Overview
1. Objectives
This longitudinal, approval statistical survey follows the same subjects over a long period, and has been conducted since the Fiscal Year 2001. The purpose of this survey is to obtain basic data for planning and implementing various policy measures, including countermeasures against the falling birthrate, designated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, through monitoring the status of babies born in the first year of the 21st century, and changes affecting this status over the years.
2. Scope
This survey is targeted at babies, including each sibling of twins and triplets, who were born in Japan during the periods between January 10 - 17 and July 10 - 17, 2001. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare sampled the survey subjects based on the Vital Statistics Data.
3. Dates of the Survey
The survey was conducted on August 1, 2006 for infants born in January, and on February 1, 2007 for those born in July (The age of the infants: 66 months old).
4. Contents of the Survey
(1) Family status
Family members living together, caregivers and the employment status of the parents
(2) Children’s living status
Wakeup time and bedtime, play areas, playmates, worry about play, lessons, hours spent watching TV, hours spent playing computer games, children’s ways to have contact, children’s behaviors, help by children, and illnesses and injuries
(3) Attitude toward child rearing
Parents’ way to have contact with children, particular points of care at mealtime, satisfaction from child rearing, burdens and worries about child rearing, child-rearing expenditures
*Refer to “List of Survey Items” for survey items in the 1st through 6th surveys.
5. Method of the Survey
The questionnaires were delivered and collected by post.
6. Collection of the Questionnaires
The numbers of questionnaires delivered and collected were as follows:
| Babies born in January | Babies born in July | Total | |||||||
| No. of questionnaires delivered |
No. of questionnaires collected |
Rate of collection |
No. of questionnaires delivered |
No. of questionnaires collected |
Rate of collection | No. of questionnaires delivered |
No. of questionnaires collected |
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% | 46,966 | 43,925 | 93.5% |
| 3rd survey | 23,374 | 21,365 | 91.4% | 23,523 | 21,447 | 91.2% | 46,897 | 42,812 | 91.3% |
| 4th survey | 22,439 | 20,699 | 92.2% | 22,398 | 20,860 | 93.1% | 44,837 | 41,559 | 92.7% |
| 5th survey | 21,735 | 19,824 | 91.2% | 21,824 | 19,993 | 91.6% | 43,559 | 39,817 | 91.4% |
| 6th survey | 21,020 | 19,154 | 91.1% | 21,167 | 19,381 | 91.6% | 42,187 | 38,535 | 91.3% |
7. Notes
(1) Symbols used in the tables
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(2) The numbers indicated in this outline are rounded. The grand total may not equal the sum of the breakdown numbers.