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Glossary entries

Glossary entries regarding the Units research programmes.

  • SF-36 or SF-12 Short Form Health questionnaire
  • 'Grand theories' Theories developed at a high level of abstraction which, if correct, would have very wide applicability
  • A&E Accident and Emergency
  • AA Attendance Allowance
  • ABI Area Based Initiative
  • Acculturation Acculturation generally refers to the change in cultural norms arising from the interaction of different cultures.
  • ACORN Area classification system ("A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods")
  • ACS Acute Coronary Syndromes
  • ADHD

    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Aetiology The study of causation, or origination of disease.
  • AH4 Alice Heim 4 (Test of General Intelligence)
  • AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
  • AL Adolesent-Limited
  • AMI Acute Myocardial Infarction
  • AMREF African Medical and Research Foundation
  • Anthropometry Refers to body measurements such as height, weight, waist and hip circumferences
  • Antiretroviral treatment Drugs for treatment of HIV infection (usually used in combination therapy).
  • Assortative sexual mixing Sexual contacts between people with similar social or behavioural characteristics.
  • Asymptomatic Not having symptoms
  • Atherosclerosis coronary artery disease
  • Attenuate To make smaller, particularly in relation to an effect
  • Attrition The loss of respondents during the course of a study
  • Balanced randomisation The random allocation of people, schools, villages, etc. into intervention and control groups in a randomised controlled trial such that the factors known to influence the main outcomes are evenly balanced between the groups.
  • Bem Sex Role Inventory a self-completion questionnaire which was developed in USA in the 1970s by Sandra Lipsitz Bem.
  • BHETSE Bar Workers’ Health and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure
  • BHF British Heart Foundation
  • BHPS British Household Panel Survey
  • Bio-impedance Obesity is usually defined on the basis of body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference. BMI may not accurately reflect the percentage of fat as it does not distinguish between muscle and fat tissue. Bioelectrical impedance allows the percentage fat ad muscle mass to be calculated. Bioelectrical impedance measures the impedance or opposition to the flow of an electric current through the body fluids contained mainly in the lean and fat tissue. Impedance is low in lean tissue but high in fat tissue.
  • Biobank The UK National Genetic Database
  • Biomarkers Biological properties that can be objectively measured to indicate a normal biological state or particular disease. Biomarkers may measure the functioning of particular organs, for example blood pressure indicating heart function, or may be measures of different substances in blood or tissue, for example blood lipids that indicate fat levels in the blood or the hormone cortisol that indicates exposure and response to stressful circumstances.
  • Bisexual orientation Sexual attraction to both one's own sex and the opposite sex. This does not necessarily involve identification as bisexual.
  • Blood pressure Blood pressure refers to the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels, especially the arteries. Blood pressure is usually expressed as a ratio, normal blood pressure being below 120/80. The systolic blood pressure, which is the top number, represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts and pumps blood into the arteries. The diastolic pressure, which is the bottom number, represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after the contraction. The diastolic pressure, therefore, reflects the minimum pressure to which the arteries are exposed.
  • BMI Body Mass Index
  • Boyd Orr cohort This is an historical cohort based on 1352 mainly working class families living in 16 rural and urban areas of England and Scotland. The families took part in a survey of diet and health in pre-war Britain. The children of the families were traced through the National Health Service. Information from death and cancer registrations were linked to the records of respondents.
  • BP Blood Pressure
  • BPR Blood Pressure Reactivity
  • Brain drain Depletion of skilled personnel from a country through emigration
  • BSA British Sociological Association
  • BSE Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  • CABG Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
  • CAMH Child & Adolescent Mental Health
  • Campbell Collaboration A non-for-profit international organisation which investigates the effects of social, educational and criminological interventions. (See: http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/)
  • cardiovascular disease Those diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels
  • CARICOM The Caribbean Community
  • Carstairs scores A summary measure applied to populations of areas, especially postcode sectors, based on variables taken from decennial population Censuses. This indicator of relative disadvantage uses measures of overcrowding, male unemployment, households with no car and low social class.
  • CCC Central Clydeside Connurbation
  • CD Conduct Disorder
  • CDSC/PHLS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre/Public Health Laboratory Service
  • CE Capital Expenditure Budget
  • CEBPHP Centre For Evidence-based Public Health Policy
  • CHAPS Community HIV and AIDS Prevention Strategy
  • CHD Coronary Heart Disease
  • CI Confidence Interval
  • CJD Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  • CMO Chief Medical Officer
  • cohort age group
  • confounding A confounder or confounding variable is one which is related to an outcome and to an explanatory variable in a regression model but which is omitted from the analysis. The presence of a confounder may lead to an incorrect conclusion regarding the influence of one variable on another
  • Constituent-disease associations The relationship between any aspect of the diet (e.g. vitamin C or fibre) and a disease such as heart disease or cancer
  • Contemporaneous From the same period in time.
  • Contextual effects The effects of variables defined at a higher level (e.g. at an area level) on outcomes defined at a lower (e.g. individual) level.
  • Contraceptive career An individual's long term pattern of contraceptive use
  • Cortisol

