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.For sweeps 1 to 9 data were collected via an in-home, face-to-face interview with self-complete sections. Fieldwork for sweeps 10 and 11 were disrupted due to the COVID pandemic. As a result, portions of the data were collected via web and telephone questionnaires whilst others involved face-to-face interviews where they were permitted. The study user guides provide further details.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 Previously they were held under one study (SN 5760) which has been withdrawn from the data catalogue.
Latest edition information:For the second edition (August 2025), the young person cross-sectional weight variable (DkWTchld) has been updated. In the previous version of the data, this weight was missing for 20 eligible cases. Only cross-sectional analysis utilising this weight would have been affected and only through the 20 cases being excluded from the analysis.
Main Topics:
The main carer questionnaire covered the following topics:political attitudes and civic participationcareers services and post-school plansoptimismparent-young person relationshipmain carer's healthmain carer's mental healthpregnancy, pregnancy behaviours and birth details (boost sample not interviewed at sweep 10 only)main carer employment detailsproxy partner's employment questionssources of incomeincomemanaging financiallymain carer's educationparent respondent ethnicityproxy partner ethnicityThe young person self-completion CAWI/CASI questionnaire covered the following topics:relationship with parentslife satisfaction (Huebner)lonelinessfear of failuregrowth mindsetsense of belongingsupportupsetting relationship episodevictimisationrelationship with peers (PIML Peer Attachment Scale)social mediagender identity and sexual orientationpuberty sexual relationshipspregnanciesperceptions of own weight and satisfaction with how they lookstrengths and difficulties questionnaireanxietydepression (Patient Health Questionnaire - PHQ-9)mental healthself-harmantisocial behaviouralcohol, smoking and drugscontact with policechildren’s hearings and looked-after statuscontroloptimismattitudes to riskA topic overview covering all sweeps, is available on the GUS website.
Multi-stage stratified random sample
Telephone interview: Computer-assisted (CATI)
Self-administered questionnaire: Computer-assisted (CASI)
Face-to-face interview: Computer-assisted (CAPI/CAMI)
Clinical measurements
