Our researchers work closely with various governmental agencies in promoting the use of administrative data and providing support to administrative data and the Scottish Longitudinal Study. We also carried out research using administrative data on transport and health and provide training on using administrative data for health and social research. Current projects Transport and health: Does commuting affect health? Dr Zhiqiang Feng, Professor Chris Dibben, Dr Tom Clemens, and Dr Laurie Berrie are working on a transport and health project which explores how commuting impacts our health. This research is held in the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data (SCADR) lifelong health and wellbeing strand. Commuting is part of our daily life. The increasing of travel distances and the prevalence of car use in commuting have important health implications and financial and environmental consequences. For example, previous research shows that long-distance commuting is associated with poor psychological well-being. Exposure to air pollution is also part of the commuting process, which may lead to adverse health outcomes. Active commuting, on the contrary, is beneficial because it appears to be exposed to the lowest level of pollution overall and involves physical activity on a daily basis. However, transport and health is still an understudied topic, and some previous research has found no effects of commuting on health. Also, previous studies tend to use survey data with a small sample size and self-reported health measures subject to reporting bias. The potential causal link between active commuting by bike and mental health has not been examined. Our researchers propose to explore the association between commuting and health from different angles using objective health measures from NHS health data. We aim to address the following research questions: Is long-distance commuting associated with poor mental health? Does road congestion have negative effects on mental health? Is using underground commuting related to birth outcomes? Does active commuting by bike causally benefit mental health? Visit the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data (SCADR) website PhD Project: Utilising administrative datasets to explore the impact of childhood chronic diseases on the health wellbeing of the family Eilidh Cowan is carrying out research utilising administrative datasets to explore the impact of childhood chronic diseases on the family's health wellbeing. Recent medical advances have allowed chronically ill children and youths to live longer and reside at home in their families' care rather than in a medical institution. Therefore, there is an increase in families with chronically ill children in western countries. The burden of care for children with chronic illness generally falls upon parents, who have to balance the child’s healthcare needs with those of other family members and work commitments. The impact on the family does not stop at parents and can be seen in other members of the family. ’Normal’ family life can change substantially, very quickly, and children, both chronically ill and healthy, often have to adapt to the changing and stressful situation. This project forms part of Eilidh's PhD, and her supervisors are Dr Tom Clemens and Professor Chris Dibben. Visit the Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) website This article was published on 2024-07-01
