Scottish Longitudinal Study
Development & Support Unit

Current Projects

The following projects are currently being supported by the LSCS:

Understanding the association betweem multimorbidity and place of death using a representative Scottish cohort (2023_001)

Researchers: Sarah Bowers, Frances Quirk, Joanna Bowden, Sarah Mills, Linda Williams, Utkarsh Agrawal,.

This project, which forms part of a PhD with the University of St Andrews, will investigate how multimorbidity (≥2 long-term health conditions) is captured on death certificates in Scotland utilising the linkage between the Scottish Longitudinal Study, Census data and National Records for Scotland death certificate data and explore the... Read more...

Census 2022 National Adjustment; Using the Scottish Longitudinal Survey to quality assure and potentially adjust population estimate sex ratios (2022_002)

Researchers: Ralph McDevitt, Michael Edie, Ben Little, Will Howes, Caroline Ellis, Esta Clarke, Greg Blackadder, Lee Williamson, Chris Dibben, Helen Corby, Gillian Raab.

Following the main NRS-led National Adjustments project, the UoE SLS-DSU team will do some further research once the 2022 Census is linked into the SLS (in the next years) to investigate the 2022 non-response/undercount. Read more...

Using secondary data to examine whether a programme of physical and social interventions in urban forests enhances (2022_001)

Researchers: Tom Clemens, Catharine Ward Thompson, Richard Mitchell, Jamie Pearce, Scott Ogletree, Lee Williamson.

Our innovative research plan will make use of the Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) which provides individual census records which can be linked to individual health service records. We will link these to Forestry Commission Scotland data which capture the location, nature, costs and timing of all “Woodlands In and Around Town” (WIAT) interventions delivered in three phases between 2005 and 2018. Read more...

Change in alcohol and tobacco availability, population health and the lived experience (2021_006)

Researchers: Tom Clemens, Niamh Shortt, Jamie Pearce, Richard Mitchell, Carol Emslie, Elena Dimova, Peter Lekkas.

The principal objective of the research outlined in this data application is to strengthen what we know of the causal relationship between the spatial (geographic/area-level) and temporal nature of the alcohol and tobacco retail environments and attributable alcohol and tobacco health-related morbidity and mortality, in and over time Read more...

Familiesm households & health: projections and implications (2021_005)

Researchers: Wei Xun, Rachel Stuchbury, Michael Murphy, Guoqiang Wu.

This project is part of a wider study using comparisons between the UK and China to inform research into health and wellbeing in later life, focusing on housing.  Read more...

Transitions and Labour Market outcomes of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds in Scotland.  (2021_004)

Researchers: Cara Nethery, Marina Shapira, David Griffiths.

Ethnic diversity is growing in Scotland, and the amount of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds transitioning into the labour market is growing on a faster rate than the overall share of ethnic minorities population in Scotland. The topic of youth transitions is broad and complex with growing evidence to suggest that transitions are becoming longer and more conditional than previously experienced (Keep, 2012). This project aims to provide current and detailed evidence on the trends in transitions of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds in Scotland. It will examine the impact of young people’s ethnic and socio-economic background, as well as the contextual impacts of schools and educational curriculums on transitions and educational and labour market outcomes for young people. The investigation into educational and labour market outcomes will also include an examination of educational choices young people make at the secondary school stage. This will include subject choices during the secondary school stage of education and the influences these may have on transitional pathway. Read more...

Assessing inequalities in health, wellbeing, and social participation outcomes for young carers in the UK (2021_003)

Researchers: Dr Rebecca Lacey, Dept of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, Prof Anne McMunn, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, UCL.

The aim of this project is to investigate the long-term prospects of young carers across the UK in terms of health, wellbeing and social participation, and whether gender, socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities are present. This aim will be addressed using UK-wide longitudinal studies. These include the three Census-linked longitudinal studies... Read more...

Using secondary data to examine whether a programme of physical and social interventions in urban forests enhances community health and wellbeing: the impact of WIAT interventions on mental health (2021_002)

Researchers: Catharine Ward Thompson, Rich Mitchell, Jamie Pearce, Tom Clemens & Scott Ogletree.

Summary Our innovative research plan will make use of the Scottish Longitudinal Study which provides individual census records which can be linked to individual health service records.1 We will link these to Scottish Forestry data which capture the location, nature, costs and timing of all “Woodlands In and Around Town”... Read more...

Narrowing the Senior Phase of the Secondary School Curriculum: impact on subject choices, qualifications and attainment of young people in Scotland. (2021_001)

Researchers: John Matthew Sutherland, University of Stirling, Dr Marina Shapira, University of Stirling, Prof Mark Priestly, University of Stirling.

Recent studies show that, under the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), the Scottish secondary curriculum is becoming narrower (Shapira & Priestley, 2018a). Moreover, the phenomenon of curriculum narrowing differently affects subject choice and range and level of obtained qualifications across different schools. This project is a continuation and development of Project 2018_005 entitled... Read more...

Kin networks and late life mortality and wellbeing in Scotland, 1991-2011 (2020_007)

Researchers: Dr Julia Jennings, University at Albany, State University of New York, Dr Lee Williamson, University of Edinburgh.

This project builds upon small-scale historical research in Orkney, Scotland (Jennings et al. 2019) to investigate the effects of coresident kin on mortality and health in the SLS, a representative sample drawn from contemporary Scotland. The SLS data can provide 3 decennial follow-ups of members and coresident kin with some observations of... Read more...

Health inequalities among adolescents and young people in Scotland: an analysis linking the UK Censuses and the Scottish Longitudinal Study to health data. (2020_006)

Researchers: Ms Katrin Metsis, University of St Andrews, Prof Frank Sullivan, University of St Andrews, Dr Joanna Inchley, University of Glasgow, Dr Andrew Williams, University of St Andrews.

This PhD project examines health inequalities among young people (aged 10-24 years) in Scotland by socio-economic (SE) groups. The project utilises data from the 2001 and 2011 UK Censuses, Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS), and health data linked to the SLS. The main indicator of the SE position is the National... Read more...

