SIPHER Synthetic Population Dashboard

This dashboard allows easy exploration of an aggregated version of the SIPHER Synthetic Population without any coding or data preparation.

With our ‘click and explore’ format users can compare areas of interest, create bespoke detailed area profiles, develop customised data visualisations, and download the aggregated data used.

Get Started

Use the tabs along the top banner of the dashboard to explore its various capabilities.

This dashboard does not contain any individual-level data. No conclusions can or should be made about 'real' individuals. All results obtained should be understood and treated as 'model outputs'. Data and visualisations can be freely downloaded from this dashboard and included in outputs provided that proper acknowledgements are given.

For a detailed overview of the dashboard including guidance, interpretation of results, disclaimers and requested acknowledgements visit the About tab.

Dashboard Features

Compare local authorities across Great Britain using the Map Explore tool.

View a detailed Area Profile of any local authority, and explore data for its electoral wards.

Create custom outputs with the Graph Builder or tables with the Data Download tool.

Contact Us

For support with the interpretation of results, to provide feedback and/or to discuss project ideas and applications please direct enquiries marked 'SIPHER Synthetic Population - Dashboard' to sipher@glasgow.ac.uk

About the dataset

What is the SIPHER Synthetic Population?

Interpretation of results

How do I interpret results obtained from the dataset?

Citation guidance

How do I cite the dashboard and the underlying data?

Select an area to begin
Area profile

Overview
Overview
Overview
Overview

Graph Builder

This tool allows the design and download of tailored versions of the graphs from other sections of the dashboard, without the need to write any code. Three types of graphs are available catering to a wide range of applications:

Parallel Dots

Compare local authorities and electoral wards to the national average across multiple variables.

Stacked Bars

Examine local authorities across all categories of a single variable, with options to filter by age and sex.

Demographic Columns

Explore the age and sex distribution of variables in one or more local authority area.
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Data Download


Filter and preview data

Download data
Dashboard overview

This dashboard enables independent exploration of a spatially aggregated version of the SIPHER Synthetic Population for a selected set of key life domains and variables.

With our ‘click and explore’ format users can compare areas of interest, create bespoke detailed area profiles, develop customised data visualisations, and download the aggregated data used.

Key life domains include:

  • Sociodemographic information (used to create the SIPHER Synthetic Population)
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Income and employment
  • Housing and households
  • Lifestyle, diet, and nutrition

Geographic resolutions available:

  • Electoral wards
  • Local authorities
  • Countries
  • Great Britain
Usage

Except where otherwise noted, all SIPHER Synthetic Population Dashboard outputs are licensed under CC BY 4.0 DEED.

Data and visualisations obtained from this dashboard may be included in outputs, such as reports or presentations provided that proper acknowledgements are given. Please see our advice on citation and acknowledgements for further guidance.

Dataset

Explore the SIPHER Synthetic Population underlying dataset and access further resources available for independent use:

Contact us

For dashboard support, assistance with the interpretation of results, user feedback and/or to discuss potential project ideas and applications please direct enquiries marked 'SIPHER Synthetic Population - Dashboard' to sipher@glasgow.ac.uk

The SIPHER Synthetic Population
Background

The conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age are key drivers of health and health inequalities. To allow for these complex real-world relationships and interdependencies to be explored, SIPHER has developed an innovative systems science approach. This approach has seen the development of a powerful toolbox containing data and methods which enables researchers, analysts, and policymakers to explore existing and prospective policies that shape our health and wellbeing.

Applications

The SIPHER Synthetic Population offers researchers and policymakers access to high-quality data for individuals allowing the identification of emerging issues and needs, and the assessment of policy impact. The dataset can support a wide range of applications across many areas of policy and research. Potential applications include:

  • Intuitive spatial analyses of small areas such as census output areas or electoral wards, supplementing traditional administrative sources of data, capturing key life domains.
  • Simulations of “what if” scenarios through microsimulation models by providing high-quality information on individuals and areas at a granular spatial resolution.
Data acccess

The SIPHER Synthetic Population dataset is also available for full independent use:

Further information and resources about the SIPHER Synthetic Population dataset:

Interpretation of results

All dashboard data has been aggregated from individual-level data representing synthetic individuals.

