Longitudinal data from the British Cohort Studies are a powerful – yet, outside of the UK or Europe, not well known and underutilized - resource for addressing a wide range of scientific questions in demographic, sociological, family, health and geographical sciences. For example, the data can be used to answer important demographic questions such as: what determines health and well-being across the life course? How have family processes changed across cohorts?

The workshop will showcase examples of work using the British Cohort Studies to illustrate the potential of the data to address important demographic questions. For example (see links below), we will discuss work exploring whether and to what extent the association between giving birth at an advanced maternal age and child outcomes has changed over time and work which has investigated the link between fertility histories/partnership status and objective measures of health in mid-life

Objectives

• Communicate the aims and purpose of the UK British Cohort Studies

• Discuss the sample and study designs

• Highlight the types of data available

• Summarise the data enhancements including genetics, dietary diaries, accelerometery data, offspring survey and linked administrative data (opportunities)

• Showcase examples of single study and cross-cohort research using the British Cohort Studies

• Demonstrate how to access the data  

Presenters

• George Ploubidis, Professor, Population Health and Statistics, UCL Social Research Institute

• Alice Goisis, Deputy Research Director, Centre of Longitudinal Studies, UCL SRI