Religion and Labour Market Outcomes in Scotland, 1991-2011 (2020_005)

Researchers: Dr Neil Rowland, Prof Ian Shuttleworth, Prof Duncan McVicar.

This project seeks to analyse the relationship between religion and labour market outcomes in Scotland. Drawing inspiration from a large literature for Northern Ireland, it will investigate whether Catholics have a higher unemployment rate than Protestants in 1991, 2001 and 2011. It will also assess whether this differential varies across... Read more...

Modelling Environmental Risk for Dementia in the Scottish Mental Survey 1947 sample (2020_004)

Researchers: Luisa Parkinson, Alzheimers Scotland Dementia Research Centre , University of Edinburgh, Dr Tom Russ, ASDRC, University of Edinburgh, Prof Finn Lindgren, University of Edinburgh.

Using the Scottish Longitudinal Study sample of Scottish Mental Survey 1947 linked to health data to ascertain dementia outcomes, this study investigates the role of environmental factors in childhood and later life (over 55 years old) on the risk of developing dementia. The aims of the study will be to... Read more...

Understanding Recent Fertility Trends in the UK and Improving Methodologies for Fertility Forecasting (2020_003)

Researchers: Dr. Sindhu Vasireddy, University of St Andrews, Prof. Ann Berrington, University of Southampton, Prof. Hill Kulu, University of St Andrews, Dr. Bernice Kuang, University of Southamptom.

The aims of this research project are to examine the significant fluctuations in fertility levels in the UK in the last two decades, to investigate their causes, and to develop improved methodologies for fertility forecasting. Using high-quality large-scale longitudinal data the project will, first, investigate childbearing trends by birth order... Read more...

Developing the potential of the NILS and SLS for studying peer effects in health: A case study of fertility amongst neighbours and co-workers (2020_002)

Researchers: Dr. Meng-Le Zhang, Prof. Gwilym Pryce, Prof. George Galster, Dr. Nema Dean.

Neighbours and work colleagues can potentially have an influence on our behaviour. For instance, poor health behaviours amongst neighbours and colleagues may normalise and reinforce our own poor health behaviours. This is one example of a ”peer effect”. Imitative behaviour can cause small initial changes in a person’s behaviour to spread amongst their social networks and result in a ’social multiplier’ effect. Understanding the size and mechanisms behind the ’social multiplier’ effect allows for more effective health interventions. It also helps us understand why persistent health inequalities exist across different neighbourhoods and social groups. Read more...

Residential Context and Childbearing: Application of a Spatial Multilevel Multiprocess Hazard Model to Study Contextual Determinants of Fertility (2019_007)

Researchers: Peter Dorey, University of St Andrews, Prof Hill Kulu, University of St Andrews, Dr Katherine Keenan, University of St Andrews, Dr Urska Demsar, University of St Andrews.

This project investigates childbearing patterns by residential context in Britain. The aims are as follows: First, to determine the extent to which spatial variation in childbearing patterns is attributed to compositional characteristics and selective residential moves. Second, to investigate which contextual factors (e.g. regional-economic characteristics, institutional and cultural-normative factors, social interaction)... Read more...

Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Ethnic Inequalities in Health: Analysis and Projection Based on Longitudinal Register Data from Scotland (2019_006)

Researchers: Mary Abed Al Ahad, Professor Hill Kulu, Professor Frank Sullivan, Dr. Urska Demsar.

This research project aims to study the effects of air pollution and extreme weather events on population health and mortality in the general population and across ethnic groups in Scotland. In addition, this research project aims to project future health behaviour and mortality patterns in response to changes in weather and air pollution in Scotland. Read more...

Looked after children grown up: a scoping study of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Longitudinal Census data (2019_005)

Researchers: Dr Rebecca Lacey, Prof Amanda Sacker.

This scoping study will examine whether we can extend our previous work on the long-term outcomes of looked after children in England and Wales to Scotland and Northern Ireland. Read more...

Understanding the health benefits of active commuting in a Scottish context (2019_003)

Researchers: David Walsh, Glasgow Centre for Population Health, Welcome Wami , University of Glasgow/GCPH, Bruce Whyte, Glasgow Centre for Population Health, Graham Baker, University of Edinburgh, Chris Dibben, University of Edinburgh, Ruth Dundas, University of Glasgow, Zhiqiang Feng, University of Edinburgh, Paul Kelly, University of Edinburgh.

The overall aim is to assess the health benefits, and resulting policy implications, of active commuting in Scotland. Read more...

Early life exposure to air pollution, cognitive ability and social mobility: Analysis of the SLS Linkage to the 1947 Scottish Mental Survey (2019_002)

Researchers: Dr Mark Cherrie, Prof Chris Dibben, Dr Lynne Forrest, Dr Tom Clemens, Dr Gergo Baranyi.

This project will make use of the 1947 Scottish Mental Survey (a 1936 birth cohort) linked with the Scottish Longitudinal Study. We will use these data to investigate how their early life residential environment relates changes in health and social circumstances throughout the lifecourse. We have a particular interest in... Read more...

The wider impact education effects of childhood chronic illnesses. (2019_001)

Researchers: Eilidh Cowan, Prof Chris Dibben, Dr Tom Clemens.

The project aims to address the following research questions: 1. How does the presence of a chronically ill sibling affect school attainment and attendance? 2. Do the socio-economic circumstances of the family mediate these relationships and are there clear inequalities in this relationship? 3. Do these relationships vary between different... Read more...

Social inequalities in chronic disease trajectories in mid and later life: taking account of multimorbidities (2018_012)

Researchers: Dr Katherine Keenan, Dr Juliana Bowles, Prof Frank Sullivan.

The project objective is to investigate social and demographic factors that predict differential trajectories of chronic disease among adults in mid-and later-life living in Scotland, taking into account multimorbidities. Read more...

