1. The value of time-diary data to policy research
CTUR
The value of time-diary data to policy research
Kimberly Fisher
Centre for Time Use Research
University of Oxford

2. Outline Why diary data is useful for policy analysis
CTUR
Why diary data is useful for policy analysis
Overview of current policy uses of time use data
Demonstrations of power of time diary data
Future policy uses of diary data

3. Value of diary data for policy analysis
CTUR
Value of diary data for policy analysis
Objective measures of behaviours
Puts behaviour data in context of
location, weather, presence of others, timing in day/week/year, timing in relation to activities of others, sequences
to encourage/discourage behaviour, as valuable to know circumstances in which behaviour occurs as whether it occurs

4. Value of diary data for policy analysis
CTUR
Value of diary data for policy analysis
Particularly useful to assess exposure to harmful or beneficial factors
Environment (sun light, pollutants, passive smoke)
Lifestyle (patterns of sleep, how down time and meals scheduled)
Flexible for a wide range of analysis

5. Value of diary data for policy analysis
CTUR
Value of diary data for policy analysis
Useful for cross-national and cross time comparison
European countries world leaders in data harmonisation – HETUS, MTUS
Time series data for Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, UK

6. Common policy uses of diary data
CTUR
Monitor gender equality
Measure/value unpaid economic activity
especially child care and adult care
Measure consumption of goods
Time spent using ICTs
Time spent travelling and means of travel
Measure change in physical activity
Measuring work-life balance and the impact of paid work patterns on lifestyle

7. CTUR

8. CTUR
Average Time in Minutes in Active Housework and Walking Dogs for British People Aged 15-24, Change from 1961 to
Walking Dogs
Active Housework
1961
All men aged 15-24
All women aged 15-24
All aged 15-24
2 min
11 min
53 min
33 min
12 min
22 min
17 min
Male participants
Female participants
All participants
40 min
32 min
36 min
45 min
52 min
48 min
38 min
1 hr 30 min
1 hr 14 min
47 min
Sources: Office for National Statistics (London), National Time Use Study, ,
BBC (London), The People’s Activities, April 1961.

9. CTUR

10. Might pets inspire less harried lifestyles in the USA?
CTUR
Might pets inspire less harried lifestyles in the USA?
calculated average minutes between downtime (time for taking a break or rest, including meals, drinks, breaks at work, light leisure, sleep, rest) in completed downtime cycles
[downtime] + [other activity] + [downtime]

11. CTUR
note what predicts time between downtime cycles varies in each survey, R2 values very low
OLS ß co-efficients
(0.000)
(0.067)
(0.000)
suggests people who perform pet care push themselves for less time before they take a break

12. Wind-down on work days CTUR
Part of work looking at leisure patterns with Almudena Sevilla Sanz
Focus group with busy full-time workers about leisure time – key issue raised lack of opportunity to wind down with a leisure activity that lets their mind switch off from paid work – participants sometimes felt unable to escape work
Example of how diary data allows testing of prevalence of a focus group finding

13. Wind-down on work days CTUR Selected for completed work days
0 – 1 variable for no wind down, 1 means
No free time on work day
Last episode of paid work after last episode of free time
Paid work
1+ hours
Asleep or activities that precede sleep
Asleep or activities that follow sleep

14. Loss of wind-down days in USA
CTUR
Loss of wind-down days in USA

15. Future policy uses of diary data
CTUR
Future policy uses of diary data
Measuring medical outcomes
Monitor social interaction of groups at risk of social exclusion
Measure community response to actual crime and fear of crime by comparing time on streets or time in homes
Element in energy efficiency standards

16. Key note on policy uses of diary data
CTUR
Key note on policy uses of diary data
Diaries are excellent tool to measure:
behaviour change over the long term
patterns of behaviour
People are reluctant to change daily habits, many behaviour changes take place over long periods – diaries are not ideal for short-term outcome measures

17. Issues for future policy uses of time-diary data
CTUR
Issues for future policy uses of time-diary data
Training in use of time data, especially use of sequences (Clustal G, optimal matching and the like)
Continued collection of diary data from multiple countries at regular intervals
Make use of new technologies (such as geographic tracking) alongside diaries
Make better use of time use resources which already exist