Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (formerly known as the ONS Opinions Survey or Omnibus) is an omnibus survey that began in 1990, collecting data on a range of subjects commissioned by both the ONS internally and external clients (limited to other government departments, charities, non-profit organisations and academia).Data are collected from one individual aged 16 or over, selected from each sampled private household. Personal data include data on the individual, their family, address, household, income and education, plus responses and opinions on a variety of subjects within commissioned modules. The questionnaire collects timely data for research and policy analysis evaluation on the social impacts of recent topics of national importance, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the cost of living, on individuals and households in Great Britain. From April 2018 to November 2019, the design of the OPN changed from face-to-face to a mixed-mode design (online first with telephone interviewing where necessary). Mixed-mode collection allows respondents to complete the survey more flexibly and provides a more cost-effective service for customers. In March 2020, the OPN was adapted to become a weekly survey used to collect data on the social impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the lives of people of Great Britain. These data are held in the Secure Access study, SN 8635, ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, Covid-19 Module, 2020-2022: Secure Access. From August 2021, as coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions were lifting across Great Britain, the OPN moved to fortnightly data collection, sampling around 5,000 households in each survey wave to ensure the survey remains sustainable. The OPN has since expanded to include questions on other topics of national importance, such as health and the cost of living. For more information about the survey and its methodology, see the ONS OPN Quality and Methodology Information webpage.Secure Access Opinions and Lifestyle Survey dataOther Secure Access OPN data cover modules run at various points from 1997-2019, on Census religion (SN 8078), cervical cancer screening (SN 8080), contact after separation (SN 8089), contraception (SN 8095), disability (SNs 8680 and 8096), general lifestyle (SN 8092), illness and activity (SN 8094), and non-resident parental contact (SN 8093). See Opinions and Lifestyle Survey: Secure Access for details.
Main Topics:Each month's questionnaire consists of two elements: core questions, covering demographic information, are asked each month together with non-core questions that vary from month to month.
The non-core questions for this month were: Urban Regeneration (Module 167): this module was asked on behalf of the Department of the Environment, and aimed to capture people's perceptions of the area they live in. For all questions, 'this area' refers to the area within a 15-20 minute walk (approximately a mile) from the informant's home/estate. The data for this module, which was asked in the surveys for March-May 1997, has been provided as a separate file, which is held at the Archive under SN:3919. Campaign for Better English (Module 134): the main purpose of these questions was to monitor people's views and to find out if they had heard of the 'Campaign for Better English'. General Health (Module 171): this module was asked on behalf of the Department of Health and asked about respondents' general health, whether they have a long-standing illness, and hospitalisation in the year prior to the survey. The questions were taken (largely) from the General Household Survey and the Health Survey for England. Contraception (Module 170): the Special Licence version of this module is held under SN 6475. Investment Income (Module 7a): this module was asked to discover how much interest, tax exempt or tax deducted, respondents earn on money kept in building society and bank accounts.
Multi-stage stratified random sample
Face-to-face interview