Project Extension: Social inequalities in chronic disease trajectories in mid and later life: taking account of multimorbidities (2018_012)

Researchers: Dr Katherine Keenan, University of St Andrews, Prof Hill Kulu, University of St Andrews, Genevieve Cezard, University of St Andrews.

The aims of the original project remain the same: Briefly, To investigate social and demographic factors that predict differential trajectories of chronic disease among adults in mid-and later-life living in Scotland, taking into account multimorbidities. Detailed research questions / aims:  To develop methods for characterising common longitudinal trajectories of multimorbidity... Read more...

Estimating the value of Precision Medicine Technologies: Developing a Scottish Toolkit (2018_011)

Researchers: Dr Claudia Geue, Dr Jim Lewsey.

The potential that personalised and precision medicine (PPM) can have for improving health outcomes depends on being able to correctly estimate disease burden. The objective of our proposed study is to develop a toolkit to support the estimation of the potential value of precision medicine technologies and better targeting of research efforts. Read more...

Estimation of Long Term Neighbourhood Effects of Religious Diversity using a Residential Sorting Model (2018_010)

Researchers: Chuhang Yin, Gwilym Pryce, Gavin Dong, Stephan Heblich.

Our study aims to estimate a residential sorting model using detailed information on individual characteristics and locations over time, and use model estimates to measure the impact of childhood neighbourhood diversity on preferences for neighbourhood diversity later in life. In this model, households “sort” across neighbourhoods according to their wealth... Read more...

Cardiovascular disparities among young adults in Scotland: Linking the Scottish Longitudinal Study from 1991 to 2011 (2018_009)

Researchers: Kai Jin, Dr Iain Atherton.

Scotland has a health service that is free to the end user, yet rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) remain high. Because cardiovascular risk factors are strongly associated with socioeconomic disadvantages, we hypothesis social economic disadvantaged people would be more likely to have deteriorating trends for cardiac death.   Therefore,... Read more...

Understanding the factors associated with receiving social care for people aged 65 years and older in Scotland. (2018_008)

Researchers: Dr Helen Corby, Prof Chris Dibben, Dr Matthew Iveson, Dr Tom Russ, Prof Ian Deary, University of Edinburgh..

Scotland’s ageing population means that increasing numbers of elderly people will be needing care provision in coming years. Understanding what influences the need for care can inform both policy and interventions aimed at promoting maintained independence in later-life. This study aims to describe the distribution of people receiving social care... Read more...

Social Inequalities in Educational Attainment: An Investigation into the Mediating Role of School Absenteeism (2018_007)

Researchers: Dr Markus Klein, Dr Edward Sosu.

The proposed study aims to investigate whether differences in school attendance can explain social inequalities in educational attainment and post-school destinations among pupils in Scotland. Due to differences in health-related behaviour, residential and school mobility, family structure, environment, and parental employment characteristics, children from lower socio-economic backgrounds may be more... Read more...

Understanding Inequality: The effects of changing neighbourhood characteristics on individuals (2018_006)

Researchers: Dr Meng-Le Zhang, Dr Andrew Bell, Dr David Manley, Dr Gurleen Popli, Prof. George Galster, Dr Daniel Olner, Dr Guanpeng Dong, Dr Gwilym Owen.

This research is part of a large ESRC research grant entitled ‘Understanding Inequalities’ (UI) (project reference: ES/P009301/1) which aims to carry out an ambitious and innovative research programme that will explore the causes and consequences of social inequalities in Scottish society in a much deeper and more joined-up way than... Read more...

Narrowing the curriculum: Impact of Scottish curriculum for excellence of subject choices and attainment of young people in Scotland (2018_005)

Researchers: Dr Marina Shapira, Feifei Bu, Mark Priestley.

Curricular decisions such as subject choices in the senior stage of secondary education, are crucial for the attainment of young people (Iannelli et al. 2015). Existing research shows that subject choices are socially patterned: students from the lower socio-economic background are less likely to choose subjects that would facilitate their... Read more...

Disentangling the importance of individual and family factors on educational outcomes using a sibling design – using the Children of the SLS data (COTS) (2018_004)

Researchers: Prof Cristina Iannelli, Dr Adriana Duta, Francesca Fiori.

In our project, we aim to analyse the relative importance of social class vs. other family factors and non-family-related factors for individuals’ education outcomes by examining siblings nested in families and social classes. By analysing siblings’ outcomes, we will be able to decompose the variation in the outcomes of interest... Read more...

Disentangling the importance of individual and family factors on educational and labour market outcomes using a sibling design (2018_003)

Researchers: Prof Cristina Iannelli, Dr Adriana Duta, Francesca Fiori.

In our project, we aim to analyse the relative importance of social class vs. other family factors and non-family-related factors for individuals’ education and labour market outcomes by examining siblings nested in families and social classes. By analysing siblings’ outcomes, we will be able to decompose the variation in the... Read more...

Mental Health and Employment Retention in Scotland (2018_002)

Researchers: Serena Pattaro, Nick Bailey, Chris Dibben.

Background The background to the study is the broad policy concern with rising employment rates for those with long-term illness or disability and reducing the number of people who lose employment following the onset of a health problem. Research has demonstrated that the experience of unemployment is among the key... Read more...

The effect of spatio temporal variability of air pollution and population mobility on public health (2018_001)

Researchers: Tomas Liska, Mathew Heal, Stefan Reis.

Background A large number of epidemiological studies have identified air pollution as a major risk to human health. Exposure to pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone and fine particulate matter (NO2, O3 and PM2.5) causes cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer and other adverse health effects (WHO, 2013). Research has also... Read more...

Estimating marginal willingness to pay for neighbourhood amenties (2017_007)

Researchers: Prof Christopher Timmins, Chuhang Yin, Prof Gwilym Price, Gavin Guanpeng Dong, Stephan Heblich.

Our study aims to estimate how individual marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for neighbourhood depends on individual attributes using a hedonic valuation framework. In economics, the hedonic valuation approach estimates demand or value for neighbourhood attributes using observed housing decisions of individuals in the property (i.e., owned or rented housing)... Read more...

