Update on General Lifestyle Survey developments

Steven Dunstan, Survey Manager, ONS

Office for National Statistics, Government Buildings, Cardiff Road, Newport, NP10 8XG

E-mail: socialsurveys@ons.gsi.gov.uk

Overview

• Survey background• 2010 survey• 2011 survey • Survey outputs

Future of GLF data collection• Future of GLF data collection– EU-SILC integration into FRS– Longitudinal EU -SILC survey– Current proposal for GLF– User consultation

• Discussion

Survey background

• Multi-purpose annual survey started in 1971 as General Household Survey (GHS).

• Longitudinal design from 2005– 4-yearly rotation– all adults 16+ originally sampled (OS) followed– all adults 16+ originally sampled (OS) followed– all adults aged 16+ interviewed whether OS or not

• A module of the IHS

• Main users – ONS, Eurostat, NHS Information Centre, Department for Health, HMRC, DWP, academics

Sample design

• Four-year sample rotation – households can remain within the sample for up to 4 years.

Replication Year 1 (2005)

Year 2 (2006)

Year 3 (2007)

Year 4 (2008)

Year 5 (2009)

1 1st Dropped

2 1st 2nd Dropped

3 1st 2nd 3rd Dropped

4 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Dropped

5 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

6 1st 2nd 3rd

7 1st 2nd

8 1st

Survey topics

• Household questionnaire

Household information

Accommodation

Consumer durables

Housing costs

Survey topics - continued

• Individual questionnaire

Employment

Pensions

Health

Childcare

Smoking and Drinking

Financial situation

Income

Family Information (marriages, cohabitations, fertility)

• EU-SILC requirement - 2005• Longitudinal design• Trailer modules

• Fieldwork period change in 2005/06: financial

Historic changes

• Fieldwork period change in 2005/06: financial to calendar year

• Integrated Household Survey (IHS) - 2008• Core questions• GLF specific questions

EU-SILC contacts

• Data download

– Eurostat website

(http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/)

• Further information

Andrew Barnard (Project Manager)email: andrew.barnard@ons.gov.uk

2010 Survey

• Content broadly the same as 2009

• 2010 trailer module: Intra-Household Allocation of Resources– Responsibilities for income and expenditure– Responsibilities for income and expenditure– Allocation of income– Decision making

• Provisional publication date of January 2012

2011 Survey

• Content broadly the same as 2010

• 2011 trailer module: Intergenerational transmission of disadvantages

• The 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC2 010) • The 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC2 010) replaces SOC2000

• Questions that record births to women have been upd ated

• Wellbeing questions included from April

Survey outputs

• Smoking and Drinking Among Adults

• GLF/GHS Overview Reports

• Topic based ONS publications (Social Trends, Regional Trends, Focus On…)Regional Trends, Focus On…)

• Data files for the UK Data Archive

Useful links and contacts

Report and appendiceshttp://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.a

sp?vlnk=5756

General enquiriessocialsurveys@ons.gov.uk

The future of GLF data collection

EU-SILC integration into FRS (1)

2010 Feasibility StudyCould EU-Statistics on Income & Living Conditions (EU-SILC) be collected via the Family Resource Survey (FRS)?

Benefits:• Greater harmonisation between poverty indicators used by the

UK and EU

• Efficiency of data collection and analysis (e.g. there is considerable duplication on the GLF and FRS)

• Cost savings

EU-SILC integration into FRS (2)

Feasibility study findings

Cross-sectional EU-SILC could be met with minimal changes to the FRS

– Around 3/4 of EU-SILC variables could already be directly derived from FRSfrom FRS

– FRS already includes all the core EU-SILC topic areas => additional EU-SILC variables fit reasonably well within existing questionnaire

However…– FRS could not adopt the longitudinal design required for the EU-SILC

Longitudinal component

Longitudinal EU -SILC survey

ONS Longitudinal EU -SILC survey

• First year data collection (wave 1) met by the FRS

• Longitudinal component met by a telephone based ONS interview (wave 2 to 4)ONS interview (wave 2 to 4)

• Restricted to EU-SILC topics

• Introduced in 2012

EU-SILC longitudinal sample design

Data consideration

The EU-SILC telephone interview will not include non-EU-SILC topics.

