Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study is a large-scale longitudinal social survey which follows the lives of several groups of Scottish children from infancy through childhood and adolescence. It aims to provide important information on children, young people and their families in Scotland. The study forms a central part of the Scottish Government's strategy for the long-term monitoring and evaluation of its policies for children and young people, with a specific focus on the early years. The study seeks both to describe the characteristics, circumstances and experiences of children in their early years in Scotland and, through its longitudinal design, to generate a better understanding of how children's start in life can shape their longer term prospects and developmentSince 2005 fieldwork has been undertaken by the Scottish Centre for Social Research. The survey design for Birth Cohort 1 consisted of recruiting the parents of an initial total of 5,217 children aged 10 months old in 2005 and interviewing them annually until their child reached age six. Further fieldwork was then undertaken at ages 8, 10, 12, 14 and 17-18 with a sample boost added at age 12.Data for sweeps 1-9 were collected via an in-home, face-to-face interview with self-complete sections. Fieldwork for sweep 10 was disrupted due to the COVID pandemic. As a result, the final portion of the data was collected via web and telephone questionnaires. Sweep 11 data were gathered via web, telephone and face-to-face surveys of cohort members and their parent/carer.Further information about the survey may be found on the Growing Up in Scotland website.In May 20205, data and documentation for Cohort 1, Sweeps 1-11 were released as individual studies (SNs 9373-9383 and 9386-9387). Previously they were held under one study (SN 5760) which has been withdrawn from the data catalogue.
Removal of Geographical Variables and Spatial Unit Variable As of February 2018, at the data owner's request, the variables recording the 15% most deprived data zones, the 8 fold urban-rural classification and the Health Boards have been removed from all sweeps (where included). The variables removed are: Sweep 1: ALaLow15, ALaHBdBc;Sweep 2: ALcLow15, ALcURin1, ALcHBdBc. New edition informationFor the fourth edition (May 2019), an error in the Sweep 3 data has been correct (the SIMD variable ALeSNim2 has been inverted to match the variable included in previous sweeps).
Main Topics:
Sweep 1: household information; infant feeding; parenting support; non-resident parents; parenting styles and activities; childcare; child health and development; employment and economic activity; income and financial stress; education and identity; housing and accommodation; interviewer observations. The self-completion section covered: language and play skills of child; feelings parents might have when caring for young children; parental health; feelings in last four weeks; smoking, alcohol and drug use; relationships with family and friends. Sweep 2 data were collected from the child's main carer: parenting; parent-child relationship; child's relationship with siblings; parental support and service use; non-resident parents; child health and development; activities (child and parent); child's diet; childcare; pre-school; transition to primary school; parental health and health behaviours; parental relationship; employment and education; income, expenditure and financial stress; housing and accommodation; neighbourhood and community. Objective measurements taken included: child's height and weight; cognitive assessments (BAS-3 Naming Vocabulary and Picture Similarities); and interviewer observations of parent-child interactions and child behaviour. Sweep 3: data collected from child's main carer: Parenting, Parent-child relationship, Child's relationship with siblings, Parental support and service use, Non-resident parents, Child health and development, Activities (child and parent), Child's diet, Childcare, Pre-school, Transition to primary school, Parental health and health behaviours, Child self-control, Activities, Physical activity and Food and eating; Parental relationship, Employment and education, Income, expenditure and financial stress, Housing and accommodation. Objective measurements: Child's height and weight; Cognitive assessments (BAS-3 Naming Vocabulary and Picture Similarities).
Multi-stage stratified random sample
Face-to-face interview
Self-administered questionnaire
Psychological measurements and tests
Observation
Physical measurements and tests
Sweep 2: psychometric tests using the British Ability Scales 3rd edition.
