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Outline of the Third Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the 21st Century



 We have started this survey in 2001. This survey is carried out twice a year because the birthdays of the surveyed subjects are in January and July. We conducted third survey in 2003 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



Contents

Overview

Summary of the Results
  1)  Household
  2)  Employment status of mothers
  3)  Caregivers
  4)  Type of dwelling
  5)  Bedtime, wakeup time and nap frequency
  6)  Concerns about children's eating behaviors
 and rules on giving snacks to children
  7)  Plays and lessons
  8)  Illness and injuries
  9)  Attitudes towards child rearing
  10)  Fathers on day off and their involvement in child rearing

 Statistics (1 - 16)
 Statistics (17 - 35)

 Definition of Terms

 List of Survey Items



Overview

1.Objectives

This longitudinal, approval statistical survey follows the same subjects over a long period and has been conducted since Fiscal Year 2001. The purpose of this survey is to obtain basic data for planning and implementation of various policy measures, including countermeasures to the falling birthrate, designed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare through monitoring of situations surrounding babies born in the first year of the 21 century and changes across the ages.

2.Scope

The subjects consist of all babies, including twins and triplets (targeted respectively), who were born during the periods from January 10 - 17 and July 10 - 17 in 2001.

3.Date of the survey

August 1, 2003 for infants born in January
February 1, 2004 for those born in July
(The babies are 30 months old infants)

4.Contents of the survey

Situations surrounding family members living together; caregivers; type of dwelling; concerns about children's eating behaviors and rules on giving snacks to children; their bedtime/wakeup time and nap frequency; their playing; TV watching hours; usual play areas; whether or not they have friends to play with of their age in the neighborhood; paid lessons; illness and injuries; height and weight; development status of children; monthly expenditures on children by families; ideal image of children; advantages of raising children; burdens of raising children; counseling on child care; household and child rearing responsibilities shared among fathers and mothers, fathers' and mothers' occupation, how fathers spend their day off.

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 numbers of questionnaires delivered and the number of responded are as follows:

Collection of Questionnaires
  January born babies July born babies Total
Number of
questionnaires
delivered
Number of
questionnaires
responded
Rate of
Collection
Number of
questionnaires
delivered
Number of
questionnaires
responded
Rate of
Collection
Number of
questionnaires
delivered
Number of
questionnaires
responded
Rate of
Collection
1st Survey 26,620 23,423 88.0% 26,955 23,592 87.5% 53,575 47,015 87.8%
2nd Survey 23,391 21,923 93.7% 23,575 22,002 93.3% 46,962 43,925 93.5%
3rd Survey 23,374 21,359 91.4% 23,523 21,444 91.2% 46,897 42,803 91.3%

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

- Magnitude zero
... Data not available
0.0 Less than 0.05


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