Documentation   Keywords  Publications  Related Studies

Title:
Health and Lifestyle Survey: Seven-Year Follow-Up, 1991-1992
(HALS2)

Subject Categories:
Health and Lifestyle Survey - Major studies
General - Health
Nutrition - Health
Physical fitness and exercise - Health
Social indicators and quality of life - Society and culture

Depositor(s):
Cox, B.D., University of Cambridge. Department of Community Medicine

Principal Investigator(s):
Cox, B.D., University of Cambridge. Department of Community Medicine

Data Collector(s):
Social and Community Planning Research

Sponsor(s):
Health Promotion Research Trust

Other Acknowledgements:
Additional members of the research team were: F.A. Huppert, J. Nickson, A.T. Prevost, V.J. Swain, M.J. Whichelow, J.E. Whittington and M. Blaxter (consultant).

Abstract:
Following a number of feasibi1ity studies and pilot surveys carried out in 1978, the first Health and Lifestyle Survey (HALS1) (held at the UKDA under SN 2218), funded by the Health Promotion Research Trust, was carried out in 1984-1985 on a random sample of the population of England, Scotland and Wales. A follow-up survey, HALS2, was conducted in 1991-1992. Ethical approval for the initial pilot studies was obtained locally, and ethical approval for the main HALS surveys was received from the BMA Ethical Committee before the launch of each survey.

The first survey, HALS1, was designed as a unique attempt to describe the self-reported health, attitudes to health and beliefs about causes of disease in relation to measurements of health (e.g. blood pressure and lung function) and 1ifestyle in adults of all ages and circumstances 1iving in their own homes in all parts of Great Britain. It also examined the distribution of, and the relationship between, physical and mental health, health-related behaviour (diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption) and social circumstances. Following completion of HALS1, the respondents were 'f1agged' with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) National Health Service register at Southport,so that notification of deaths and copies of death certificates of respondents were provided to the HALS1 team. (Note that at the time of HALS1 and 2, ONS was known as the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS).)

At the time of HALS1, a repeat survey was not foreseen, so no attempt was made to retain contact with the respondents to HALS1. However, when funding again became available from the Health Promotion Research Trust, as many of the respondents to HALS1 were traced as possible, and re-surveyed for HALS2 (held under SN 3279), which was conducted in 1991-1992. The principal aims of HALS2 were to examine the changes over seven years in the health and circumstances of the surviving respondents of HALS1.

Two further HALS datasets are available from the UKDA; SN 3491 includes deaths and causes of death for HALS respondents, and SN 4540 includes data on NHS registrations of cancer morbidity and mortality for HALS respondents. Death rate analysis indicates that the data will be complete by about 2065.


Main Topics:
Demographic, working and social circumstances; self-reported health; physiological measures (anthropometry, blood pressure, respiratory function, salivary cotinine); tests of cognitive functioning (reaction time, memory and reasoning); personality and psychiatric status; dietary habits; exercise, work and leisure; alcohol consumption; smoking; beliefs about disease and health, and health related attitudes.

Coverage:
Dates of Fieldwork: September 1991-October 1992
Country: Great Britain
Spatial Units: Standard region
Observation Units: Individuals

Universe Sampled:
Location of Units of Observation:National
Population:Adults aged 25 and over who were surveyed in HALS1 in 1984-1985.

Methodology:
Time Dimensions: Longitudinal/panel/cohort
Sampling Procedures: Follow-up of survivors of the randomly selected respondents of the 1984/5 Health and Lifestyle Survey, whether still at the same address or moved to another location. See documentation for further details.
Number of Units: Interviews: 6,626 target, 5,352 obtained. Measurements: 4,483 obtained. Self-completion: 3,871.
Method of Data Collection: Face-to-face interview; Self-completion; Psychological measurements; Clinical measurements
Weighting: No weighting used.

Language(s) of Written Materials:
Study Description: English
Study Documentation: English

Access:
Access Conditions: The depositor has specified that registration is required and standard conditions of use apply. The depositor may be informed about usage. See terms and conditions for further information.
Availability: ESDS Access and Preservation, UK Data Archive
Contact: Help desk: help@esds.ac.uk
Recommendations: The documentation for HALS2 has been designed to be used in conjunction with the HALS1 manual, which contains more detail. Therefore, users of HALS2 should also download the documentation for HALS1 (see under SN 2218).

Date of Release:
First Edition: 30 January 1995

Download Acrobat PDF Reader