Research Archive - Page 6 of 14 - Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study

Access to transportation, voluntary participation and the self-reported physical and mental health of older people who live alone in rural and urban Northern Ireland.

Gerontological research repeatedly found a link between being socially isolated and ill physical and mental health of older people (Coyle and Dugan 2012; Hemmesch et al. 2012; Locher et al. 2005). Living alone and being childless have been found to enhance the risk of becoming isolated at older ages (Coyle and Dugan 2012; Wall 1984; Burholt and Scharf 2013). Furthermore, the risk of isolation was found to increase with decreasing physical mobility and health (Victor, Burholt, and Martin 2012; Coyle and Dugan 2012), as actively taking part in local community life becomes more difficult.

December 16, 2019

Changes in cause-specific mortality over time (part 1): a longitudinal analysis using the 2001 and 2011 NIMS cohorts to explore changes in cause-specific mortality rates over time (between 2001-2006) and (2011-2016).

December 16, 2019

Assessing the impact of the Brexit referendum of migration into and out of NI.

The free movement of labour across invisible national borders is a central tenant of the European Union (EU) project. With the United Kingdom (UK) voting to leave the EU in 2016, EU nationals living in the UK are now faced with uncertainty over their right to stay, similarly those aspiring to immigrate to the UK face new barriers to entry (Wandsworth et al, 2016). Given the dependence of the Northern Ireland economy on the supply and retention of European Union (EU) workers, Brexit poses a number of important socio-demographic implications.

December 16, 2019

Exploration of health risks associated with social isolation.

Modern society is changing the way we live, work and relate to each other. Digitalization is eliminating the need for everyday social interactions and consequently, issues such as social isolation and loneliness are becoming pressing public health problems. Older adults are particularly susceptible to social isolation due to a number of factors such as retirement, bereavement, loss of social contacts, declining health conditions, and other age-related major life transitions. Adverse health effects of social isolation are well established at older age, including early mortality1-3. Thus, whilst people are living longer, the quality of life experienced does not necessarily correspond with the increase in life expectancy years. This is made more problematic by global trends of a rapidly ageing population.

December 16, 2019

Religious Identities and Social Change in Northern Ireland 1991 – 2011. Relationships with Mortality, Fertility and Health.

The project examines religious change in Northern Ireland over time (1991 – 2011).
On the aggregate level, the extent to which the socio-religious fabric across Northern Ireland has changed between 2001 and 2011 is investigated. A large literature on secularization in Europe and the US points towards a trend of religious decline that is predominant in most of Europe (Pollack 2008; Pickel 2009; Crockett and Voas 2006; Bruce 2002). However, due to several factors (its specific political history, the predominantly rural structure of the country) Northern Ireland could be an exceptional case and could thus deviate from the general (Western-) European pattern. Strong associations between religious and national identities have been pointed out in the literature on Northern Ireland (Hayes and McAllister 2009). This project thus also examines to what extent the patterns found for religious identities overlap with the patterns found for national identities.

December 16, 2019

SYLLS (SYnthetic data estimation for the UK LongitudinaL Studies).

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.

December 16, 2019