Growing Up in Scotland: Birth Cohort 1

Overview

Aims
Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) is a longitudinal research study that tracks the lives of thousands of children and their families from the early years, through childhood and beyond. Launched in 2005, GUS has collected information on three nationally representative cohorts of children born in 2004-05 (Birth Cohort 1), 2002-03 (Child Cohort) and 2010-11 (Birth Cohort 2). This page provides information about Birth Cohort 1 (BC1). The main aim of the study is to provide new information to support policymaking in Scotland, but it is also intended to provide a resource for practitioners, academics, the voluntary sector and parents.

Institution
Scottish Government & ScotCen Social Research

Geographic coverage - Nations
Scotland

Geographic coverage - Regions
Nationwide

Start date
2005

Catalogue record last updated
10/04/2024

Sample

Sample type
Birth cohort

Sample details
GUS comprises three cohorts of children: one child cohort and two birth cohorts. This page provides information about Birth Cohort 1. This cohort consists of around 5,000 children born between June 2004 and May 2005, who have been followed from when they were aged 10 months. In 2018, as part of sweep 9 fieldwork, an additional group of 502 children were recruited to the cohort to improve the representativeness of the data. The additional sample was drawn from Child Benefit records held by HMRC. Children born between 1st June 2004 and 31st May 2005 and in at least one of the two key sub-groups (i.e. mother aged 16-24 at birth; living in 15% most deprived data zones in Scotland) were eligible for inclusion.

Nationally representative samples were achieved using a random sample of aggregated Data Zones, stratified by Local Authority Area and by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Families receive a letter inviting them to take part in the study. In 2017 a further group of around 1,500 children born between June 2004 and May 2005 were recruited and invited to take part in interviews alongside Birth Cohort 1.

Sample size at recruitment
Birth Cohort 1 (BC1): 5,217

Sample size at most recent sweep
2,943 (2020 - BC1 Sweep 10)
2,669 main sample
274 boost sample

Sex
All

Age at recruitment
Birth

Cohort year of birth
2004-05

Data

Data access
Data request - see data access guidance growingupinscotland.org.uk/accessing-gus-data

UK Data Service
beta.ukdataservice.ac.uk/datacatalogue/series/series?id=200020#!

Genetic data collected

Linkage to administrative data
Education data
Health data

Additional information

Website
growingupinscotland.org.uk

Notes
International 'Growing Up' studies include Growing Up in Ireland, Growing Up in Australia and Growing Up in New Zealand.

Related themes
Cognitive measures, Diet and nutrition, Education, Ethnicity and race, Sexuality and gender identity, Housing, Socioeconomic status and deprivation, Language and literacy, Loneliness and social isolation, Neighbourhood, Physical health assessment, Political and social attitudes, Digital technology and social media, Victimisation and life events, Puberty, Reproductive health, Work and employment, Parenting and family, Sleep problems, Social care - receipt, Social care - need

Key Papers

See www.gov.scot/publications/life-age-14-initial-findings-growing-up-scotland-study

Funders

Mental health measures timeline

Sweep name:

Cohort member age:

Data collection period:

Notes:

Physical health measures: