February research highlights

A round-up of selected journal papers and other research published in February using CLS study data.

British adults with intellectual impairments more likely to experience job insecurity

Research using eight sweeps of the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) has investigated the relationship between employment conditions and health among adults with intellectual impairments. The paper, published in SSM- Population Health, was a collaboration between a team of researchers based at Lancaster University and the University of Sydney. They found that, on average, adults with intellectual impairments were more likely than their peers to be exposed to non-standard employment conditions and experience job insecurity. Read more.

Childhood socioeconomic position doesn’t predetermine health-related behaviours in adulthood

Research published in Preventative Medicine has looked at the relationship between childhood socioeconomic position and adult health-related behaviours (smoking, alcohol, diet and physical activity).The paper, authored by a team of researchers from University College London (UCL), used data from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) at ages 11 and 33, and BCS70 at ages 10 and 34. They found that lower socioeconomic status in childhood strongly predicted disadvantaged social circumstances in adulthood. Although poorer adults were more likely to indulge in risky health-related behaviours, children who were able to overcome their social circumstances by adulthood were no more likely to have these habits. These results were consistent across both the 1958 and 1970 cohorts. Read more.

Lack of conscientiousness predicts smoking status at age 54 

A new paper published in Personality and Individual Differences, has examined the association between childhood intelligence, personality traits, parental social class, maternal smoking, educational qualifications, and smoking status. The researchers, Adrian Furnham and Helen Cheng, based at UCL, analysed NCDS data collected at birth, and at ages 11, 33, 50 and 54?. They found that lower social class, fewer educational qualifications and lack of conscientiousness were strong predictors of tobacco use at age 54. The study revealed that there was a decrease in tobacco use from age 50 to age 54 (17.9% to 15%), and that, on average, females tended to smoke fewer cigarettes per day than males. Read more.

New recommendations for surveying contemporary fathers in the UK

A new report published by the Fatherhood Institutehas collated information from 16 cohort studies to examine how they collect data about fathers in varied forms of co-residence and relationships with their dependent and adult children.The report, authored by Rebecca Goldman and Adrienne Burgess, included data from NCDS, BCS70, Next Steps and the Millennium Cohort Study. The paper gives several recommendations on how future cross-sectional and longitudinal study sweeps should address their questions to fathers.These recommendations included tracking fathers into new households if they become non-resident, for example as a result of relationship separation.  Read more.

Care leavers’ prospects in early adulthood

A new study from a team of researchers, based in the UK, Germany and Finland, has examined the long term life prospects for care leavers in these three countries. The paper, published in the Children and Youth Services Review, used data from Next Steps and BCS70. The findings revealed that, in all countries, care leavers tended to do less well than their peers at school and in the job market. The results suggest that governments need to work to adequately provide for the needs of care leavers after the age of 18. Read more.