescents’ schools and homes, and examined behaviors and conditions that contribute to adolescent health outcomes, including such things as:

The Add Health research design was predicated on the idea that the differential health of adolescents has three sources: 1) different social environments, 2) different health-related behaviors, and 3) different vulnerabilities and strengths. The Add Health surveys consist of Waves I, II, and III. All three are available in codebook form on the web site, which contains the original questions, the variable names, and response frequencies. Wave I contains the school administrator, adolescent in-school, and parent in-home questionnaires; adolescent in-home interview; and other tools. Wave II’s codebook contains the school administrator and adolescent in-school questionnaire. Issues of connectedness are emphasized, such as how the teens feel about their relationships with teachers and peers, and how they get along. Relationships between the teens and their parents and siblings are also highlighted in several of the questionnaires. Wave III data collection includes in-home interviews with original respondents (now young adults) and their partners. This questionnaire was designed to obtain relationship, marital, childbearing, and educational histories, and to date key labor force events. Some questions were unchanged from earlier waves. To enhance longitudinal measures, new sections focus on topics more relevant to young adults.

Methodology/validity
The study has collected data of interest from many disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences and from many theoretical traditions. Scientists from many disciplines will use the Add Health data to answer diverse questions. Because of the large volume of data collected, complete analysis of the survey is expected to take a decade or more. 

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This page updated 21 August 2006

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