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IJE Advance Access originally published online on May 20, 2008
International Journal of Epidemiology 2009 38(2):385-392; doi:10.1093/ije/dyn087
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Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association © The Author 2008; all rights reserved.

Cohort Profile: The Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS)

Paul J Boyle*, Peteke Feijten, Zhiqiang Feng, Lin Hattersley, Zengyi Huang, Joan Nolan and Gillian Raab

Longitudinal Studies Centre—Scotland (LSCS), University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AL & General Register Office for Scotland, Ladywell House, Corstorphine, Edinburgh EH12 7TF

* Corresponding author. E-mail: P.Boyle@st-andrews.ac.uk

Accepted 21 April 2008

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.


   How did the study come about?
 
This article describes the establishment of the Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS). The study is similar in design to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Longitudinal Study (LS), which has been running for over 30 years and the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS), which has been established only recently. However, the SLS differs from the LS and NILS is a number of ways. Subsequently, we describe the details of the SLS, paying particularly attention to how it compares with the LS upon which is was originally based.

In 1974 the LS, which is a continuous, multi-cohort study, was established in England and Wales by the then Office for Population, Censuses and Surveys (OPCS). Those with one of four semi-randomly selected birthdates were extracted from the 1971 Census, providing a 1% sample of around 500 000 individuals.1 The study has progressed to include census data for four decades (1971, 1981, 1991, 2001), . . . [Full Text of this Article]


   What does it cover?
 

   Who is in the sample?
 

   How often have they been followed up?
 

   What has been measured?
 

   What is attrition like?
 

   What has it found? Key findings and publications
 

   What are the main strengths and weaknesses?
 
Strengths
Weaknesses

   Can I get hold of the data? Where can I find out more?
 

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