Longitudinal Surveys / Home

Outline of the second Longitudinal Survey of Babies
in 21st Century



 We have started this survey in 2001,the first year of the 21st century. This survey is carried out every year, although the collections of questionnaires are done twice a year because the birthdays of the surveyed subjects are in January and July. We conducted second survey in 2002 fiscal year and would continue every year.
 This is the first longitudinal survey conducted by the central government in Japan and it covers more than 40000 subjects.

Vital and Health Statistics Division
Statistics and Information Department, Minister's Secretariat
E-mail: c-cohort@mhlw.go.jp



Contents

1 Household
2 Employment of mothers
3 Guardians
4 Parents' time spent with the babies
5 Frequency of visits from or to grandparents
6 Care about the babies' diet
7 The babies' bedtime
8 Playmates
9 Types of play
10 Accidents since the first survey
11 Illnesses and injuries since the first survey
12 Fathers' involvement
13 Advantages of child rearing
14 Disadvantages of child rearing
15 Worries and anxieties about child rearing
16 Expenses for the babies

Overview

1.Objective
To obtain the basic information for making, planning and implementing policies of the Ministry including countermeasures against declining birth rate, through observing continuously actual conditions and changes by years of babies born in the first year of 21st century.

2.Scope
The scope is the babies born in 2001 in Japan.
The survey subjects are all babies born in the periods between January 10 and 17, 2001 and between July 10 and 17, 2001.

3.Date of the survey
1st survey:August 1, 2001 for babies born in January
February 1, 2002 for babies born in July
(The babies are 6 months old infants.)
2nd survey:August 1, 2002 for babies born in January
February 1, 2003 for babies born in July
(The babies are 18 months old infants.)

4.Contents of the survey
1stsurvey: Guardian, household, employment (including child care leave), working hours, sharing in household chores and child rearing by parents, housing living conditions, parents' smoking status, efforts and attempts in child rearing, advantages of having the baby, disadvantages of having the baby, worries and anxieties about child rearing, breastfeeding, parents' income, monthly expenses for the babies
2ndsurvey: Household, guardians, frequency of visits from or to grandparents, the babies' diet, the babies' bedtime, the babies' play, illness and injuries of the babies, accidents to the babies, the babies' height and weight, employment of parents, parents' educational background, sharing in household chores and child rearing by parents, parents' eating habits, parents' time spent with the babies, parents' income, monthly expenses for the babies, advantages of child rearing, disadvantages of child rearing, worries and anxieties about child rearing, etc.

5.Method of the survey
Mailed questionnaires to selected subjects from the Vital Statistics Data (jinko dotai chosa shusseihyo).

6.Collection of Questionnaires, etc.
The number of questionnaires delivered and the number of responded are as follows:

Collection of Questionnaires

  First survey Second survey
Number of
questionnaires
delivered		 Number of
questionnaires
responded		 Number of
questionnaires
delivered (A)		 Number of
questionnaires
responded (B)		 Rate of
collection
(B/A) (%)
Babies born in January 26,620 23,423 23,390 21,923 93.7
Babies born in July 26,955 23,592 23,572 22,003 93.3
Total 53,575 47,015 46,962 43,926 93.5

7.Note
a)The numbers indicated in the summary are rounded. Thus, the grand total may not be equal to the actual number.
b)
Symbols used in tables:"-" shows magnitude zero.
"0.0" shows figure less than 0.05.
"еее" shows unavailable data.

Return To Top
Longitudinal Surveys / Home