PATH Study Data Access

New PATH Study Data Files Available

The NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) announce the release of Special Collection Public-Use data files (SCPUFs) from Wave 5.5 and from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Adult Telephone Survey (ATS). The Wave 5.5 Special Collection data were collected from youth participants ages 13 to 19 between July and December 2020. Data in the PATH-ATS were collected between September and December 2020 from a subsample of adult participants ages 20 and older, complementing the Wave 5.5 Special Collection. Researchers may access the SCPUF at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR37786.

In addition, the PATH Study Public-Use Files (PUF) have been updated to include Wave 5 Ever/Never Reference Data for all participants, which can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36498. The Restricted-Use and Public-Use Master Linkage Files have each been updated to reflect the new SCPUF files and the current availability of biospecimens in the Biospecimen Access Program. Master Linkage Files can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR38008.

Access data and documentation for Public-Use Files at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36498. Qualified researchers from the research community can apply for access to the Restricted-Use Files through https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36231 and the Biomarker Restricted-Use Files through https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36840. In addition, the Biospecimen Access Program webpage provides information on how to access the urine, serum, plasma, and genomic DNA (gDNA) collected from adult PATH Study participants during Wave 1 (2013 – 2014) and urine collected during Wave 2 (2014 – 2015), Wave 3 (2015-2016), Wave 4 (2016-2018), and Wave 5 (2018-2019).

The PATH Study is a household-based, nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of youth (12-17 years old) and adults in the United States. The study was launched in 2011 to inform FDA’s regulatory activities under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. For the latest announcements, data releases and updates, new publications, upcoming events, and other information for PATH Study data users, join the PATH Study Data User Forum. The forum enables researchers using PATH Study data to submit and answer questions.

Questions about the collection, content, weighting, documentation, or structure of PATH Study data may be submitted to PATHDataUserQuestions@Westat.com (not to be used for questions about statistical analysis or analytic guidance).