Ethnic inequalities in health at the older ages (2017_005)

Researchers: Genevieve Cezard, Dr Alan Marshall, Dr Nissa Finney, Prof Hill Kulu.

This project aims to understand how ethnic inequalities in health in later life evolve over time by modelling health trajectories in the Scottish context. Exploiting the SLS longitudinal design linked to administrative data it will focus on self-reported health and doctor diagnosed multi-morbidity and the contribution of age, period of... Read more...

Education and Health – Is there really no Causal Relationship? (2017_004)

Researchers: Markus Gehrsitz.

This project is concerned with estimating the causal effect of education on health. Causality is established by exploiting a natural experiment, namely a change in compulsory schooling laws. This change prompted a quasi-randomly selected treatment group to obtain more education than an otherwise identical control group. In contrast to previous... Read more...

Creating synthesised data for an ADRC-S training course (2017_003)

Researchers: Dr Zhiqiang Feng, Dr Lynne Forrest, Ben Matthews, Prof Iain Atherton, Beata Nowok.

The aim of the study is to create synthetic datasets using data derived from extracts produced for SLS project 2013_005 (‘Risk factors and consequences of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET)’).  The synthetic datasets will be used to construct workshop exercises in a training course run by... Read more...

What predicts entry into residential care and the need for domiciliary support for people aged 65 years and older in Scotland? (2017_002)

Researchers: Professor Ian Deary, Professor Christopher Dibben, Professor John Starr, Dorothy Helen Corby.

Scotland has an aging population and so has an increasing responsibility to provide the appropriate care for these people as they lose their independence. This study aims to describe the distribution of people entering care homes in Scotland or receiving informal care from family members. The study also aims to... Read more...

Childhood cognitive function and later-life economic activity: Linking the Scottish Mental Survey 1947 to administrative data. (2017_001)

Researchers: Professor Chris Dibben, Professor Ian Deary, Matthew Iveson.

Background As the population ages, and as individuals are expected to work and function for longer, it is increasingly important to understand what contributes to health and wellbeing in later life. The rate of long-term unemployment is higher in older adults than younger adults, and older adults exhibit particular problems... Read more...

Understanding the processes of changing segregation (2016_006)

Researchers: Nick Bailey, Mark Livingston, Wouter van Gent.

Background Spatial segregation reflects socio-economic inequalities but may also have consequences for it, and more broadly for economic efficiency, social cohesion, or politics. To take the first of these, segregation implies the creation of richer and poorer neighbourhoods. While there is still intense debate about ‘neighbourhood effects’, much research argues... Read more...

Education and Social Mobility: a Comparison of three British Cohorts (2016_005)

Researchers: Lindsay Paterson, Chris Dibben.

Background The interaction between education and social mobility has been a core sociological question as well as a prominent policy question for half a century. Can expanding education foster greater social mobility? Alternatively, is social mobility mainly driven by the changing structure of the labour market? If the latter is... Read more...

Economic change and internal population dynamics: an innovative study of new residential mobilities in Scotland (2016_003)

Researchers: David McCollum, Annemarie Ernsten, Zhiqiang Feng.

Background One of the greatest contemporary challenges facing the social sciences is making sense of the ramifications of the ongoing global financial crisis which began to emerge in 2007 (ESRC, 2009). Another issue of current widespread salience is the issue of migration, with scholars proclaiming an unprecedented ‘age of migration’... Read more...

An exploration of the links between preterm birth, socio-economic variables and educational outcomes (2016_002)

Researchers: Maria Giatsi Clausen, Duncan Pentland.

Background Improvements in medical and technological interventions have led to increased survival rates for infants who would previously have likely died. The UK Office of National Statistics suggests that infants born as early as 24 and 25 weeks now have 39% and 50% survival rates respectively (Bliss, 2005). In the... Read more...

Cancer survival in Scotland: does geography matter? (2016_001)

Researchers: Noor Saeed, Jed Long, Alan Marshall, Zhiqiang Feng.

Background Scotland has the lowest life expectancy in Western Europe, the slowest rate of health improvement in Europe and wide health inequalities (Hanlon, Lawder et al. 2005). Previous research has demonstrated that Scottish cancer survival rates are similarly poor; for example, Gatta, Ciccolallo et al. (2006) found that cancer survival... Read more...

Recession, austerity and health: changing area socio-economic conditions and their relationship to individual health and wellbeing outcomes in Scotland (2015_015)

Researchers: Prof Sarah Curtis, Prof Jamie Pearce, Prof Chris Dibben, Dr Niall Cunningham, Prof Clare Bambra, Dr Mark Cherrie, Gergő Baranyi - LONGPOP PhD, The LONGPOP project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 676060..

Background The proposed research constitutes a collaboration between the Centre for Health Inequalities Research (CHIR) at Durham University and the Centre for Research on Environment (CRESH), Society led at Edinburgh University by Prof Pearce. The lead researcher is Sarah Curtis, Professor of Health and Risk at Durham University who will be... Read more...

Living circumstances and health of people with learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorders (2015_014)

Researchers: Myrthe Jacobs, Sally-Ann Cooper, Ewelina Rydzewska.

Background People with learning disabilities experience poorer physical and mental health than people without learning disabilities (Emerson, 2007), and are thought to die at an earlier age. The circumstances in which people live may have an important relation to health. For example, people with learning disabilities are at much greater... Read more...

The relationship between forests, health and inequalities: A longitudinal approach (2015_013)

Researchers: Jennifer Thomson, Jamie Pearce, Niamh Shortt, Catharine Ward Thompson, Liz O'Brien.

Background Evidence suggests that exposure to forests is associated with improved health outcomes and reduced health inequalities. Studies have shown that living near forests and visiting forests can provide opportunities for relaxation, exercise and enhanced quality of life (Ward Thompson & Aspinall 2011). Having a view of a forest environment... Read more...

