Access to free period products: baseline survey results
Report to present the baseline survey results on experiences and views towards access to free period products in Scotland. Data was collected prior to the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 coming into force on 15 August 2022.
Annex A: Methodological note
In order to explore the attitudes and experiences of people who may need to use period products (aged 12 years and over) and their access to free period products in Scotland, BMG Research were commissioned to conduct an online, quantitative survey on behalf of the Directorate for Tackling Child Poverty and Social Justice.
The survey provides a baseline wave of data which can allow for future monitoring of changes in attitudes and experiences.
The questionnaire was designed around the research aims and objectives. The questionnaire was developed jointly by BMG Research and Scottish Government. The questionnaire was divided into five main sections covering: screening; demographics; attitudes and concerns; awareness and understanding of free period product provision; experience of free provision. The questions consisted of primarily single response questions for ease of completion for the respondent.
Two versions of the survey were created, one for adults (aged 16 years and over) and another for young people (aged between 12 and 15 years). Two versions were created so that questions or contents irrelevant to the target group were not asked (e.g. questions about school for adults; questions about household finances for young people). However, changes between the two versions of the questionnaire were minimal. Therefore, the data has been merged and treated as one wider dataset of respondents aged 12+ for the vast majority of survey questions.
Several questions were cognitively tested to support the questionnaire design process. A total of eight cognitive interviews were conducted via telephone. Interviews were conducted between 1 and 4 July 2022. Cognitive interview participants were emailed a copy of the questionnaire before the interview. The changes recommended from the cognitive interviewing were mostly nuances to question wording to enable greater respondent comprehension.
Data was collected using an online panel survey. The survey took approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. A 'panel blend' approach was taken to fieldwork. This helped to: increase the overall sample size; ensure good coverage across key demographic groups; and reduce the risk of panel biases. The panels used for this project were:
- Pure spectrum
- Made in Surveys
- Lucid
The survey was created using Confirmit software, a bespoke survey software used throughout the industry. Fieldwork took place between 19 and 24 July 2022.
To be eligible to participate in the survey, potential respondents had to be:
- Someone who currently menstruates regularly; or
- Someone who doesn't menstruate regularly but is able to menstruate (i.e. due to a medical condition); or
- Someone doesn't currently menstruate but expects to do so in the future (i.e. due to pregnancy, use of particular types of contraception, or because they had not had their first period).
Eligibility was managed through a series of profiling and screening questions administered at the start of the survey. Young people under the age of 16 were only able to participate after consent was obtained from their parent/carer. Young people then had to provide consent before being able to complete the survey.
Consent from a parent or legal guardian is usually advised for children aged under 16 to participate in research. What processes are in place to ensure this is done? Remember
Representative quotas were set on age, Scottish Parliamentary Region, SIMD classification and Urban-Rural classification. Given the survey aimed to collect a representative sample of the menstruating population and not the population as a whole, certain broad assumptions had to be made about the profile of the sample.
A total of 1,400 respondents completed the survey (81 respondents aged 12-15 years and 1,319 respondents aged 16 years and over). The survey data used for this report was weighted by age, region, SIMD classification, urban-rural classification and household income to ensure representativeness of the menstruating population aged 12 years and over.
Table 11 below summarises the profile of the final sample.
| Variable | Category | Base Size (Unweighted) | % Unweighted | % Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Central Scotland | 241 | 17% | 12% |
| Glasgow | 182 | 13% | 13% | |
| Highlands and Islands | 95 | 7% | 9% | |
| Mid Scotland and Fife | 123 | 9% | 12% | |
| North East Scotland | 216 | 15% | 14% | |
| Lothian | 205 | 15% | 14% | |
| South Scotland | 147 | 11% | 13% | |
| West Scotland | 191 | 14% | 13% | |
| Age | 12 to 15 | 81 | 6% | 8% |
| 16 to 24 | 216 | 15% | 19% | |
| 25 to 34 | 509 | 36% | 26% | |
| 35 to 44 | 392 | 28% | 24% | |
| 45 to 54 | 181 | 13% | 19% | |
| 55 to 64 | 21 | 2% | 3% | |
| Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (Quartiles) | 1 - Least deprived | 283 | 20% | 25% |
| 2 | 327 | 23% | 25% | |
| 3 | 429 | 31% | 25% | |
| 4 – Most deprived | 361 | 26% | 25% | |
| Household Income (16+ Only) |
Under £10,000 | 82 | 6% | 7% |
| Between £10,000 and £20,000 | 195 | 15% | 15% | |
| Between £20,000 and £30,000 | 277 | 21% | 22% | |
| Between £30,000 and £40,000 | 217 | 16% | 16% | |
| Over £40,000 | 481 | 36% | 36% | |
| Prefer not to say / Don't know | 67 | 5% | 5% | |
| Urban-Rural Classification | Urban | 204 | 15% | 18% |
| Rural | 1196 | 85% | 82% |
How to access background or source data
The data collected for this statistical bulletin / social research publication are available via an alternative route at http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781805252467/documents/
Contact
Email: socialresearch@gov.scot
There is a problem
Thanks for your feedback