Data Note: Linking Shopping Transaction Data into the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Introduction: This data note describes the collection and linkage of participant’s Sainsburys shopping data into the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Methods: Data were collected via informed participant consent and Subject Access Requests under UK GDPR, securely transferred and integrated into the ALSPAC database using unique study identifiers. Participant consultation and a technical pilot ensured transparent, acceptable, and secure linkage. Results: The dataset contains anonymised transactions for 244 participants, covering 658,375 item purchases between July 2014 and February 2024. Transactions include an item description, price, quantity, time, date, store location, and other variables. Items fall into 82 categories (e.g., produce) and 1002 subcategories (e.g., bananas). In terms of representativeness, the cohort is skewed towards females, consists of participants of similar age, and is predominantly made up of individuals with higher educational attainment and of White ethnicity. Conclusion: The linkage of shopping records complements ALSPACs extensive existing dataset, which comprises over 30 years of sociodemographic and health-related data. The linkage stands as a novel opportunity for future research into dietary habits, nutritional intake, and subsequent health outcomes. Access to data may be granted to approved researchers upon reasonable request, following a proposal submission through the ALSPAC website (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac).