The NatCen Blog

Here we’ll be talking about our research in the context of the latest news, opinion and
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Posted on 01 October 2018 by Nikki Heinze, Researcher, Survey Research Centre

Wellbeing mental health and drinking in the context of gambling

On 6th September 2018 the Gambling Commission published the Gambling behaviour in Great Britain report. It uses data collected in 2016 as part of the Health Survey for England, the Scottish Health Survey and Beaufort Research’s Wales Omnibus Survey, to provide updated estimates for gambling participation, frequency of gambling, low-risk and moderate-risk gambling and problem gambling.
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Tags: Drinking, gambling, mental health
Posted on 28 September 2018 by Guy Goodwin, Chief Executive

The fall and rise of Britishness and Englishness

Following the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, UK politicians were quick to warn of the threat of English nationalism. Jack Straw, the former Labour MP, went as far as describing the English as “potentially very aggressive, very violent… and will increasingly articulate their Englishness following devolution”. Almost twenty years on, were they right? And is Brexit one of the consequences?
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Tags: BSA, British Social Attitudes
Posted on 10 September 2018 by Emily Tanner, Head of Children, Families & Work

Why do some children miss out on early education?

The expansion of free part-time early education is at the heart of the government’s childcare reforms, responding to strong evidence that early education promotes the cognitive, social and emotional development of young children.
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Tags: Children and young people, education, schools
Posted on 21 August 2018 by Caroline Turley, Head of Crime, Justice & Attitudes

Interviewing people who have been bereaved by death from unnatural causes

Today we published our report, 'Personal narratives of serious incidents at sea and on the coast' for the RNLI about the experiences of people who have survived an incident at sea, or witnessed one where someone lost their life.
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Posted on 20 August 2018 by Amy Smith, Bids Manager

A Level results: are academic education routes still making the grade?

Thousands of young people across the country are now making important decisions about their future. Many will go onto university but apprenticeships and other vocational routes have become more prominent in recent years.
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Tags: academia, degree, education, school, schools, teaching, universities, young people
Posted on 02 August 2018 by Tahmineh Hendron, Senior Project Manager

The Personal is Statistical: ‘Breast is best’ but support for mothers is what matters

In our monthly series, The Personal is Statistical, we'll be talking about where statistics have interacted with our personal lives. As part of World Breastfeeding Week, Tahmineh Hendron reflects on the contrast between the theory and reality of breastfeeding.
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Tags: GPs, breastfeeding, children, children's nutrition, nutrition
Posted on 18 July 2018 by Alun Humphrey, Group Head

Why are young people driving less than previous generations?

Big changes are occurring among young people’s travel behaviour, and what this means for the future has again been highlighted today.
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Posted on 16 July 2018 by Emily Tanner, Head of Children, Families & Work

The personal is statistical: SATs and stress

Interim results data published this week show that a higher proportion of 10-11 year olds have achieved the national standards in maths and literacy than in previous years.
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Tags: Children (3), Mental health (3), Schools (1), children, primary schools, schools
Posted on 06 July 2018 by Nancy Kelley, Deputy Chief Executive

The personal is statistical: Pride of my life

Over the last year, I’ve talked a lot about one particular graph - British views on same-sex relationships. It’s the clearest example of a wider trend towards more liberal social values. It’s also one of the fastest-changing social attitudes we have tracked over the decades.
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Posted on 20 June 2018 by Sophie Pilley, Senior Researcher

Looking for a career in social research? Here's my advice

I was recently invited to join a panel of alumni speakers at the University of Surrey to talk about my career as a social researcher; the event was designed for us to talk about how we got into our current roles, and to offer advice to students within the Sociology department.
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Tags: jobs, Careers, QDT, Questionnaire Development and Testing Hub, career advice