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About the event

This webinar provides a first look at the latest data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) Age 51 Sweep, due to be released in March 2025. With information collected from more than 8,000 participants, this valuable new resource offers opportunities for understanding midlife outcomes, and facilitates comparisons with older generations, such as the 1958 cohort at age 50 and the 1946 cohort at age 53.

The webinar will give a comprehensive overview of the new data, the wide range of questions they can help answer, and the opportunities for longitudinal research using the data captured over time.

An extended Q&A will follow the presentation.

What’s covered in the event?

• An overview of longitudinal measures captured in the Age 51 Sweep, covering finances and employment, family and relationships, physical and mental health, wellbeing, and cognitive function.
• A description of the special features of the new data, including a self-completion section covering more sensitive questions, an online dietary questionnaire, cognitive function tasks, and more.
• A summary of data collection and the mixed mode design, documentation, access and non response weights.
• A spotlight on initial findings from this cohort in their early 50s, and comparisons to the 1958 cohort at a similar age.

Who should attend?

This webinar will be useful to anyone with an interest in the experiences of Generation X in midlife or in the study of ageing and how experiences have changed across generations.

Why take part?

• Discover what’s new in the data at age 32.
• Learn how to access the data.
• Discover key findings and gain inspiration for your own research.
• Receive expert guidance on using the data effectively.
• Understand how to navigate available resources and get support.

Webinar presenters

Vanessa Moulton is Senior Research Fellow at CLS. Her research interests include the influence of early life on child and adult mental health, and cognitive, educational and socioeconomic outcomes.

Carole Sanchez is Survey Manager for BCS70 and the National Child Development Study (NCDS). She is responsible for managing the questionnaire development and fieldwork for the Age 51 Sweep.

Sam Parsons is Principal Research Fellow at CLS. Her research interests include the antecedents and consequences of poor adult basic skills, social exclusion and socioeconomic disadvantage.

George Ploubidis is Director of BCS70 and NCDS, and Professor of Population Health and Statistics at CLS. His research interests include socioeconomic and demographic determinants of health over the life course and the mechanisms that underlie generational differences in health and mortality.