    Cortisol is a hormone that is involved in the response to stress; it increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels and suppresses the immune system.  Changes in serum cortisol levels have been observed in connection with clinical depression, psychological distress, and such physiological stressors as hypoglycaemia, illness, fever and physical exertion.
  • Covariate A variable possibly predictive of the outcome under study.
  • CRD Centre for Reviews and Dissemination
  • CRFR Centre for Research on Families and Relationships
  • CRN Caribbean Regional Network
  • cross-classified model A multilevel model in which units at one level lie within two non-nested classifications. An example would be individuals who live in neighbourhoods and attend hospitals, with there being no strict nesting of neighbourhoods within hospitals or of hospitals within neighbourhoods.
  • Cross-sectional data Refers to data collected at one point in time. Its use facilitates the examination of the relationship between different influences on health outcomes.
  • CRUK Cancer Research UK
  • CSO Chief Scientist Office
  • CVD Cardiovascular Disease
  • DASH Determinants of Adolescent Social well-being and Health
  • Data zone The data zone is the key small area geography in Scotland comprising groups of 2001 Census output areas with populations between 500 and 1000 residents.
  • Deliberate self-harm

    Intentional self-poisoning or self-injury, irrespective of motivation.
  • Deprivation category (DepCat) The populations of postcode sectors in Scotland are categorised into 7 groups on the basis of Carstairs scores ranging from the least deprived (DepCat 1) to the most deprived (DepCat 7).
  • DfES Department for Education and Skills
  • DfID Department for International Development
  • DIC Deviance Information Criterion
  • Didactic A form of teaching that focuses on one-way information and instruction, usually involving a highly hierarchical relationship between teacher and pupils.
  • DIPEx Database of Individual Patients' Experience
  • Disassortative sexual mixing Sexual contacts between people with differing social or behavioural characteristics.
  • Discordant HIV status Sexual partners one of whom is HIV+ and the other HIV-
  • DoH Department of Health
  • DSM-IV The 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association.  It identifies the criteria for a diagnosis of all known mental disorders.
  • DWP Department of Work and Pensions
  • Dyads An isolated friendship pair (see Sociometric techniques)
  • Epidemiology Epidemiology is the study of the link between social (e.g lifestyle, economic disadvantage), biological (e.g cholesterol levels) and genetic influences and causes and distribution of diseases in populations
  • EPPI-Centre Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre
  • ESRC Economic and Social Research Council: a UK research funder and training agency. (See: www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/index.aspx)
  • et al. et alia': and others
  • European Men's Health Development Foundation See http://www.emhdf.org/
  • Evidence base The existing body of research on any given topic
  • Evidence synthesis systematically combining evidence from multiple studies
  • Factor analysis

    A statistical technique used to identify (unobserved) dimensions, or factors, underlying the inter-relationship between (observed) items.
  • FCDO Family Contact Development Officer
  • FFQ Food Frequency Questionnaire
  • FH Family History
  • FTE Full-time equivalent
  • General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)

    A standard screening device for identifying minor (non-psychotic) psychiatric disorder, often referred to as ‘psychological distress'.

    http://www.nfer-nelson.co.uk/health_and_psychology/resources/general_health_questionnaire/general_health_questionnaire.asp.

  • Genotype an individual's genetic makeup
  • Geographical unit Area.
  • Gestational age The length of a pregnancy.
  • GGHB Greater Glasgow Health Board
  • GHS General Household Survey
  • GIS Geographic Information System
  • GM Genetically Modified
  • GMTF Gay Men's Task Force
  • Gonococcal infection Infected with the gonococcal bacterium responsible for gonorrhoea
  • Goth subculture

    A contemporary subculture prevalent in many countries and with many variations. Common to all is a tendency towards a "dark" sound and outlook

    It began in the UK during the late 1970s to early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goth.

  • GoWell Glasgow Health and Wellbeing Study
  • GP General Practitioner
  • Grand theories' Theories developed at a high level of abstraction which, if correct, would have very wide applicability
  • GRO Gender Role Orientation
  • GRO(S) General Register Office (Scotland)
  • GUM Genito Urinary Medicine
  • HAART Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy
  • HABITS Health and Behaviours in Teenagers Study
  • HADS Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
  • HALIRA Health and Lifestyles Research Programme
  • HALS Health and Lifestyles Survey
  • HARP HIV AIDS Rapid Response Project
  • Health behaviours Any actions undertaken by an individual which have the potential to influence health (e.g. diet, smoking, physical activity, consulting with health care professionals)
  • Healthy Respect National Sexual Health Demonstration Project in Lothian, Scotland
  • Hierarchical data Data which may not be independent because of a shared context.
  • HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • HLC Healthy Living Centre
  • HMI HM Inspectorate of Education
  • Homosexual orientation Sexual attraction to one's own sex. This does not necessarily involve identification as homosexual or gay.
  • HoP Health of the Public
  • Housing tenure whether a home is owned or rented
  • HPS Health Promoting School
  • HPV Human Papillomavirus
  • HR Heart Rate
  • HR2 Healthy Respect 2 (National Sexual Health Demonstration Project)
  • HRT Hormone Replacement Therapy
  • HSE Health Survey for England
  • HSO Higher Scientific Officer
  • HSPHRB Health Services and Public Health Research Board
  • HTA Health Technology Assessment
  • ICD10 International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision
  • ICD9 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision
  • IHD Ischaemic Heart Disease
  • IMD Index of Multiple Deprivation
  • In press This refers to journal articles which have been accepted for publication, but have not yet been published
  • Induction time Time between exposure and the onset of disease.
  • Intergenerational In this context refers to those born abroad (first generation) and those born in the UK (subsequent generations)
  • Intramurally Within an institution
  • IQ Intelligence quotient
  • Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) Inadequate flow of blood through the coronary arteries to the heart.
  • ISD Information and Statistics Division (part of NHS Scotland)
  • Isolates Individuals who either do not nominate a friend within a peer group or whose nomination is not reciprocated (see Sociometric techniques)
  • KT Knowledge Translation
  • Labour Force Survey Government survey, carried out quarterly to provide information about the UK labour market
  • Labour market position

    An individual's position in the labour market (in work/training, student, retired etc), also referred to as economic activity.

  • LAC Looked-after Children
  • LE Life Expectancy
  • Life course In the context of life course epidemiology, this approach focuses on the stage of life that exposure to health promoting or harmful influences occurs and the duration of exposure to these influences
  • Life events Major events in an individual's life (e.g. death of a close relative, divorce, getting into trouble with the police)
  • Limiting longstanding illness

    Based on a standard question - ‘Do you suffer from any longstanding illness, disability or infirmity (and if so) Does this/these limit your activities in any way'?

  • LLTI Limiting Long Term Illness
  • Longitudinal Studies A type of study which involves studying a group of people at regular intervals over a long period of times
  • LP Life Course Persistent
  • LREC Local Research Ethics Committee
  • LS Longitudinal Study
  • LSHTM London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • LV Left Ventricular
  • Malaise symptoms

    An index based on reports of one or more of the following symptoms in the last month - felt nervous, worried or anxious; felt sad, unhappy or low; felt irritable or bad tempered; had difficulty getting to sleep 

