Nov 13, 2025
Precision Aging Network Scored Surveys
- Valeria Pfeifer [on behalf of the Precision Aging Network]1,2
- 1University of Arizona;
- 2University of Missouri-Kansas City
Protocol Citation: Valeria Pfeifer [on behalf of the Precision Aging Network] 2025. Precision Aging Network Scored Surveys. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.q26g7nwy9lwz/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: October 02, 2025
Last Modified: November 13, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 228807
Keywords: precision aging network scored surveys this protocol, precision aging network scored survey, precision aging network, scoreable survey, scoring algorithm, protocol
Funders Acknowledgements:
National Institute on Aging
Grant ID: U19AG065169
Abstract
This protocol describes the scoring algorithms for validated or scoreable surveys collected through the Precision Aging Network.
Troubleshooting
Introduction
This protocol provides details for the scoring of seven surveys:
- Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (ASQ)
- Perceived Social Support: Three-Item Loneliness Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)
- Perceived Stress
- Quick Physical Activity Rating (QPAR)
- Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
- Sleep: Medical Outcome Study (MOS) Sleep Measure
- Social Stressors
For each survey, we highlight the survey variables and scoring.
Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (ASQ)
The participants were asked how intense or bothersome and how frequently they experience different symptoms associated with anxiety.
Materials
Variables and Scoring
The raw survey data are structured so the intensity of a symptom is followed by the frequency, therefore all of the odd variable numbers are symptom intensities and all of the even variable numbers are symptom frequencies.
| Variable Name | Variable Description | Score Calculation | |
| anxiety_intensity | Sum of anxiety intensities. Scale of 0-170. | Sum of all odd variables (anx_v101 + anx_v103 + anx_v105 + anx_v107 + anx_v109 + anx_v1011 + anx_v1013 + anx_v1015 + anx_v1017 + anx_v1019 + anx$anx_v1021 + anx_v1023 + anx_v1025 + anx_v1027 + anx_v1029 + anx_v1031 + anx_v1033) | |
| anxiety_frequency | Sum of anxiety frequencies. Scale of 0-170. | Sum of all even variables (anx_v102 + anx_v104 + anx_v106 + anx_v108 + anx_v1010 + anx_v1012 + anx_v1014 + anx_v1016 + anx_v1018 + anx_v1020 + anx_v1022 + anx_v1024 + anx_v1026 + anx_v1028 + anx_v1030 + anx_v1032 + anx_v1034) | |
| anxiety_total | Sum of all anxiety symptoms intensities and frequencies. Scale of 0-340. | Sum of anxiety_intensity and anxiety_frequency |
References
Baker A, Simon N, Keshaviah A, Farabaugh A, Deckersbach T, Worthington JJ, et al. Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (ASQ): development and validation. General Psychiatry. 2019;32:e100144. https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2019-100144
Three-Item Loneliness Scale
This scale measures perceived social isolation by asking the participant to rate how often they feel different aspects of loneliness (Hughes, 2004).
Materials
Variables and Scoring
This survey asked if the participant felt they lacked companionship, felt left out, or felt isolated from others and to rate each of the statements as "Hardly Ever" = 1, "Some of the Time" = 2, or "Often" = 3. The combination of these three ratings gives the overall loneliness score for each participant. The items used to calculate the scale were taken from the first section of the Perceived Social Support survey.
| Variable Name | Variable Description | Score Calculation | |
| loneliness_total | Participant's loneliness score. Scale of 3-9, where higher score means more loneliness. | Sum of all loneliness variables (socsupp_v101 + socsupp_v102 + socsupp_v103) |
Reference
Hughes, Mary Elizabeth, et al. “A Short Scale for Measuring Loneliness in Large Surveys: Results From Two Population-Based Studies.” Res Aging, vol. 26, no. 6, 2004, pp. 655–672, https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027504268574.
Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support
This survey measures participants’ perceptions of support from three sources: family, friends, and a significant other. Each source is assessed with four items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The total measure of perceived social support is calculated by summing all three source ratings.
