following the lives of Scotland’s children

This briefing summarises findings from three papers using data from the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study to investigate children’s wellbeing. GUS is a study of around 5,000 children (born in 2004/2005) and their families across Scotland. Read the full briefing here.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with a range of poorer health and social outcomes throughout the life course; however, to date they have primarily been conducted retrospectively in adulthood. This paper sets out to determine the prevalence of ACEs at age 8 in a recent prospective birth cohort and examine associations between risk factors in the first year and cumulative ACEs. Read here.

Study published by the Scottish Government which investigates trajectories of overweight and obesity during the primary school years and identifies key risk factors. Read it here. 

We’ve released our annual newsletter to GUS families, providing a summary of all that’s been achieved in the last year. Read it here. 

A new report has been published in Pediatric Obesity, focusing on GUS data around the relationship between sweetened beverage consumption in children and overweight or obese weight outcomes.

Read it here.

Children in our first birth cohort were invited to take part in a photography competition over Christmas. You can see the winner and runners up here 

A new paper, which uses GUS data to analyse rates of physical activity among children, has been published in BMJ Open. Read here.

GUS data from Birth Cohort 1 Sweep 8 is now available from the UK data service. The data features interviews with children in their first term of Primary 6, and is made up of interviews with carers, children, and cognitive tests. Click here to find out more.

Read this article by GUS researcher Line Knudsed in the Parenting Across Scotland newsletter.

New report from Skafida and Chambers on the positive association between sugar consumption and dental decay prevalence independent of oral hygiene in pre-school children.

Read here.