Age 42 survey of the 1970 British Cohort Study begins

The Age 42 survey of the 1970 British Cohort Study has now begun. Over the course of the year we hope to speak to more than 9,000 study members for the 9th time.

The Age 42 survey consists of a 60-minute face-to-face interview and a 16-page self-completion questionnaire. Fieldwork is being carried out by TNS-BMRB. Data will be collected on cohort members’ family situations, housing, employment, income, health and a range of other topics.

The 1970 cohort represents the mid-point of ‘Generation X’, and in 2012, they will be entering early middle-age. Undoubtedly this generation will experience middle-age differently than the ‘baby-boomers’ before them. Compared to the 1958 cohort, 1970 cohort members’ lives differ in key ways, including:

• Having experienced an expansion in the education system, this generation are typically more qualified than previous generations.
• Employment has become the norm for women, including for mothers.
• Income inequalities between individuals and households have increased.
• Job security has declined.
• Marriage has declined in popularity.
• Levels of both obesity and depression have increased.

The Age 42 survey presents a unique opportunity to understand the lives of this cohort as they enter a new stage of life.

For more information on the age 42 survey, visit the BCS 2012 survey page.

Are you a member of the 1970 cohort? Visit the BCS70 members’ site.