HANDLS demographic distributions & Wave 3 follow-up

Overall study design

HANDLS was designed to collect a fixed cohort from an area probability sample of African Americans and whites residing in Baltimore City. Participants were recruited so as to sample a wide range of socioeconomic circumstances in a 4-way (2×2×2×7) factorial cross of age (seven five-year age bands between 30-64), sex, race (self-identified African American or white, but not both), and socioeconomic status indexed by poverty status (below or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines). HANDLS is planned as a 20-year longitudinal study.

Demographics after initial recruitment (Wave 1)

3720 participants were recruited in the fixed cohort for HANDLS.

Figure 1. Initial distribution of women and men by 5-year age groups, race, and poverty status

Table 1.1 Initial distribution by sex (% total)


Women	55
Men	45

Table 1.2 Initial distribution by 5-year age groups (% total)


30-34	11
35-39	12
40-44	14
45-39	19
50-54	17
55-59	16
60-64	12

Table 1.3 Initial distribution by race (% total)


White	41
AfrAm	59

Table 1.4 Initial distribution by poverty status (% total)


Above	59
Below	41

Timeline for follow-up assessments (waves)

Waves 1, 2, & 3 are complete. Wave 4 is presently underway. Waves 5 & 6 are planned. Protocols and measures are available on the HANDLS website.

Figure 2. Study waves performed and planned

Wave 3 follow-up status

Wave 3 data collection ended in July 2013. 3377 participants from 3720 (91%) were eligible for Wave 3 of whom we traced 3069 (91%) and examined 2256 (74%). Only 183 ( 5%) of eligible participants were lost to follow-up in Wave 3.