Materials
Variables and Scoring
The items used to calculate the scale were taken from the second section of the Perceived Social Support survey.
| Variable Name | Variable Description | Score Calculation | |
| MSPSS_family | Average of familial social support scores. Scale of 0-7, where higher score indicates more social support from family. | Sum across items related to family and then divide by 4. (socsupp_v106 + socsupp_v107 + socsupp_v1011 + socsupp_v1014)/4 | |
| MSPSS_friends | Average of friend group social support scores. Scale of 0-7, where higher score indicates more social support from friends. | Sum across items related to friends and then divide by 4. (socsupp_v109 + socsupp_v1010 + socsupp_v1012 + socsupp_v1015)/4 | |
| MSPSS_so | Average of significant other social support scores. Scale of 0-7, where higher score indicates more social support from a significant other. | Sum across items related to signitificant other and then divide by 4. (socsupp_v104 + socsupp_v105 + socsupp_v108 + socsupp_v1013)/4 | |
| MPSS_total | Sum of all 12 items. Scale of 7-84 where higher score indicate more social support. | Sum of all 12 items. (socsupp_v104 + socsupp_v105 + socsupp_v106 + socsupp_v107 + socsupp_v108 + socsupp_v109 + socsupp_v1010 + socsupp_v1011 + socsupp_v1012 + socsupp_v1013 + socsupp_v1014 + socsupp_v1015) |
Reference
Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, G. K. (1988). The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52(1), 30–41. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2
Perceived Stress
This survey asked participants 10 questions about their perceived levels of stress during the previous month on a scale from 0 to 4, where 0 = Never and 4 = Very Often.
Materials
Items
1. In the last month, how often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?
2. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?
3. In the last month, how often have you felt nervous and “stressed”?
4. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems?
5. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way?
6. In the last month, how often have you found that you could not cope with all the things that you had to do?
7. In the last month, how often have you been able to control irritations in your life?
8. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were on top of things?
9. In the last month, how often have you been angered because of things that were outside of your control?
10. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them?
Variables and Scoring
| Variable Name | Variable Description | Score Calculation | |
| stress_total | Sum of perceived stress on a 0-40 scale, where higher scores indicate more perceived stress. | stress_v101 + stress_v102 + stress_v103 + (4 - stress_v104) + (4 - stress$stress_v105) + stress_v106 + (4 - stress$stress_v107) + (4 - stress$stress_v108) + stress_v109 + stress_v1010 |
References
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A Global Measure of Perceived Stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404
Quick Physical Activity Rating (QPAR)
The QPAR assesses a person's activity levels by asking how often one participates in different types of physical activities in a week and for how many hours per day. The different activities are then used to calculate different levels of physical activity (mild, moderate, heavy) and then summed to an overall physical activity rating.
Materials
Variables and Scoring
Multiply intensity (1-3), frequency (0-3), and duration (0-3) per item, sum up all doses for original scoring. Sum of frequency * duration summed up per intensity level requested by Lee
| Variable Name | Variable Description | Score Calculation (Before 03/22/2025) | Score Calculation (After 03/22/2025) | |
| qpar_mild_dose | Sum of activity doses within mild level of activity. Max mild dose: 45. | qpar_v101 * qpar_v109 + qpar_v102 * qpar_v1010 + qpar_v103 * qpar_v1011 + qpar_v107 * qpar_v1015 + qpar_v108 * qpar_v1016 | ||
| qpar_moderate_dose | Sum of activity doses within moderate levels of activity. Max dose: 54 (36 before 03/22/2025). | 2 * (qpar_v104 *qpar_v1012 + qpar_v106 * qpar_v1014) | 2 * (qpar_v104 *qpar_v1012 + qpar_v106 * qpar_v1014 + qpar_v1017 * qpar_v1018) | |
| qpar_heavy_dose | Sum of activity doses within heavy levels of activity. Max dose: 54 (27 before 03/22/2025). | 3 * qpar_v105 * qpar_v1013 | 3 * (qpar_v105 * qpar_v1013 + qpar_v1019 * qpar_v1020) | |
| qpar_total | Sum of all doses of activity on a 0-153 scale (0-108 scale before 03/22/2025) where higher score indicates higher level of activity | qpar_mild_dose + qpar_moderate_dose + qpar_heavy_dose |
Reference
Galvin JE, Tolea MI, Rosenfeld A, Chrisphonte S (2020) The Quick Physical Activity Rating (QPAR) scale: A brief assessment of physical activity in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. PLoS ONE 15(10): e0241641. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241641
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
This survey asked participants to rate five statements related to life satisfaction using the Likert 7 point scale.