The non-EU-SILC components of GLF are:• Family information• Family information• Fertility• Smoking• Drinking• Health conditions• Use of health services

Current proposal for 2012 and beyond

Current GLFEU-SILC-Economic status and employment-Income and benefits-Housing and material

2011

FRS (EU-SILC Wave 1)

ONS telephone interview (EU-SILC W2+)

2012

-Housing and material deprivation-General health-longstanding illness-limiting illness

Non-EU-SILC-Family information-Fertility-Pensions-Smoking and drinking-Health conditions-Use of health services

Opinions / GLF(1) What modules / questions should be included and when?(2) One or all adults interviewed?(3) Sample size requirement

GLF and Opinions – a comparison

GLF Opinions

Face-to-face interviewing

12 month field period

Households selected with a probability stratified 2 stage sample design

Weighting – non-response / calibration adjustments

~ 60% wave 1 household response rate ~ 60% household response rate~ 60% wave 1 household response rate ~ 60% household response rate

Interview attempted with all adults (aged 16+) One adult aged 16+ selected at random

~15,000 adults in responding households13,500 providing an interview in personChild bearing age ~ 3,800 (around 90% answer fertility questions)

~ 12,750 adult respondentsall providing an interviewChild bearing age ~ 3,400

As Opinions, but with:

Income and benefits; housing and material deprivation; family information; fertility; pensions; drinking; health conditions; use of health services.

Core variables:Basic demographics; household structure; tenure; ethnicity; general health and limiting illness; sources of income and gross amount; economic status; education; smoking

client modules

User consultation

http://www.ons.gov.uk/about/consultations/open-consultations/index.html

glf.consultation@ons.gsi.gov.ukglf.consultation@ons.gsi.gov.uk

12 week period - 11 February to 6 May

User feedback (1)

What are the current uses / requirements of the GLF ?

• What specific topics / questions are used?

• Are all the data required each year or could topics be collected less frequently?

• What precision is required (point estimates and est imates of change)?change)?

• What is the purpose / value added?

• What are the most important topics / variables?

• How soon after collection are data required (timeli ness)?

What are the implications of stopping the GLF Surve y?

User feedback (2)

What are the alternatives to the GLF?

• What other data sources could be / are used (e.g. C ountry Health Surveys, administrative health data; other social s urveys)?

• How could a new Opinions / GLF survey meet existing and future GLF requirements? What changes might be required?

What are user views on current questionnaire conten t?

• Are all questions needed?

• Could certain topic questions be developed to bette r meet user needs and requirement?

General Lifestyle Survey IHS CORE EU-SILC

Other sources

Economic status questions, including employment

Yes Yes LFS, FRS, OPN

Income questions (including benefits, pensions, investments)

No (except a general question)

Yes FRS, LCF, HAS

Housing and material deprivation (including, ownership of items, problems with the dwelling). Also questions on social

No Yes EHS, FRS

dwelling). Also questions on social exclusion, environmental problems, financial burden of housing costs and the repayment of debt, etc.

Social exclusion, environmental problems, financial burden (inc debt)

No Yes FRS

Education questions Yes Yes LFS, OPN

Number of hours of different types of child care

No Yes FRS

General Lifestyle Survey IHS CORE EU-SILC

Other sources

General health, longstanding illness and limiting health problems

Yes Yes OPN

Health conditions, children's health, contacts with GP, hospital (in patient, out patient; private, NHS, duration of visits)

No No Country Health Surveys, admin.

Mortgage payments No Yes LCF, FRS

Vehicle questions, including company cars. No Yes LCF, FRS

smoking and drinking questions No (except smoking prevalence)

No Country Health Surveys

Family Information other than basic demographics - i.e. marriages, cohabitations, fertility

No No Understanding Society

Pensions other than income/contribution - i.e. eligibility, membership, types of pension, employer/HMRC contribution, self-employed arrangements

No No FRS, HAS, LCF

For consideration

Any proposals / plans must be affordable

i.e. existing and future data requirements must be met with the available resource following the Government Spending Review

The existing survey (2010/11 financial year) and future data collection and processing is dependent on funding from ONS and other departments / organisations.

Discussion