Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN)

Summary

In January 2010, the OPN component was dropped from the IHS due to only one individual per household being interviewed, while the IHS requires questions to be asked of all household members. This process significantly increased the length of the OPN interview and, therefore, OPN reverted back to interviewing one household member, but still contains questions harmonised to the IHS. Opinions and Lifestyle has the advantage of offering clients a snapshot in time which is not diluted by long-term changes to social, political and environmental conditions.

Type of data

Data Source
Survey

Type of Study
Crosssection regular

Data gathering method
Face-to-face

Access to data

Conditions of access
Data are available from the UK Data Service (previously the Economic and Social Data Service, ESDS): http://ukdataservice.ac.uk/ The website contains detailed information on conditions of access, and it is also possible to contact the UK Data Service by phone: +44 (0)1206 872143, or by email: help@ukdataservice.ac.uk

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
Anonymised microdata

Formats available
Survey data from the UK Data Service are usually available to download in SPSS, Stata and tab-delimited (suitable for use in MS Excel) formats.

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey was previously known as the Opinions Survey and adopted its current name when it merged with the non-EU-SILC questions from the General Lifestyle Survey (GLF). The survey was also previously known as the ONS Omnibus Survey – changing its name to the Opinions Survey when it became part of the ONS Integrated Household Survey (IHS) in 2008. Opinions and Lifestyle left the IHS in 2010 to allow more space for client module questions. When first set up, the survey was only available to clients in other government departments. The very first Opinions and Lifestyle (Opinions) survey ran in October 1990, and included questions on the topics of mortgage arrears, contraception, step-families and the use of GP practices. A few years later, the survey was also offered to non-profit making bodies in the academic and voluntary sectors. The survey has an achieved sample size of about 1,100 interviews each month and the client’s module data is delivered just five weeks after the survey is run in the field. The survey has a maximum turnaround of 14 weeks from confirming clients questions to the delivery of module data sets. However, modules of questions are generally booked on the survey approximately six months to a year in advance. From January 2008 the ONS Omnibus Survey changed its name to the ONS Opinions Survey (OPN) and became part of the Integrated Household Survey (IHS). As a result, certain classificatory variables were altered to harmonise with the rest of the surveys that form the IHS. For further information, see detailed breakdown of the changes contained within the documentation for 2008 studies onwards. From April 2012 the ONS Opinions Survey changed its name to the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey following the merger of the non-EU-SILC questions from the General Lifestyle Survey. `Note: Older people are represented in this data source (approximately) according to their proportion in the population. In 2011, over one third of the total UK population (and approximately 40 per cent of the adult population 16+) was aged 50 and over.`

First year of collection
1990

Stratification if applicable
The data includes a variety of demographic variables, including age and sex. The sample is stratified.

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
Countries (England, Wales, Scotland) Government Office Regions (NUTS1)

Age range
All adults (aged 16 or over)

Statistical representativeness
Other, please specify

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
The Opinions and Lifestyle survey is a monthly, face-to-face ONS survey, which has provided a fast, reliable and cost-effective service to government departments, charities and academics for the last 20 years. From one-off questions to regular modules lasting ten minutes or more, Opinions and Lifestyle asks questions on a variety of topics every month. The survey offers a fast, cost-effective and reliable way of obtaining information on a variety of topics too brief to warrant a survey of their own. Opinions and Lifestyle can be used for: • providing quick answers to questions of immediate policy interest • assessing public awareness of new policies, initiatives and publicity campaigns • testing and piloting new survey questions • to obtain samples of respondents for follow-up projects (subject to respondent’s consent) The range of topics covered by the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey is diverse. For example, in 2010-11 around 20 different subjects were covered. Examples were: • climate change (Department of Transport) • charitable giving (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) • wellbeing (Office for National Statistics) • disability monitoring (Department for Work and Pensions) • cancer awareness (University College of London) • public perceptions of tax (HM Revenue & Customs) • working conditions (Health and Safety Executive) • later life (Department for Work and Pensions) • internet access (Office for National Statistics) • tobacco consumption (HM Revenue & Customs) • health and safety (Health and Safety Executive) • attitudes to ageing (Department for Work and Pensions) Many of these topic areas were subsequently repeated and may also reappear in future Opinions and Lifestyle surveys.

Linkage

Standardisation
There is an ongoing cross-governmental programme of work in the UK which aims to develop and improve standardised inputs and outputs for use in official statistics. This is known as harmonisation, and is led by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). While this work primarily affects government-run surveys, the results have an impact on most national UK data sources. Furthermore, harmonisation has important benefits for all researchers using these surveys, and not just government statisticians. For more information, see: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/harmonisation/harmonisation-index-page/index.html Further information is not readily available.

Possibility of linkage among databases
Data are anonymised

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
In addition to unit non-response, the data include item non-response and may be subject to other errors that are typical of surveys and censuses. For more information on data quality, see the survey documentation on the UK Data Service website.

Breaks
Breaks are described in the section on Coverage.

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection
In general, the consistency of this data source is good. For more information on data quality, see the survey documentation on the UK Data Service website.

Governance

Contact information
Office for National Statistics
Customer Contact Centre
Government Buildings, Cardiff Road
NP10 8XG Newport, South Wales United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0) 1633 455678.
Email: socialsurveys(at)ons.gsi.gov.uk
Url: http://ukdataservice.ac.uk/

Timeliness, transparency
Data are available about 12 months after the end of fieldwork