Birth Cohort Study 1970
The Birth Cohort Study 1970 (BCS70) provides wide-ranging data on all those born in England, Scotland and Wales in a single week of April, 1970.
Background
BCS70 began as the British Births Survey when data were collected about the births and families of just over 17,200 babies. Since 1970 there have been seven sweeps to gather information from the whole cohort of participants, most recently in 2008.
Purpose
Since 1970, the scope of BCS70's enquiry has broadened from a strictly medical focus at birth, to encompass physical and educational development at age five, physical, educational and social development at ages of ten and 16, and economic development and other wider factors from age 26 onwards. Since 1975 data on cohort members has been supplemented by further information gathered from parents, teachers, and the school health service. Since 1999 some simultaneous surveys of the BCS70 and another cohort study, the National Child Development Study 1958, have taken place providing an even richer wealth of 'cradle to grave' data.
Type of data collected
Birth: obstetric history, pregnancy details, labour, birth, family background.
School years: physical and cognitive development, health, behaviour, school experiences/performance, attainment, expectations and aspirations, parental employment, financial circumstances, housing.
Adult: family, employment, income, housing, health and health-related behaviour, courses and qualifications, basic skills, views and expectations.
BCS70 links to additional sources of data on cohort members include: information on death and information to trace cohort members.
Contribution
Comparing different cohort studies enables us to understand more about recent changes in British society. Hence, the information gathered in the BCS70 (when compared with, for example, the National Child Development Study 1958) has provided unique opportunities for social and medical researchers to study the long-term consequences of early childhood experience. Continuing this study through adult life will provide evidence on how factors in early life impact on adult outcomes including socio-economic circumstances, skills and health.
Further information
Alice Sullivan, Principal Investigator, BCS70
Email: a.sullivan@ioe.ac.uk
Telephone: 020 7612 6661
Mina Thompson, Administrator
Email: m.thompson@ioe.ac.uk
Telephone: 020 7612 6875
Website: Centre for Longitudinal Studies
