This table contains details of datasets that contain information on health and environmental behaviours. Datasets may be filtered to hide irrelevant datasets by choosing required information in the column headers and the filtered list may be sorted by clicking on column headers. The information is believed to be correct as of January 2016.
This table was prepared as part of an Impact Acceleration Account related to the ESRC-funded HOPE project at the University of York.
Notes on usage:
Clicking on the arrows to the right of a field with sort the table by that field, first in ascending order, then in descending order
With the dataset 'Size' field, numbers can be filtered using all comparative operators e.g. <1000 (meaing only datasets with less than 1000) , >=2000 (meaning dataset with 2000 or more) etc.
Where a Y/N field contains an italic blue Y or N this indicates that there are provisos detailed in the notes field
| Age and size | Population | Geographical coverage | Health behaviours | Environmental | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Data source | Type | Includes data after 2005 | Includes data after 2010 | Size (most recent year) | Adults >=16 | Children < 16 | Ethnic minority boost | UK | Britain | Eng | Scot | Wales | NI | Smoking | Alcohol | Physical activty | Diet | Commute | Other travel | Diet | Greenspace use | Other environmental behviours (insulation, energy efficiency) | Access | Date range | Sampling | Frequency of inteview | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active People Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 166982 | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 2005/06 onwards | Telephone, random landline sample | annual | Children aged 14+ included |
| Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 7403 | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 1993, 2000, 2007, 2014 | Household, one adult at random | septennial | 2014 still work in progress |
| British Social Attitudes Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 2878 | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | UK Data Service | 1983 onwards | Household, one person >18 per household | annual | |
| DEFRA Survey of Public Attitudes and Behaviours toward the Environment | x-sectional | Y | N | 3781 | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | UK Data Service | 1986,1989, 1993, 1996/7, 2001, 2007, 2009 | Random location sampling - individuals | irregular | Physical activity: walking, cycling, sports only. Diet: sustainable fish, grow own fruit and veg, use local seasonal produce |
| DfT, Climate Change and Transport Choices Segmentation Study, 2010 | x-sectional | Y | N | 3923 | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | UK Government | 2009/10 | Household, one adult at random | single | Physical: inferred from travel modes only |
| English Housing Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 13276 | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | UK Data Service | 2008 onwards | Household, one survey completed per household | annual | Also physical inspection of homes from initial sample, N~6000. Smoking: only before 2011/12 |
| Eurobarometer | x-sectional | Y | Y | 25000 | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Gesis | 1974 onwards | Household, one person | annual | Europe coverage, some earlier samples were random from e.g. electoral roll, questions vary across some years. Children aged 15 included. Greenspace: only questions about access rather than use |
| European Social Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 28221 | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 2002 onwards | Household - one adult (> 15 years) | biennial | Europe coverage, children aged 15 included. Diet: fruit and veg consumption only |
| Food and You | x-sectional | Y | Y | 3453 | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | Food Standards Agency | 2010 onwards | Household - one adult within household | biennial | |
| Health survey for england | x-sectional | Y | Y | 10980 | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 1991 onwards | Household, all adults, max two children | annual | Children aged 2+ from 1995; all children from 2001). Ethnic minority boost in 1999, 2004 only). Travel: walking only |
| London Travel Demand Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 4000 | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Transport for London | 2005/6 onwards | Household - all household over 5 travel diary, household interview | annual | London only. Physical: some info on walking/cycling |
| Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 46785 | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Natural England | 2009/10 onwards | Household - one per household | annual | Travel: only to/from greenspace. Physical activity: only within greenspace |
| National Diet and Nutrition Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 4156 | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | UK Data Service | 2008/09 onwards | Household - 1 person in household aged 1.5 years or more | annual | Also earlier survey with same name |
| National Travel Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 18765 | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 1988 onwards (continuous, some back to 1965) | Household - all household | annual | Changed from Britain to England in 2013. Some physical activity can be inferred from travel modes |
| ONS Living Costs and Food Survey | x-sectional | Y | N | 4933 | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | UK Data Service | 2008 | Household | annual | Similar earlier surveys; Travel: season ticket use and mode |
| Scottish Health Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 6327 | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 1885, 1998, 2003, 2008 onwards | Household - all adults, two children | annual | Some earlier one-offs |
| Scottish Social Attitudes Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 1497 | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 1999 onwards | Household, one person >18 per household | annual | |
| UK Biobank | x-sectional | Y | Y | 500000 | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | UK Biobank | 2006-2010 with followup | Individuals via assessment centres in nationally representative locations | single | single with continuous followup through medical records |
| UK Time Use Survey 2000 | x-sectional | N | N | 11667 | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 2000 | Household, all members >= 8 years | single | Series of time use surveys, including earlier back to 1974/75. Differences in methodology, so listed separately here. Children 8-15 included. Physical activity: inferred from travel modes |