  • McMC Markov chain Monte Carlo
  • MCS The Millenium Cohort Study
  • ME Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
  • MEMA kwa Vijana (or MkV) "Good Things for young people" in Swahili
  • MESA Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
  • Metabolic syndrome A cluster of metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance, high blood levels of triglycerides, low blood levels of HDL-cholesterol, and obesity, that increase the risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes.
  • MFS Male or Female Sterilisation
  • MI Myocardial Infarction
  • Microbicides Development Programme A research programme to develop and test a drug that kills HIV in situ. The most likely means of application is in a gel inserted into the vagina shortly before sexual intercourse.
  • Midspan studies Large Occupational and General Population Health Surveys (West of Scotland)
  • Mlwin Multilevel modelling software
  • MMR Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine
  • Modal shift The change from one preferred means of transport (e.g., travel by car) to another (e.g., cycling)
  • Morbidity The state of being diseased.
  • MREC Multi-Centre Research Ethics Committee
  • MSSVD/BHIVA Medical Society for the Study of Venereal Diseases/British HIV Association
  • Multilevel modelling A form of regression analysis designed to estimate effects when data are clustered within units at higher levels e.g. survey respondents within households or areas, patients within hospitals etc.
  • Multiple imputation A statistical technique for the analysis of incomplete data sets involving the creation of several possible data sets (based on observed data and observed relationships between variables) and the pooling of results obtained during analysis.
  • multiple membership model A multilevel model in which units at one level may lie within more than one unit at a higher level. An example would be individuals receiving treatment from more than one doctor.
  • Natural experiment Some naturally-occurring event (such as the implementation of a government policy), the effects of which can be investigated scientifically
  • NCDs Non-communicable Diseases
  • NEGOPY Social network analysis software programme
  • Neonatal Newborn infants, particularly in the first week of life and up to four weeks old.
  • NERC Natural Environment Research Council
  • NESS National Evaluation of Sure Start
  • Nested case control study A type of case control study in which cases (those who have the outcome of interest) and controls (individuals from the same population who do not have the outcome of interest) are drawn from a population that is already under investigation in a cohort study
  • Neurotic disorders (neuroses) Mental imbalance causing distress but not affecting daily functioning.
  • NGO Non-governmental Organisation
  • NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
  • NHS CR NHS Central Registry
  • NHS CRD NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination
  • Nivel Netherlands Institute of Health Services Research
  • NS-SEC National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification
  • nvCJD New variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  • Occupational social class The Registrar General's classification of social status based upon an individual's occupation.
  • Office for National Statistics Longitudinal study This study is based on 1% of the population of England and Wales. Information about routinely registered events, such as deaths and births, are linked to the records of the study members. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/services/Longitudinal.asp
  • ONS Office for National Statistics
  • OR Odds Ratio
  • PA Physical Activity
  • PaLS Peers and Levels of Stress
  • Parity The number of times that a woman has given birth.
  • Partner concurrency Having a sexual relationship with more than one person simultaneously
  • PASAT Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task
  • Peer review The process by which academic journals ensure the quality of the papers they publish – by sending them to the authors “peers” to appraise
  • Perinatal The period just before and just after birth.
  • Phenotype Any observable characteristic or trait which results from the expression of an organism's genes as well as the influence of environmental factors and the interactions between the two.
  • Phis Public Health Institute of Scotland
  • PHRC Public Health Research Consortium
  • PHRU Public Health Research Unit
  • PI Principal Investigator
  • PLWHA People Living with HIV/AIDS
  • Postcode sector The set of unit postcodes that are the same apart from the last two characters e.g. G12 8. The mean population is about 5000.
  • Practices of masculinity

    A wide variety of activities which serve to construct masculinity.  Health behaviours and beliefs can be seen as practices of masculinity: for example, demonstrating stoicism through delaying help-seeking is a social practice often linked with culturally dominant forms of masculinity.
  • Proxy measure An alternative choice of measure, used when a better measure is not available for example, whether some currently smokes is a proxy measure of whether they will smoke in future
  • Psychiatric epidemiology

    The study of the causes and distribution of psychiatric disorder in populations (see Epidemiology)