We advise treating all obtained results as model outputs. Please note that we provide point estimates only and do not include uncertainty estimates (e.g., 95% confidence intervals). For applications requiring uncertainty estimates, we strongly encourage obtaining these directly from the underlying SIPHER Synthetic Population dataset.

While no uncertainty estimates are provided, it can be assumed that the uncertainty of point estimates is likely to be higher across areas with a smaller population size (e.g., electoral wards) compared to areas with a larger population size (e.g., local authorities). For areas with a small population size, the uncertainty surrounding point estimates could be high. In addition, we recommend acknowledging that all results were obtained from a synthetic data source, which is subject to a conceptual uncertainty due to its statistical creation process.

For dashboard support and assistance with the interpretation of results, direct enquiries marked 'SIPHER Synthetic Population - Dashboard' to: sipher@glasgow.ac.uk

Geographic boundary definitions

The following boundary definitions were applied throughout:

  • Electoral wards in 2022 boundaries
  • Local authorities (lower tier; district level) in 2021 boundaries

All geography look-up and shape files were obtained from Open Geography and are subject to an Open Government License (OGL 3.0). The SIPHER Synthetic Population Dashboard reproducibility pack provides further information and links to all utilised files.

Disclaimer

All information provided in this dashboard is supplied by the SIPHER Consortium on an 'as is' basis, and without any warranty or liability. Except where otherwise noted, all SIPHER Synthetic Population Dashboard outputs are licensed under CC BY 4.0 DEED.

This dashboard presents aggregate-level information only, and does not capture any existing individuals and their true place of residence. No inferences can or should be made about real individuals or Understanding Society survey participants with all results understood and treated as 'model outputs'.

The SIPHER Synthetic Population is a synthetic dataset created through a statistical process and does not represent any 'real' individuals or their 'true' place of residence. While the dataset is a novel source of data for a range of specific applications, we strongly recommend using the original Understanding Society survey datasets for all standard statistical analyses (e.g., regression analysis, correlations, longitudinal analyses) whenever possible.

Dashboard reproducibility pack

A reproducibility pack has been created for this dashboard. The reproducibility pack contains all aggregate-level data provided in this dashboard, alongside all code which was developed to support dashboard functionality.

Citation

We kindly request that all outputs derived using the SIPHER Synthetic Population Dashboard are clearly acknowledged.

Informal output utilising the dashboard's data and visualisations please include the following statement:

'Generated using the SIPHER Consortium Synthetic Population Dashboard funded by the UK Prevention Research Partnership'

For all formal output, please utilse the following citation:

D. Lewis, E. Comrie, A. Hoehn, N. Lomax, A. Heppenstall, R. Purshouse, K. Zia, P. Meier. (2024). SIPHER Synthetic Population for Individuals in Great Britain, 2019-2021 - Interactive R-Shiny Dashboard. Data extracted on [DATA, TIME], DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12655001

In addition, for all formal output, we strongly encourage the inclusion of citations for the two key datasets utilised in the creation of this dashboard:

  • Lomax, N., Hoehn, A., Heppenstall, A., Purshouse, R., Wu, G., Zia, K., Meier, P. (2024). SIPHER Synthetic Population for Individuals in Great Britain, 2019-2021. [data collection]. University of Essex, Institute for Social and Economic Research, Office for National Statistics, [original data producer(s)]. University of Essex, Institute for Social and Economic Research. SN: 9277, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-9277-1

  • University of Essex, Institute for Social and Economic Research. (2023). Understanding Society: Waves 1-13, 2009-2022 and Harmonised BHPS: Waves 1-18, 1991-2009. [data collection]. 18th Edition. UK Data Service. SN: 6614, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-6614-19
Acknowledgements

This research was conducted as part of the Systems Science in Public Health and Health Economics Research - SIPHER Consortium and we thank the whole team for valuable input and discussions that have informed this work. We are very grateful for the opportunity to work with the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society). Understanding Society is an initiative funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and various Government Departments, with scientific leadership by the Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, and survey delivery by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and Verian (formerly Kantar Public).

Funding

This work by the SIPHER Consortium was supported by the UK Prevention Research Partnership (MR/S037578/2), which is funded by the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Health and Social Care Research and Development Division (Welsh Government), Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, Natural Environment Research Council, Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland), The Health Foundation and Wellcome.