Materials
Variables and Scoring
| Variable Name | Variable Description | Score Calculation | |
| swls_total | Sum of life satisfaction on a 5-35 scale. 20 indicates "neutral life satisfaction", scores above 20 mean more satisfaction with life and below 20 indicates lower satisfaction with life. | Sum of life satisfaction ratings. (swls_v101 + swls_v102 + swls_v103 + swls_v104 + swls_v105) |
Reference
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13
Medical Outcome Study (MOS) Sleep Measure
The items from this survey come from the MOS-Sleep Measure which evaluates various aspects of sleep, like average sleep duration and perceived adequacy.
Variables and Scoring
| Variable Name | Variable Description | Score Calculation | |
| sleep_quantity | Average sleep duration in hours. | sleep_v1022 | |
| sleep_initiation | Frequency of trouble falling asleep on a 1-6 scale where higher scores indicate fewer troubles falling asleep. | sleep_v1026 | |
| sleep_maintenance | Ability to maintain sleep on a scale of 2-12 where higher scores indicate better sleep maintenance. | sleep_v1023 + sleep_v1027 | |
| sleep_perceived_adequacy | Perceived adequacy of sleep on a 2-12 scale where higher scores indicate less perceived adequacy of sleep. | sleep_v1024 + sleep_v1031 | |
| sleep_respiratory_problems | Frequency of respiratory problems during sleep on a 2-12 scale where higher scores indicate fewer problems and better sleep. | sleep_v1025 + sleep_v1029 | |
| sleep_somnolence | Frequency of somnolence (excessive daytime sleepiness) experiences on a 3-36 scale where higher scores indicate fewer somnolence symptoms and better sleep. | sleep_v1028 + sleep_v1030 + sleep_v1032 |
Reference
Hays RD & Stewart AL. Sleep measures. In: Stewart AL & Ware JE (eds.). Measuring functioning and
well-being: The Medical Outcomes Study approach. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1992, pp.
235-259.
Social Stressors
This survey asked participants about the types and levels of social stress in their lives over the past year. The first portion of each question asked whether they experienced a stressful event and, if they answered yes, then asked how stressful that event was on a scale from 1-3, where 1 = Mildly Stressful, 2 = Stressful, and 3 = Very Successful.
Materials
Variables and Scoring
| Variable Name | Variable Description | Score Calculation | |
| socstress_total | Level of stressful life events and stress experienced on a 0-36 scale where higher scores mean more stress. | socstress_v101_yes + socstress_v102_yes + socstress_v103_yes + socstress_v104_yes + socstress_v105_yes + socstress_v106_yes + socstress_v107_yes + socstress_v108_yes + socstress_v109_yes + socstress_v1010_yes + socstress_v1011_yes + socstress_v1012_yes | |
| nr_of_stressful_events | The number of stressful events experienced in the last year, not considering the intensity of the experienced stress. 0-12 scale where 0 indicates no stressful events. | socstress_v101 + socstress_v102 + socstress_v103 + socstress_v104 + socstress_v105 + socstress_v106 + socstress_v107 + socstress_v108 + socstress_v109 + socstress_v1010 + socstress_v1011 + socstress_v1012 |
Reference
Kershaw, K. N., Brenes, G. A., Charles, L. E., Coday, M., Daviglus, M. L., Denburg, N. L., Kroenke, C. H., Safford, M. M., Savla, T., Tindle, H. A., Tinker, L. F., & Van Horn, L. (2014). Associations of Stressful Life Events and Social Strain With Incident Cardiovascular Disease in the Women’s Health Initiative. Journal of the American Heart Association, 3(3), e000687-n/a. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.113.000687