Briefings and impact

Impact case studies

Impact case study: The impact of adult literacy and numeracy research based on the 1970 British Cohort Study

Research by Professor John Bynner and Dr Sam Parsons of the Institute of Education, University of London, has highlighted the hardships experienced by many adults with the lowest levels of literacy and numeracy. This case study on the impact of their work demonstrates how their analyses of CLS birth cohort study datasets have helped to shape the thinking of UK policy-makers, educationists and health officials. It also documents their influence on overseas governments, international organisations, business and skills bodies, local authorities and charities.

Briefing papers

Trajectories and transitions of disabled children and young people 4: Disability and bullying

This report is the fourth in the Trajectories and transitions of disabled children and young people series of research summaries produced by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies.

This report examines whether or not disabled children and young people are at a higher risk of being bullied. It uses data from the Millennium Cohort Study and Next Steps (formerly known as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England).

Briefing papers

Trajectories and transitions of disabled children and young people 3: Growing up with a disability

This report is the third in the Trajectories and transitions of disabled children and young people series of research summaries produced by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies.

This report focuses on how disability affects young people’s experiences of growing up. It uses data from Next Steps Age 19 sweep and covers topics such as risky behaviours, positive social behaviours, friendships and relationships, and life satisfaction.

Briefing papers

Trajectories and transitions of disabled children and young people 2: Socio-economic disadvantage among families with disabled children

This report is the second in the Trajectories and transitions of disabled children and young people series of research summaries produced by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies.

This report looks at whether or not families with a disabled child face greater socio-economic disadvantage and how the risk of disadvantage varies with age. It uses data from the Millennium Cohort Study and Next Steps (formerly known as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England).

Briefing papers

Trajectories and transitions of disabled children and young people 1: Child disability

This report is the first in the Trajectories and transitions of disabled children and young people series of research summaries produced by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies.

This report focuses on the prevalence of child disability and outlines the measures of disability used in the Millennium Cohort Study and Next Steps (formerly known as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England). It identifies rates of disability at different ages in childhood and the extent to which disability is long-term.

Briefing papers

1970 British Cohort study Age 42 initial findings – Overweight and obesity in mid-life

This briefing paper details initial findings on body mass index (BMI) and related issues from the 1970 British Cohort Study Age 42 sweep. It also suggests areas where greater policy focus is needed, as well as areas for future research.

Impact case studies

Impact case study: Child Trust Fund scheme

This case study focuses on research (using data from the 1958 National Child Development Study) that played a pivotal role in the establishment of the last Labour government’s Child Trust Fund, the world’s first universal children’s savings scheme. The fund is a long-term tax-free savings initiative for UK children born between September 1, 2002 and January 2, 2011. Its designers aimed to ensure that every young person had some savings at the age of 18. They also hoped to encourage children to become savers and gain an understanding of personal finance.

Impact case studies

Impact case study: Millennium Cohort Study

This case study looks at the impact of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) on policy and practice. The MCS is the first birth cohort study to include all four UK countries. Its field of enquiry covers such diverse topics as parenting; childcare; school choice; child behaviour and cognitive development; child and parental health; parents’ employment and education; income and poverty; housing, neighbourhood and residential mobility; social capital and ethnicity, and the growing fluidity of family structures. The study is providing an invaluable service to the research community in the UK and internationally, and has helped to influence social, education and health policy at local and national levels.

Impact case studies

Impact case study: British birth cohort studies

This case study looks at the impact that the 1958, 1970 and Millennium cohort studies have had on different areas of policy. Britain’s internationally-renowned birth cohort studies have been described as the “crown jewels of social research”. As they track the same groups of people from birth, these studies show how histories of health, wealth, education, family and employment are interwoven for individuals and affect outcomes and achievements in later life. By comparing different generations in three cohorts, it is possible to chart social change and start to untangle the reasons behind it.

Briefing papers

Millennium Cohort Study 2010 briefing 14: Childhood overweight and obesity

This briefing is one of 14 that distil the key findings of the first three surveys of the Millennium Cohort Study, as collected in Children of the 21st century (Volume 2): The first five years.

This paper provides an analysis of the weight and height data obtained when cohort members were aged 3 and 5. It also reports on the prevalence of obesity and overweight at these ages, examines stability and change between these ages, and identifies risk factors.