  • Psychoactive substance A chemical substance (drug) that alters brain function, possibly affecting mood, perception or behaviour.
  • Psychosocial Term used to describe the relationship between the personal, internal environment, and the wider social world. (E.g., from the Oxford English Dictionary: 'the influence of social factors on an individual's mind or behaviour, and to the interrelation of behavioural and social factors').
  • PTCA Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty
  • PWV Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity
  • RA Research Associate
  • RCT Randomised Controlled Trial
  • Recidivism policy agenda Issues relevant to policies intended to minimise re-offending
  • Reconstituted family Another name for step family
  • Regression modelling A statistical technique used to explain the relationship between one variable (the 'dependent' variable) and one or more 'independent' or explanatory variables
  • RELACHS Research with East London Adolescents study
  • Relative index of inequality A measure of relative inequality differentials across socio-economic categories.
  • Reproducibility This refers to the process of assessing if a research tool such as a questionnaire obtains consistent responses when used on several occasions over a period of time
  • RESCOLINC Research Councils Libraries and Information Consortium
  • Research into Ageing Research which aims to understand the particular needs of older people, covering a number of areas including medical, social and policy perspectives
  • RG Registrar General
  • RIPPLE A peer-delivered sexual health programme in English schools, currently being evaluated by a randomised controlled trial
  • RTAs Road Traffic Accidents
  • RUHBC Research Unit in Health, Behaviour and Change at the University of Edinburgh (see:www.chs.med.ed.ac.uk/ruhbc/)
  • Salivary cotinine Cotinine is a byproduct of nicotine. Saliva cotinine is used to measure exposure to tobacco smoking as it more sensitive to a low level of exposure to tobacco smoke
  • Sample a group selected for study
  • SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
  • SC Social Class
  • Scoping review A preliminary review of the extent and nature of the existing literature, applying the principles of systematic reviewing to a restricted range of data sources, with the aim of assessing the potential for a full systematic review of the topic area
  • Scottish Health Survey The Scottish Health Survey provides a detailed picture of the health of the Scottish population living in private households. The survey is used to monitor health in Scotland.
  • Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) The SIMD identifies small area concentrations of deprivation in Scotland on the basis of a number of domains. The areas used are data zones, allowing small pockets of deprivation to be identified.
  • Scottish Social Attitudes Survey Annual survey of random sample of people living in Scotland. visit
  • SD Standard Deviation
  • SE Scottish Executive
  • SEP Socio-economic position
  • Serial monogamy Having a succession of short sexual relationships with only one person at a time.
  • SES Socio-economic Status
  • Sexual networks Networks of people linked through having had sexual intercourse
  • SHARE Sexual Health and Relationships: a specially-designed school sex education programme, as well as the RCT that evaluated it
  • SHARP Scottish Housing, Health and Regeneration Research Project
  • SHCS The Scottish House Condition Survey
  • SHeS Scottish Health Survey
  • SHINE Scottish Health Information Network
  • SHPS Helsinki School Health Promotion Survey
  • SHS Scottish Health Survey
  • SIMD Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
  • sirS Standardised Illness Ratios
  • slga Secretory Immunoglobulin - A
  • SLS Scottish Longitudinal Study
  • SMR Standardised Mortality Ratio
  • SMRs Scottish Morbidity Records
  • Social capital There are many definitions for this term. A major commentator in this field, Robert Putnam, describes social capital as features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit.
  • Social exclusion The outcome of multiple deprivations that prevent individuals or groups from participating fully in the economic, social, and political life of the society in which they live.
  • Social mobility

    Refers to change in an individual's social class position (upward or downward) either between their own and their parents' social class (inter-generational mobility) or over the course of their working career (intra-generational mobility)
  • Social norm Ideals or standards of behaviour shared by a social group. Not, necessarily, the most widely practised behaviour.
  • social position a generic label for the various aspects of an individual's personal circumstances (e.g. occupation, education)
  • Socio-demographic social and population factors (e.g. age, sex)
  • socioeconomic involving both economic and social factors
  • Sociometric techniques

    Sociometry is a technique which builds up a map of social relationships or links between individuals in a social system such as a school or school year-group.  In school-based research, based on friendship nominations, it is used to identify individuals in groups, dyads, hangers-on and those isolated from the peer group.

  • SPARColl Scottish Physical Activity Research Collaboration
  • Spatial scale level of geography (e.g. postcode sector)
  • SPHSU Social and Public Health Sciences Unit
  • SpR Specialist Registrar
  • SPS Scottish Prison Service
  • SRE Sex and Relationships Education
  • SSLPs Sure Start Local Programmes
  • STAKES Finnish National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
  • Standardised A process by which rates are adjusted to make them comparable. For example, age-standardised rates adjust for differing age structures in populations.
  • STI Sexually transmitted Infection
  • Suicidal ideation

    A common medical term for thoughts about suicide which may be as detailed as a formulated plan, without the suicidal act itself.
  • Systematic review A type of literature review which uses a particular approach involving (among other things) a comprehensive search for literature, and a formal assessment of the quality of each study
  • T2DM Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
  • TBA To be appointed
  • THAW Transport, Health and Well-being Study
  • THiS Teenage Health in School study
  • Typology System of classification
  • UAI Unprotected Anal Intercourse
  • UCL University College London
  • UWI University of the West Indies
  • Variance A statistical measure of the dispersion in a variable.
  • VPC Variance Partition Coefficient
  • WRO Welfare Rights Officer
  • Zero Tolerance A mass-media campaign to raise awareness of domestic violence