Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) is a longitudinal birth cohort study, following a nationally representative sample of over 17,000 people born in England, Scotland and Wales in a single week of 1970. Cohort members have been sureveyed throughout their childhood and adult lives, mapping their individual trajectories and creating a unique resource for researchers. It is one of very few longitudinal studies following people of this generation anywhere in the world.Since 1970, cohort members have been surveyed at ages 5, 10, 16, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42 and 46. Featuring a range of objective measures and rich self-reported data, BCS70 covers an incredible amount of ground and can be used in research on many topics Evidence from BCS70 has illuminated important issues for our society across five decades. Key findings include how reading for pleasure matters for children's cognitive development, why grammar schools have not reduced social inequalities, and how childhood experiences can impact on mental health in mid-life. Every day researchers from across the scientific community are using this important study to make new connections and discoveries.BCS70 is run by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS), a research centre in the UCL Institute of Education, which is part of University College London. The content of BCS70 studies, including questions, topics and variables can be explored via the CLOSER Discovery website.How to access genetic and/or bio-medical sample data from a range of longitudinal surveys:For information on how to access biomedical data from BCS70 that are not held at the UKDS, see the CLS Genetic data and biological samples webpage.Secure Access datasetsSecure Access versions of BCS70 have more restrictive access conditions than versions available under the standard End User Licence (EUL).
1970 British Cohort Study: Age 5, Sweep 2 1975 The aim of the 5-year follow-up was to review and evaluate pre-school health, care and education services throughout Britain, as experienced by the BCS70 cohort of children. For the fifth edition (June 2016) a small number of primary identifiers (BCSID) have been changed to realign them to previous sweeps of data. See the documentation for full details of the work done.
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Three instruments were used to collect data: The Maternal Self-completion Questionnaire contained questions on the behaviour of the child at home and maternal depression. There were 43 variables designed to elicit attitudes towards child rearing, maternal employment, television viewing and hospital visiting. The Home Interview Questionnaire was administered by health visitors who carried out the interviews in the children's own homes. Usually the interviewee was the mother. The Test Booklet was adminstered by the health visitor during her visit to the child at home. A Developmental History Schedule was designed to obtain information from child health records, but the number of missing records make these data of limited use and they are not deposited in the UK Data Archive. Measurement Scales: Rutter A Scale of behavioural deviance and the Malaise Inventory (Rutter, M. et al, 1970). The Likert Scale was used to describe attitudes towards the role of women in society and various child- rearing issues.
An attempt was made to trace all children from the cohort sample through the cooperation of the reg
Face-to-face interview
Self-administered questionnaire
Psychological measurements and tests
The Home interview was conducted face-to-face. The Maternal Self-completion Questionnaire was compl
