The latest Wave of Understanding Society has been released and is available to researchers.
Understanding Society Wave 9 includes a set of modules that are carried every two waves, which were last carried at Wave 7. These include:
- social care
- discrimination and harassment
- exercise and nutrition
- family networks
- parents and children and child maintenance
Also included on the two-year rotation are self-completion modules on alcohol consumption and partner relationships.
There are also modules in Wave 9 which are asked every three years, including:
- neighbourhood conditions
- the groups and organisations respondents belong to
- social networks
- news and media use
In the self-completion section of the survey, respondents were asked about neighbourhood belonging; politics and political engagement. One module on sexual orientation was last carried in Wave 3 and was repeated again in Wave 9. There was also one event-triggered module in Wave 9 on the General Election.
New content in Wave 9
The Study added modules on:
- non-UK education qualifications
- pension drawdown
- reasons for giving up smoking
- loneliness
- a child-specific module on parental help with homework and tutoring
The youth questionnaire for Wave 9 included new content on smartphone use; long-term disabilities; and the number of days a week they eat breakfast.
Revisions to previous waves
At each new data release, Understanding Society also improves and revises the previous waves of data. This document outlines the revisions that have taken place for this release, which include new variables for higher education and the distances moved by respondents. Also included are some new weights and probabilities.
Need help using these data?
The mainstage user guide has been updated with the Wave 9 information. If you have questions about using these data, you can contact the User Support Forum or join the weekly online helpdesk hour.