| UK Time Use Survey 2005 | x-sectional | N | N | 5443 | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 2005 | Household, 1 person >= 16 years | single | Series of time use surveys, including earlier back to 1974/75. Differences in methodology, so listed separately here. Part of National Statistics Omnibus survey. Physical activity: inferred from travel modes |
| UK Time Use Survey 2014/2015 | x-sectional | Y | Y | TBC | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | UK Data Service | 2014/15 | Household, all members >=10 years | single | Series of time use surveys, including earlier back to 1974/75. Differences in methodology, so listed separately here. Release in March 2016, some details TBC. Children 10+. |
| Welsh Health Survey | x-sectional | Y | Y | 16970 | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 2003 onwards | Household - all adults, two children | annual | |
| 1970 British Cohort Study (Birth cohort study 1970) | longitudinal | Y | Y | 9841 | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 1970 onwards | Babies born in one week in 1970 | irregular | |
| British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) | longitudinal | Y | N | 13715 | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | UK Data Service | 1991-2009 | Household - all adults in household | annual | Children 11-15 since 1994 only. UK from 2002 onwards (small samples in Wales/Scot before 2000, no NI before 2002) Physical activity: questions about sports only |
| CELSIUS/ ONS Longitudinal Study | longitudinal | Y | Y | 2848155 | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | CELSIUS | 1971 onwards | Random sample whole population | decadal | Separate datasets for Eng/Wales, Scotland, NI |
| English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) | longitudinal | Y | Y | 10601 | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | UK Data Service | 2002 onwards | Household (adult > 50). Uses Health Survey for England sample as base | biennial | Extra respondents added at waves 3, 4 and 6 (2006, 2008, 2012) Adults aged 50+ only. Travel: bus use only; Diet: F&V only |
| Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) | longitudinal | Y | Y | 13287 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | UK Data Service | 2000 onwards | Nation - region - ward - births in year from 1 September 2000 | biennial | Travel: child to school only. Greenspace: availability of local parks, not use of |
| National Child Development Study (NCDS) 1958 | longitudinal | Y | Y | 18558 | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 1958 onwards | Babies born in one week in 1958 | irregular | Sample from perinatal mortality survey |
| Next Steps Study/ Longitudinal study of Young People in England | longitudinal | Y | Y | 8682 | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 2004-2010 | School-based sample | annual | Parents included in early waves. Travel: commute to school mode |
| Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS) | longitudinal | Y | Y | 500000 | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | NILS-RSU | 1981 onwards | Random sample whole population | decadal | |
| Scottish Longitudinal Study | longitudinal | Y | Y | 270385 | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | UK Data Service | 1991 onwards | Random sample whole population | decadal | |
| Understanding Society (UKHLS) | longitudinal | Y | Y | 101087 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | UK Data Service | 2009 onwards | Household - all household > 10 years | annual | Health behaviours in waves 2 and 5 only (2010, 2013); Environmental behavious in waves 1 and 4 only (2009, 2012). |
There is an overlap between behaviours that are beneficial to health and to the environment. For example, switching to a low-meat diet is better for health and has lower CO₂ emissions and switching from commuting by car to commuting by bicycle benefits both health and the environment. However, the evidence for such “co-benefit” behaviours is hard to access: health researchers and environmental researchers typically work separately and on separate surveys and data sets.
A workshop was organised to bring together researchers and policy makers across public health and the environment. It was agreed that a unified database of datasets with information on health behaviours and environmental behaviours would be beneficial as researchers from one discipline may not be aware of datasets primarily developed for another, but nonetheless containing useful information.
As a result, a database has been developed, building on data sources suggested by workshop attendees. The database contains information on the health and environmental behaviours covered in more than thirty datasets and also on survey and sampling methodology and population coverage, both demographic and geographic. Including search functionality, it enables researchers interested in health and environmental behaviours to quickly identify suitable datasets for future and current projects.
The datasets included here were chosen on the basis that they detailed health and/or environmental behaviours as opposed to merely attitudes – i.e. a study that provided data on subjects travel habits or diet would be included, but a study that only provided data on subjects attitudes to transport (preferences for improved public transport services, for example) would not. In addition, datasets had to be already collected to be considered for inclusion. These criteria were imposed to provide a focussed set of studies that could be easily summarised and searched.
Some studies not include above may nonetheless be of interest to researchers in the field. Other projects brought to our attention do not (or do not yet) provide data, but may be useful.
Sustainable Development Unit provides reports on individual, organisational and societal behaviours in relevant fields
The Department of Health Public Health Outcomes Framework provides information on policy to improve behaviours
Sustainable Healthy Urban Environments (SHUE) is looking at differences between city environments and behaviours and may become a useful resource on behaviours
Sustainable Consumption Institute, University of Manchester, frequently commissions food consumption surveys and publishes reports
Department of Energy and Climate Change energy production and use reports show trends in overall energy usage and in the energy source mix
OECD policy instruments database provides information on environmental policies
The Scottish Government has produce reports on low carbon behaviours, such as the Low Carbon Scotland: Behaviours Framework reports