Impact of Residential Sorting on the Valuation of Environmental Amenties/Disamenities and Estimation of Neighbourhood Effects (2015_012)

Researchers: Guanpeng Dong, Jon Minton, Nick Bailey, Gwilym Pryce, Stephan Heblich, Chris Timmins, Chuhang Yin.

Background Sorting processes have been recognised as one of the main factors that undermine the reliability of existing UK estimates of neighbourhood effects, and of the economic value of various social/environmental (dis)amenities. Lack of data has meant that it has not been possible to resolve the selection bias arising from... Read more...

The role of housing and housing providers in tackling poverty experienced by young people in the UK (2015_011)

Researchers: Michael Oxley, Michael Jones, Anna Clarke, Charlotte Hamilton, Chihiro Udagawa.

Background Poverty among young people is a complex issue with multiple causes. It has been recognised that ‘housing costs induced poverty’ has been increasing over the last two decades in the UK but that low rents have the potential to reduce poverty (Stephens & van Steen, 2011; Tunstall et al... Read more...

Exploration of the new ‘Health Conditions’ question in the 2011 Scottish Census and comparison with the ‘Limited Activity’ (LLTI) question at 2001 and 2011 (2015_010)

Researchers: Fiona Cox, Alan Marshall.

Background Prior to the inclusion of the ‘Health Condition’ question in the 2011 Scottish and Northern Ireland Censuses, researchers using the SLS or NILS had to rely on the Limiting Long-Term Illness (LLTI) variable as their best proxy for disability.1,2 This is far from ideal for several reasons: some people... Read more...

A longitudinal analysis of travel to work patterns in Scotland 1991-2011: A public health perspective (2015_009)

Researchers: Claire O'Boyle, Ian Shuttleworth, Ruth McAreavey.

Background We are living in an increasingly mobile world, travelling more frequently, to further destinations and using a wider range of modes of transport than ever before (Massey, 1991). Recent academic discoveries have added to this important area of mobility discourse, including findings by Cooke (2011; 2012) which argues that... Read more...

Census 2011 data quality – what is learned through matching with earlier Census records and other sources (2015_008)

Researchers: Cecilia Macintyre, Gillian Raab.

Background The data quality of Census 2011 has been investigated as outlined in the NRS Quality Assurance Process with details of comparisons for population and households reported in a quality assurance pack. http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/quality-assurance The quality assurance of the individual questions was investigated at various stages in the process, and quality... Read more...

Housing pathways of disabled people in Scotland (2015_007)

Researchers: Chloe Maclean, Julie Guy.

Background Although by rights disabled people are equal citizens, they currently face vastly unequal opportunities to live in safe, suitable, homes. Disabled people in Scotland face an insufficient supply of suitable housing, often inadequate living conditions, and difficulties in accessing housing support (Capability Scotland, 2011; Inclusion Scotland, 2014; ILS,2009). Much... Read more...

An exploration of educational and employment outcomes for children with disabilities (2015_006)

Researchers: Fiona Cox, Alan Marshall.

Background Evidence from cross-sectional and panel studies[1,2], qualitative research[3] and reports drawn primarily from snapshot Government statistics[4] indicate that children with disabilities face particular barriers to achieving success within and beyond education. However to date little or no longitudinal research has been published investigating the causal relationship between disability and... Read more...

Mobility and the life-course (2015_005)

Researchers: David McCollum, Allan Findlay, Glenna Nightingale, Ye Liu.

Background It is well known that migration, being a selective process, generally leads to enhanced life opportunities. Migrants tend to be skilled relative to non-migrants and the places that attract migrants tend to offer favourable opportunities for career enhancement compared to areas with smaller migrant populations. Longitudinal data, in following... Read more...

Occupational Mobility and Neighbourhood Effects in Scotland (2015_004)

Researchers: Evan Williams, Nick Bailey.

Background The notion of a neighbourhood effect alludes to the claim that the neighbourhood in which somebody lives has an independent impact on their life chances over and above their individual characteristics [1]. There is a large body of observational studies that investigate the existence of neighbourhood effects on a... Read more...

Social and Spatial Mobility: Analysis of the SLS Linkage to the 1947 Scottish Mental Survey (2015_003)

Researchers: Frank Popham, Chris Dibben, Roxanne Connelly, Lee Williamson.

Background This project will make use of the 1947 Scottish Mental Survey (a 1936 birth cohort) linked with the Scottish Longitudinal Study. The data from the 1947 Scottish Mental Survey provide us with age 11 cognitive ability test scores taken from children born in 1936 (Deary, Whalley, and Starr 2009,... Read more...

Longitudinal analysis of the relationship between natural space and health in Scotland (2015_002)

Researchers: Elizabeth Richardson, Jamie Pearce, Rich Mitchell, Niamh Shortt.

Background People living in neighbourhoods with more natural space tend to have better health outcomes – such as better general and mental health, and better birth outcomes – than those with less of these spaces in their living environment (Lee and Maheswaran 2011, Donovan et al. 2011, Dadvand et al.... Read more...

Mortality amenable to health care intervention in Scotland (2015_001)

Researchers: Alastair Leyland, Megan Yates.

Background Premature deaths from selected causes which occur in the presence of timely and effective health care are considered to be amenable to medical intervention [1]. Rates of amenable deaths can be used to compare health systems within and between countries, as well as explore socio-economic gradients within selected populations... Read more...

Does the widowhood effect start before spouse bereavement? (2014_010)

Researchers: Zhiqiang Feng, Chris Dibben, Gillian Raab, Dawn Everington.

Background Previous literature has consistently found elevated mortality among surviving spouses following the death of a spouse, or the ‘widowhood effect’. Death of a spouse significantly raises a person’s risk of death and poor health. Loss of spouse is not only a stressful event but also leads to loss of... Read more...

Factors driving geographic variation in mortality in Scotland vs. England and Wales: the contribution of residential mobility and relative deprivation (2014_009)

Researchers: Laura A Kelly, Michel Guillot, Samuel H Preston, Hans-Peter Kohler.

