The Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study

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The Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study

• Mrs Máire Brolly Dr David Marshall (NISRA -
  NILS)
• www.nisra.gov.uk/nils
• Dr Dermot OReilly (QUB)

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NISRA

• Statistics and Registration for government
• to provide high quality demographic information
  to enable the number and the condition of the
  population to be monitored and changes over time
  to be identified
• Includes Census and General Register Office (GRO)

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Content of Presentation

• What is the NILS?
• What Research can be done?
• Future Direction
• Management Issues
• Dr Dermot OReilly

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What is the NILS? (What is Longitudinal data?)

• Longitudinal data trace the experience of the
  same individuals over time. Can be -
• survey-based e.g. Millennium Cohort study
• administrative records based NILS

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What is the NILS? (Background)

• Sample members selected based on birth date
• 104 birth dates giving 28 sample
• 500,000 people
• Data included
• 1991 2001 Census
• Demographic details from GP registrations
• Vital Events (births, stillbirths, deaths,
  marriages)
• Migration (derived from GP registration data)

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What is the NILS? (What types of Analysis?)

• Analysis of Census and Event data
• Employment status and mortality
• Profile population who move
• Analysis of Successive Events
• Birth spacing
• Migration and fertility
• Widow(er)hood Mortality
• Simple cross-tabulations or Detailed statistical
  models

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What is the NILS? (Example)
27-year old Female in 1991

1991
2001
2011
Single Employed
Married Employed Good General Health
Divorced Economically Inactive Poor General Health
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WHY DOES NI NEED AN LS?

• Different People
• highest population growth in UK, 2006
• highest proportion of children
• smallest proportion of pensionable age
• highest fertility rate of the 4 UK countries
• Different issues
• employment rate was the lowest in the UK
• highest working age population with no
  qualifications
• house price growth in Northern Ireland breaks all
  records (in UK)
• Different Policies
• Northern Ireland Act 1998
• Section 75 equality between

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In addition

• NILS Mortality Database
• Deaths since 2001 Linked to Census Records
• 65,000 deaths
• Main NILS has 17,500 deaths
• Larger size means more detailed analyses of data
  e.g. cause of death, geographical area

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What Research can be done? (Example Projects)

• Temperature-related mortality and housing in
  Northern Ireland.
• Lone mothers at time of birth who are they? An
  exploration of their socio-economic and household
  characteristics.
• The distribution of lung cancer deaths in
  Northern Ireland by population and household
  type.
• Describing and Modelling Internal Migration in NI
  2001-2006 using the NILS Individuals, Households
  and Places

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What Research can be done? (Example Projects)

• Mortality amongst residents of nursing and
  residential homes.
• Admission of older people to residential and
  nursing homes.
• Socio-demographic and area correlates of suicides
  in NI.
• Alcohol-related deaths.
• Denomination differences in health and short-term
  mortality in NI.
• Area influences on health does the extent of
  religious segregation matter?
• Socio-economic and cultural influences on the
  reporting of self-reported health.
• Relationship between the self-reported health
  questions and short-term mortality.
• Emigration from NI and effect on the spatial
  distribution of health.
• Relationship between unemployment and health.
• Deprivation and Health Resilience comparison
  with Scotland.

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Future Direction(New Data)

• Would like to add in more data
• EW Cancer Registrations
• Scotland Hospital Episodes
• Potential Datasets
• Dental data
• Cancer screening data
• Hospital episodes
• Prescribing data
• Child Health Data, Maternity Data
• School Exam Data
• Social Services Benefits Data

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Management of the NILS

• Funded by the HPSS RDO and DHSSPS
• Began work in 2003
• Launched December 2006
• Data Custodian is Registrar General for NI
• NILS Steering Group
• Research Approvals Group
• Research Support Unit in early 2008
• ESRC/RDO Jointly funding research

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Management of the NILS (Legal/Ethical/Security)

• All data processed under the law
• 1969 Census Act (amendment)
• Birth and Death Registration
• Information Commissioner Northern Ireland advice
• HPSS legislation
• ORECNI ethical approval for database and
  associated research
• Sensitive nature of data
• Legal restrictions on staff
• Data held and processed in highly secure IT
  environment (biometric access etc)

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Access Arrangements

• Come and talk to us
• Complete an Application form
• Get Research Approvals Group Approval
• Once approved
• Work in Secure Environment in McAuley House
• Can analyse non-identifiable individual records
• Complete Analysis (with assistance if required)
  and generate output
• All output checked for Disclosure

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Some Initial Findings

• Fertility
• Mortality
• Migration

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Dr Dermot OReilly

• Epidemiology Research Group
• Centre for Clinical Population Sciences
• Queens University of Belfast

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Contact Details

• Mrs Máire Brolly
• 028 9034 8131
• nils.nisra_at_dfpni.gov.uk
• www.nisra.gov.uk/NILS
• Dr Dermot OReilly
• 028 9063 2738
• d.oreilly_at_qub.ac.uk

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The Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study

• Mrs Máire Brolly Dr David Marshall (NISRA -
  NILS)
• www.nisra.gov.uk/nils
• Dr Dermot OReilly (QUB)