Research Type: Methodological Studies

The proposal builds on Projects 020 and 051 by extending the analysis to 2011. Project 020 (Shuttleworth I., Barr P. and Gould M. Describing and modelling internal migration in NI 2001-2006 using the NILS: individuals, households and places) explored internal migration patterns between SOAs using selected individual, household and ecological variables. Subsequently, Project 051 (Shuttleworth I. and Barr P. How accurate and timely are health registrations address data? An assessment using the NILS) compared the SOA and XUPRN of records linked across the 2001 Census and the April 2001 BSO download of health registration data, in order to investigate the individual, household and neighbourhood determinants of address inaccuracy.

The England and Wales Longitudinal Study (ONS LS), Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) and Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS) are incredibly rich micro-datasets linking census and other health and administrative data (births, deaths, marriages, cancer registrations) for individuals and their immediate families across several decades. Whilst unique and valuable resources, the sensitive nature of the information they contain means that access to the microdata is restricted to approved Research Team and LS support staff, who can only view and work with the data in safe settings controlled by the national statistical agencies. Consequently, compared to other census data products, the three longitudinal studies are used by a small number of Research Team – a situation which limits their potential impact.

This project aims to use the NILS and NIMS databases to produce Vital Events Standard Outputs on an ongoing basis beginning from 2001. NILS sample members’ demographic, socio-economic and area-based characteristics will be linked to continually updated births and deaths data to produce cross-tabulations by each year available.

Address information from the BSO is currently useful in its own right as it is important to know where the population is for health screening and intervention.  Furthermore, its value is likely to increase as it contributes to the NILS, and, depending on developments elsewhere, could supplement the traditional census or be part of a replacement based on administrative data. Because of this, it is important to assess the accuracy and timeliness of BSO address data, to know which groups of people and places appear to be missed, and to understand more about what this might mean.