Background Scottish mortality falls below international standards for developed countries. Mortality in Scotland and other developed countries has steadily declined over the last century. However, a widening gap in life expectancy between Scotland, England and Wales, and other high-longevity countries emerged around 1950 and accelerated after 1980 (McCartney et al.... Read more...

Pattern of Subject Specific Performance in School Attainment in Scotland (2014_005)

Researchers: Chris Playford, Vernon Gayle, Roxanne Connelly, Susan Murray.

Background Standard Grades have been the central qualifications undertaken by pupils in secondary schools. Standard Grades are important qualifications as they were historically the first public set of examinations in a young person’s educational career and often form a major gateway to further education and employment. The study of parental... Read more...

A Study of Intergenerational Social Class Mobility in Scotland: Messages from the Census about Social Fluidity and its implications for Scottish education policy and practice (2014_004)

Researchers: Chris Holligan, Michael Wilson, Matthew Homer.

Background Anderson and Hansen (2012) study of Norwegian school leavers concluded that class disparities intensify over an educational career, a conclusion which the Demos research mentioned below captures during the teenage years. Based on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital where the school system is seen to reproduce the power of... Read more...

Longitudinal Study of Nurses in Scotland: workforce dynamics [Extended] (2014_003)

Researchers: Iain Atherton, Richard Kyle, Rosie Neall, William Ball.

Background Nurses are crucial to care provision given they are the health professionals with immediate round the clock patient contact. Nursing care is labour intensive with few real alternatives that ensure high care standards. Studies have demonstrated the importance of nursing to the wellbeing of patients. A very recent multi-country... Read more...

Demographic change in the Jewish population of Scotland 2001 to 2011 (Beta-test project) (2014_002)

Researchers: Gillian Raab, Ephraim Borowski, Fiona Frank.

The aim of the study is to understand the mechanisms that have produced the changes in the numbers answering “Jewish” to the question on religion from the 2001 Census to the 2011 Census. By linking individuals through time we will be able to quantify the inflows and outflows that have... Read more...

Stability and change in ethnic groups in Scotland (Beta-test project) (2014_001)

Researchers: Zhiqiang Feng, Chris Dibben, Susan Carsley.

Since the ethnicity question was first introduced in the 1991 census the question has been revised in the 2001 and 2011 censuses. For example, there are in total of 14 ethnic groups listed in the 2001 census form there are 19 of them while in the 2011 census. The changes... Read more...

Mortality rates by occupation within the UK (2013_015)

Researchers: S Vittal Katikireddi, Alastair Leyland, David Stuckler, Martin McKee, Kevin Ralston.

Aim: To describe the standardised mortality rates by occupation and employment conditions in the UK Objectives: To calculate standardised mortality rates by occupation amongst those of working age (defined as 20-59 years at the time of the census) by sex in Scotland and the rest of the UK for the... Read more...

Education and Social Stratification: The role of subject choices in secondary education on further education studies and labour market outcomes [EXTENDED] (2013_013)

Researchers: Cristina Iannelli, Markus Klein, Adriana Duta.

Social stratification research has shown that social inequalities continue to be reproduced in education (Shavit and Blossfeld, 1993; Heath, 2000; Raffe et al., 2006; Iannelli, 2007) and this hinders social mobility (Breen, 2004; Iannelli and Paterson, 2007). A series of factors have been identified to explain the persistence of these... Read more...

Synthetic Data Estimation for UK Longitudinal Studies (2013_012)

Researchers: Adam Dennett, Belinda Wu, Nicola Shelton, Beata Nowok.

The aim of the study is to create synthetic datasets which will resemble the UK Longitudinal Studies to allow researchers to experiment and test ideas before applying to use the real LSs. We aim to generate transition probabilities from 1991 to 2001 across a range of commonly-used LS variables. Such... Read more...

Growing Up and Growing Old in Scotland: Housing transitions and changing living arrangements for young and older adults, 1991-2011 (2013_011)

Researchers: Elspeth Graham, Francesca Fiori, Zhiqiang Feng.

The past few decades have seen significant demographic, social and economic changes that have resulted in increased diversity across individual life-courses and housing careers. Rising divorce rates, delays in family formation, smaller families, re-partnering and longer healthy life expectancy (McRae 1999; Smallwood & Wilson 2007) have all undermined traditional notions... Read more...

Explaining spatial patterns of fertility in Scotland (2013_009)

Researchers: Annemarie Ernsten, Elspeth Graham, Zhiqiang Feng.

In previous research using the Scottish Social Attitude Survey I found that expectations about future parenthood are strongly associated with housing tenure and shared social attitudes towards family formation. Childless people living in social housing tend to be less likely to expect having children in future than childless people who... Read more...

From Birth to Childhood: investigating socio-economic differences in health trajectories via administrative data (2013_008)

Researchers: Bianca DeStavola, Emily Grundy, Richard Silverwood, Chris Dibben, Lee Williamson.

Infant mortality is strongly patterned by socio-economic conditions, even in developed countries.(1) It is also strongly and negatively related to birthweight, with the gradient seen even in babies born at term.(2) This suggests that birthweight, itself strongly patterned by socio-economic status,(3-4) may act as a mediator in the pathway by... Read more...

DEMETRIQ – DEVELOPING METHODOLOGIES TO REDUCE INEQUALITIES IN THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (2013_006)

Researchers: Gwen Menvielle, Johan Mackenbach, Frank van Lenthe, Rianne de Gelder, Yannan Hu, Rasmus Hoffman, Caspar Looman.

Social inequalities in health are a major challenge to public health in Europe and hence a priority topic for the EU. While the average level of health in EU countries has continued to improve over the last decades, differences in health between advantaged and disadvantaged sections of the population within... Read more...

Risk factors and consequences of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) (2013_005)

Researchers: Zhiqiang Feng, Chris Dibben, Kevin Ralston, Gillian Raab, Elspeth Graham.

A body of research has focused on young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) over the past decade. Research has examined characteristics, risk factors, and subsequent outcomes for NEETs. Some studies have also evaluated the effect of intervention programmes aimed at reducing the incidence of NEET or supporting... Read more...

Cold Related Deaths and the Effect of Nudging the Elderly: Evidence from the Longitudinal Studies (2013_004)

Researchers: Ian Walker, Maria Navarro Paniagua, David Stott.

Government policy has so far shied away from aged-related fuel subsidies and has focused on winter fuel payments (WFP), and on subsidies for insulation and for more efficient heating. The existing official methodology to measure cold related deaths is crude – just a comparison of average mortality rates across seasons.... Read more...

Flexible aging: new ways to measure the diverse experience of population ageing in Scotland (2013_003)

Researchers: John MacInnes, Jeroen Spijker.

The project takes a demographic approach to studying population aging in Scotland and its implications. The objectives are: Reassessing the concepts of population aging and the size and composition of the ‘old’ population by constructing alternative measurements of aging based on years of remaining healthy life expectancy proportion of total... Read more...

Assessing the potential impact of markers of social capital on levels of ‘excess’ mortality in Scotland and Glasgow compared to elsewhere in the UK [EXTENDED] (2013_002)

Researchers: David Walsh, Chris Dibben, Zhiqiang Feng, Kevin Ralston, Lauren Schofield.

A considerable amount of recent research has highlighted high levels of ‘excess’ mortality (i.e. over and above that explained by area deprivation or individual socioeconomic status (SES)) in Scotland compared to England & Wales, and in Glasgow compared to Liverpool and Manchester. New survey analyses have suggested levels of social... Read more...

Neighborhood Dynamics: Pollution and Poverty Traps (2012_004)

Researchers: Stephan Heblich, Christopher Timmins, Robert Wright.

A large body of literature summarized in Kuminoff et al. (2010) recognizes the influence of local (dis)amenities on households’ residential choice. It turns out that households with children are willing to pay higher house prices to sort into neighborhoods with a better school quality. Similarly, low crime rates and local... Read more...

Equality, inequality and health in Scotland (2012_003)

Researchers: Andrew Millard, Gerry McCartney.

Research question: Is the inequality in health outcomes by social class the same when stratified by protected characteristics* as it is across the whole population? Objectives: From 1991-2010 Compare health outcomes by social class stratified by: Age group at 1991 (0-14, 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64) Sex ethnicity disability (although... Read more...

The impact on parental mortality of caregiving for a child with a chronic illness (2012_002)

Researchers: Eileen Calveley, Gerard Molloy.

This project will aim to investigate whether: caregiving for a chronically ill child increases the risk of poor self-reported health and mortality for the parent; whether caregiving for a chronically ill child has an impact on relationship breakdown; and whether relationship breakdown mediates the risk of mortality. It is hypothesised... Read more...

Socioeconomic cost of bereavement in Scotland (2011_006)

Researchers: Dennis Petrie, Fu-Min Tseng, Shaolin Wang, Silje Skår.

The research question of interest is to quantify the impact/cost of bereavement on the outcomes in several domains such as medical utilization, productivity, and mortality for Scotland. This will include: Quantifying the number of bereaved in Scotland per death Estimate the number of individuals within the household at the last... Read more...

A comparative study of the relationship between deprivation and health status in Northern Ireland and Scotland (2011_005)

Researchers: Dermot O'Reilly, Gemma Catney, Michael Rosato, Chris Dibben, Gillian Raab, Frank Popham, Paul Burton.

The aim of the proposed study is two-fold (a) to investigate the relationship between deprivation and health in Northern Ireland and Scotland using the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS) and the Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) and in doing so (b) to test a solution to the problem of conducting combining... Read more...

The potential for reduction of health inequalities in Europe: Mortality data from longitudinal studies (Scottish Longitudinal Study) (2011_003)

Researchers: Johan Mackenbach, Frank Popham, Gwenn Menvielle, Terje Eikemo, Rasmus Hoffman, Mauricio Avendano.

The main project aim is to assess the potential for reduction of health inequalities in Europe. We will do so by identifying the determinants and risk factors associated with variations in the magnitude of health inequalities between European countries (including Scotland), and by developing counterfactual scenarios on the basis of... Read more...

Understanding impact of fertility history on health outcomes in later life (2011_002)

Researchers: Chris Dibben, Zengyi Huang, Lee Williamson.

This study is part of the Scottish Health Informatics Programme (SHIP), specifically Research Programme 4 on Demographic, Socio-Economic and Environmental Data Linkage and Exemplar Study 1 on Longitudinal Research Support. The project will seek to draw on and extend work on reproductive histories and health outcomes in mid and later... Read more...

A scoping study investigating low birth weight and its impact on child development, linking maternity, child surveillance and education data (2011_001)

Researchers: Chris Dibben, Zengyi Huang, Lee Williamson.

This study, part of the Scottish Health Informatics Programme (SHIP) Research Programme 4 on Demographic, Socio-Economic and Environmental Data Linkage Exemplar Study 1 on Longitudinal Research Support, is different to other SLS projects in that it is part scoping study on SLS data development. The study is also part research-based... Read more...

Educational attainment and the social mobility of migrants and ethnic minorities in Scotland (2010_005)

Researchers: Marina Shapira, Jenny Ozga.

Since 2004 Britain has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of migrants with a further rise in immigration after 2004; in particular, Scotland accepted since 2004 a large numbers of Eastern and Central European migrants. This research project aims, through the preparation of the available data sources and their... Read more...

Trends in avoidable mortality in Scotland (2010_003)

Researchers: Claire Boag, Gillian Raab.

In recent years there have been a number of different groupings of causes of death to identify those that are manipulable by treatment or public health measures. A recent ONS report (1) reviewed these for E&W and recommends the three fold classification described by Page Tobias and Glover (2) with... Read more...

An examination of the characteristics of cancer patients in Fife, Tayside and The Lothians (2010_002)

Researchers: Hannah Dale, Kathryn Quinn, Pauline Adair, Gerry Humphris, Gozde Ozakinci.

