British birth cohort studies
Encyclopedia
Birth cohort studies in Britain
include four long-term medical and social studies, carried out over the lives of a group of participants, from birth. Two of these studies have continued for over 50 years.
They are longitudinal studies
that follow the same groups of people throughout their lives. As such, they enable research exploring how histories of health, wealth, education, family and employment are interwoven for individuals, vary between them and affect outcomes and achievements in later life. There have been approximately 2,000 published pieces of research worldwide using the four studies.
Comparisons between the different generations in the four cohorts enable academics to chart social change and start to untangle the reasons behind it. Findings from the studies have contributed to debates and enquiries in a number of policy areas over the last half-century including: education and equality of opportunity; poverty and social exclusion; gender differences in pay and employment; social class differences in health; changing family structures; and anti-social behaviour.
The studies were key sources of evidence for a number of UK Government inquiries, such as the Plowden Committee
on Primary Education (1967), the Warnock Committee on Children with Special Educational Needs (1978), the Finer
Committee on One Parent Families (1966–74), the Acheson Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health (1998) and the Moser Committee on Adult Basic Skills (1997–99). A study of working mothers and early child development was influential in making the argument for increased maternity leave. Another study on the impact of assets, such as savings and investments on future life chances, played a major part in the development of assets-based welfare policy, including the much-debated Child Trust Fund
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
include four long-term medical and social studies, carried out over the lives of a group of participants, from birth. Two of these studies have continued for over 50 years.
Principal cohort studies
- National Survey of Health & DevelopmentNational Survey of Health & DevelopmentThe MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing established in 2008 is the new home of the National Survey of Health and Development .The National Survey of Health & Development is a Medical Research Council longitudinal survey of people born in Britain in March 1946...
(NSHD), established in 1946 - National Child Development StudyNational Child Development StudyThe National Child Development Study is a continuing, multi-disciplinary longitudinal study which follows the lives of about 17,000 people born in Great Britain in a certain week in 1958.-History:...
(NCDS), established in 1958 - 1970 British Cohort Study1970 British Cohort StudyThe 1970 British Cohort Study is a continuing, multi-disciplinary longitudinal survey monitoring the development of babies born in the UK in one particular week in April 1970.-History:...
(BCS70) - Millennium Cohort StudyMillennium Cohort StudyThe Millennium Cohort Study is a longitudinal survey conducted by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies at the University of London, following the lives of a sample of about 19,000 babies born in the UK in the year 2000–2001.-History:...
(MCS), established in 2000
Methods and outcomes
The studies involve repeated surveys of large numbers of individuals (typically around 17,000) from birth and throughout their lives. They have collected information on education and employment, family and parenting, physical and mental health, and social attitudes, as well as applying cognitive tests at various ages.They are longitudinal studies
Longitudinal study
A longitudinal study is a correlational research study that involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods of time — often many decades. It is a type of observational study. Longitudinal studies are often used in psychology to study developmental trends across the...
that follow the same groups of people throughout their lives. As such, they enable research exploring how histories of health, wealth, education, family and employment are interwoven for individuals, vary between them and affect outcomes and achievements in later life. There have been approximately 2,000 published pieces of research worldwide using the four studies.
Comparisons between the different generations in the four cohorts enable academics to chart social change and start to untangle the reasons behind it. Findings from the studies have contributed to debates and enquiries in a number of policy areas over the last half-century including: education and equality of opportunity; poverty and social exclusion; gender differences in pay and employment; social class differences in health; changing family structures; and anti-social behaviour.
The studies were key sources of evidence for a number of UK Government inquiries, such as the Plowden Committee
Plowden Report
The Plowden Report is the unofficial name for the 1967 report of the Central Advisory Council For Education into Primary education in England. The report, entitled Children and their Primary Schools reviewed Primary education in a wholesale fashion. The collation of the report took around 3 years...
on Primary Education (1967), the Warnock Committee on Children with Special Educational Needs (1978), the Finer
Morris Finer
Sir Morris Finer QC was a lawyer and judge.As a young barrister Morris Finer also wrote leaders for the London Evening Standard...
Committee on One Parent Families (1966–74), the Acheson Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health (1998) and the Moser Committee on Adult Basic Skills (1997–99). A study of working mothers and early child development was influential in making the argument for increased maternity leave. Another study on the impact of assets, such as savings and investments on future life chances, played a major part in the development of assets-based welfare policy, including the much-debated Child Trust Fund
Child Trust Fund
A Child Trust Fund is a long-term savings or investment account for children in the United Kingdom. New accounts cannot be created but existing accounts can receive new money...
.
See also
- Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and ChildrenAvon Longitudinal Study of Parents and ChildrenThe Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, also known as Children of the 90s and formerly the Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood, is a cohort study of children born in the former county of Avon, England during 1991 and 1992...
, established 1991 - Lothian Birth Cohort Studies, established 1921
External links
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, including a searchable database of all the publications from NCDS, BCS70 and MCS
- National Child Development Study
- British Cohort Study 1970
- Millennium Cohort Study
- National Survey of Health and Development