Our research

Generations

We undertake multidisciplinary research on issues that affect all our lives: child development, education, social mobility, health and wellbeing, families and family life, and ageing. We also conduct research into survey methods, and applied statistical methods.

Our applied statistical methods programme specialises in methods for dealing with attrition, causal identification, and data harmonisation.

Our research helps tackle some of the key challenges we face in our society today.

To find out more, explore the links below.

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Completed

Initial findings from the Millennium Cohort Study Age 17 Sweep

Through the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) we have been following the lives of over 19,500 people since they were born in the UK at the turn of the new century. Here you can read our initial findings from the Age…

Open

Social isolation, loneliness and wellbeing across the life course and between five British birth cohorts

This project aims to develop a conceptual and empirical understanding of social isolation across the life course and generate comparable measures across cohorts.
The relationship between social isolation and wellbeing will be documented from a life course and cross-generational perspective.

Family and social networks Mental health and wellbeing

Open

Reading for pleasure and children’s cognitive development

Research using data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) has revealed how reading for pleasure can help children excel in English and maths. It has also shown that good reading habits in childhood have a significant longer term impact on people’s vocabulary, with the benefits being evident even 30 years later.

Child development Education

Open

Children and young people’s mental health

Looking after children’s and young people’s mental health is an urgent public health priority. Using data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), CLS researchers and collaborators have investigated the prevalence of mental ill-health during childhood and adolescence.

Mental health and wellbeing

Open

Medically assisted reproduction: the effects on children, adults and families

This project aims to advance our understanding of whether Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) affects the wellbeing of families, and if so why. Using the UK Millennium Cohort Study and Population Registers from Nordic Countries and the USA, we analyse MAR’s…

Child development Education Employment, income and wealth Family and social networks Health behaviour Mental health and wellbeing Physical health

Open

The wellbeing and lifecourse trajectories of only children

Using data from the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS), the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70), the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), and the 1946 National Survey for Health and Development, this project aims to investigate the consequences of growing up…

Child development Education Employment, income and wealth Family and social networks Health behaviour Mental health and wellbeing Physical health

Open

The gender wage gap: evidence from the cohort studies

This project aims to investigate the gender wage gap (GWG) over the life course and across cohorts, using three CLS studies – the National Child Development Study, 1970 British Cohort Study and Next Steps.

Employment, income and wealth

Completed

Socioeconomic inequalities in health

This project uses multiple birth cohort studies to better understand socioeconomic inequalities in health, how these have changed across time, and how they may be reduced.

Physical health

Open

Applied statistical methods

Our applied statistical methods research programme supports and enables users to tackle some of the important challenges in using longitudinal data, including handling missing data, making causal inferences, and dealing with measurement error. We bring together ideas and methods from a number of disciplines, such as statistics, econometrics, psychometrics, epidemiology and computer science.

Applied statistical methods

Open

Survey methodology

Our studies are at the forefront of best practice internationally in a range of different areas relating to longitudinal survey methods, and are informed by the most up-to-date evidence available. We share our learning through publications, conferences presentations and our networks. We work closely with the UK survey agencies who carry out the data collection for our studies.

Survey methods

Completed

Initial findings from the Millennium Cohort Study Age 14 Sweep

Through the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) we have been following the lives of over 19, 500 people since they were born in the UK at the turn of the new century. Here you can read our initial findings from the…

Child development Education Employment, income and wealth Expectations, attitudes and beliefs Family and social networks Health behaviour Housing and local environment Mental health and wellbeing Physical health

Completed

Initial findings from the Next Steps Age 25 Sweep

The Next Steps Age 25 Sweep has provided valuable insights into the lives of young adults today. A total of 7,707 cohort members took part at this age, enhancing the study’s value as a resource for researchers to gain an…

Education Employment, income and wealth Expectations, attitudes and beliefs Health behaviour Mental health and wellbeing Physical health Poverty