Minimal data of the characteristics of the cancer population in Fife, Tayside and the Lothians is known. The available data comes from ISD data on all cancer registrations. ISD data includes a breakdown for each region for incidence and mortality by sex, age group and deprivation category, including data specifically... Read more...

Social patterning of ischaemic heart disease in Scotland (2010_001)

Researchers: Alastair Leyland, Carolyn Davies, Ruth Dundas.

Despite substantial declines, Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD) remains the largest cause of death in Scotland and mortality rates are among the worst in Europe. There is evidence of strong, persisting regional and socioeconomic inequalities in IHD mortality, with the majority of such deaths being due to Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI).... Read more...

Population ageing: What are the implications for healthcare expenditure in Scotland? (2009_011)

Researchers: Claudia Geue, Andrew Briggs, James Lewsey, Paula Lorgelly.

With the largest population cohorts approaching the age of 65, it has previously been anticipated that costs for public services such as HC will increase (Dang et al., 2001). Compared to the rest of the UK, population ageing in Scotland will be even more pronounced due to differences in the... Read more...

Population mobility and its role in widening health inequalities in Scotland (2009_009)

Researchers: Denise Brown, Alastair Leyland, Dermot O'Reilly, Paul Boyle, Sally Macintyre.

Despite recent improvements in survival, mortality rates in Scotland remain high (10.8 per 1000 in 2006) compared to the UK as a whole (9.7 per 1000 in 2005) and to the rest of Europe (9.1 per 1000 in 2005; GRO(S), 2007). Over the last two decades, inequalities in mortality rates... Read more...

Does area regeneration improve residents’ health & well-being? (2009_008)

Researchers: Daryll Archibald, Paul Boyle.

Over £11 billion has been spent on area regeneration initiatives in England alone over the last twenty years. The potential to combat deprivation, improve health and reduce health inequalities is used as justification for such a large-scale investment (Thomson et al. 2006). Nevertheless, evaluation of these initiatives has been limited... Read more...

The determinants of self-assessed health in Scottish adults (2009_006)

Researchers: Gavin MacColl, Karen MacNee, Julie Ramsay.

The Scottish Government target “to match average European ( EU15) population growth over the period from 2007 to 2017, supported by increased healthy life expectancy in Scotland over this period”, is linked with the National Indicator to “Increase healthy life expectancy at birth in the most deprived areas.” Healthy life... Read more...

Area-based versus Individual measures of socioeconomic background – How do they compare in predicting cancer incidence? (2009_005)

Researchers: Katharine Sharpe, David Conway, David Brewster, Alex McMahon.

Socioeconomic differences in cancer risk exist as evidenced by ISD cancer statistics and measured by area-based indicators such as the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) and Carstairs. Site specific age standardised incidence rates by SIMD 2006 quintiles show that there are positive, negative and neutral socioeconomic (SE) gradients depending... Read more...

Assessing socio-economic inequalities in mortality at the Scottish national level, incorporating a comparison between mortality in Scotland and England (2009_004)

Researchers: Paul Boyle, Frank Popham.

Scotland has had, until now, to rely on unlinked data sources (the census for the denominator and death registrations for the nominator) when studying how mortality risk varies by socio-economic position at the national level. This approach has inherent problems associated with mismatches in the recording of individual socio-economic position... Read more...

The economic impact of return migrants to Scotland: Evidence from the Scottish Longitudinal Study (2009_003)

Researchers: David McCollum, Jackie Horne.

The aim of the project is to explore the economic impact of return migrants to Scotland. Four main hypotheses have been formulated: Return migrants to Scotland are likely to participate in the labour market upon return and characteristics such as their age, skill level and occupational profile suggests that their... Read more...

Economic appraisal of the choice and targeting of lifestyle interventions to prevent disease in deprived populations (2009_001)

Researchers: Paul Boyle, Frank Popham, Murray Smith, Luke Vale, Diane Stockton, Peter Craig, Anne Ludbrook.

As part of a wider MRC study, the proposed SLS project will link to the SLS estimates of small area prevalence of smoking (Moon et al., 2006) in order to study the role of this important disease risk factor in socio-economic inequalities in coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.... Read more...

Effects of mixed tenure on mixed tenure neighbourhood residents in Scotland 1991-2001 [EXTENDED] (2007_006)

Researchers: David Manley, Maarten van Ham, Joe Doherty, Fiona Cox.

The mixing of tenure types is becoming increasingly popular as a means through which policy makers are seeking to enhance the social well-being of residents in social housing. It is thought mono-tenure neighbourhoods, consisting of mainly social housing, can have a negative effect on residents’ social status and social well-being.... Read more...

Residential location, migration and occupational achievement in Scotland 1991-2001 (2007_005)

Researchers: Maarten van Ham, Allan Findlay.

Research consistently shows that residential location and migration are important in understanding labour careers. The idea is that residential location is instrumental in occupational achievement. Those who live on a location with good access to employment opportunities are most likely to experience upward job mobility. In addition it can be... Read more...

Health and social mobility between 1991 and 2001 (2007_004)

Researchers: Gillian Raab, Paul Boyle, Lin Hattersley.

The ONS LS data have been widely used to investigate health- related social mobility. Most relevant to this application is the work of Bartley and Plewis (1997) which investigated the relationships between limiting long term illness (LLTI) in 1991 and related it to changes in social class for men in... Read more...

Permanent sickness, returning to employment and health (2007_003)

Researchers: Frank Popham.

The UK Government is presently reforming the benefits system for people of working age who because of ill health are economically inactive [1]. The aim of the reform is to encourage people back into the labour market. Even though the UK has seen a decline in rates of unemployment in... Read more...

Regional patterns of teenage births in relation to social factors and educational and social outcomes for young women following a teenage birth (2007_002)

Researchers: Gillian Raab, Lin Hattersley, Marion Henderson.

There is considerable interest in factors affecting teenage conceptions and births and national data are presented and interpreted in detail for England and Wales by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit and in Scotland by ISD. These national data tell us relatively little about the characteristics of young women who experience these... Read more...

 

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