What is the Growing up in Scotland study?
This research study is following the lives of 8000 Scottish children and their families from birth through to adolescence. Families are visited once a year to take part in an interview which collects a wide range of information about their child and family life. Topics covered include family circumstances, child health and development, diet and physical activity, experiences of school and pre-school, use of childcare, and access to support from family and friends. The children themselves also take part – by having their height and weight measured and by completing tests to measure their cognitive ability. All the data collected is kept strictly confidential and cannot be traced back to individuals. This important information is used by the Government to find out about the needs of young children and their families and to develop policies and plan services to meet these needs. GUS is designed to focus on the early years. In time, researchers will be able to look at impact of early circu
