Understanding Society: Waves 1-5, 2009-2014: Special Licence Access, Strategic Health Authorities

<p>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</p><i>Understanding Society</i>, or the <i>United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study</i> (UKHLS), is conducted by the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), at the University of Essex. The survey research organisation in Great Britain is NatCen Social Research and in Northern Ireland, the Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).<br> <br> As a multi-topic household survey, the purpose of <i>Understanding Society</i> is to understand social and economic change in Britain at the household and individual levels. It is anticipated that over time the study will permit examination of short- and long-term effects of social and economic change, including policy interventions, on the general well-being of the UK population with a strong emphasis on domains of family and social ties, work, financial resources, and health. The study is an annual survey of each adult member of a nationally representative sample. The same individuals are re-interviewed in each wave. If individuals leave their household, all adult members of their new household are interviewed. Each wave is collected over 24 months, such that the first wave of data was collected between January 2009 and January 2011, the second wave between January 2010 and January 2012, and so forth. Data collection takes place using computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). One person completes the household questionnaire. Each person aged 16 or older answers the individual adult interview and self-completion questionnaire. Young people aged 10-15 years are asked to respond to a paper self-completion questionnaire.<br> <br> The study has four sample components: the General Population component, the Innovation Panel, a boost sample of ethnic minority group members, and participants in the former <i>British Household Panel Survey</i> (BHPS) (held at the UK Data Archive under SN 5151). Waves 1-2 (SN 6614) include the General Population component and the ethnic minority boost sample. The Innovation Panel data are held separately under SN 6849. Former participants of the BHPS joined <i>Understanding Society</i> from Wave 2. BHPS sample members have an identifier within the <i>Understanding Society</i> datasets from Wave 2 onwards, allowing the matching of BHPS data to <i>Understanding Society</i>.<br> <br> Further information about the survey may be found on the <a href="http://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/" title="Understanding Society">Understanding Society</a> web site. For full details of the study methodology, sampling, changes over time, and a complete set of documentation, see the main <i>Understanding Society</i> study, held at the Archive under SN 6614.<br> <br>The <i>Understanding Society: Special Licence Access, Strategic Health Authorities</i> dataset contains Strategic Health Authorities (SHA) geographic variables for each wave of <i>Understanding Society</i> to date, and a household identification serial number for file matching to the main <i>Understanding Society</i> data. These data have more restrictive access conditions than those available under the standard End User Licence (see 'Access' section below). Those users who wish to make an application for these data should contact the HelpDesk for further details.<br> <br> These data are consistent with the ONS Postcode Directory (ONSPD). Users are advised to obtain the latest version of ONSPD from the <a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/products/postcode-directories/-nspp-/index.html" title="National Statistics Postcode Products">National Statistics Postcode Products</a> webpage, where it is downloadable in text (.txt), CSV, Microsoft Access or .dbf formats, or can be ordered on CD/DVD.<br> <br> For the sixth edition (November 2015), data for Wave 5 have been added and Waves 1- 4 redeposited with some data edits. The documentation has been updated accordingly.<B>Main Topics</B>:<br>Variables include household identification number and SHA codes for matching with each wave of <i>Understanding Society</i> to date