Working papers

The collection of saliva samples in large-scale social surveys is increasingly popular due to the possibility of obtaining DNA information to unlock research opportunities. This working paper analyses data from the Next Steps Age 32 survey, exploring the methological challenges around the collection of saliva samples.

Exploring the best methods for non-response conversion is essential to maintain high response rates to social surveys, particularly among underrepresented groups. This paper, which uses experimental data from the Next Steps Age 32 Survey, examines whether re-contacting non-respondents and asking them to complete shorter, online surveys can increase participation among this group.

Maintaining high response rates is a challenge facing social surveys everywhere – it’s crucial we explore a wide range of methods to boost survey participation, particularly among underrepresented groups. This paper, which uses experimental data from the Next Steps Age 32 Survey, examines whether offering larger incentives to previous non-respondents can increase participation among this group.

This paper examines the post-16 experiences of teenagers in England who did not obtain a pass grade in their English and/or Maths GCSEs, using data from the Millennium Cohort Study. Those who did not obtain pass grades in English or Maths were more likely than their peers to experience poorer health and wellbeing at ages 17-18, and to have been involved in criminal behaviour.

This paper compares data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) and the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) to evaluate changing trust in the UK government over the course of the pandemic. Across both cohorts, prior attachment to the conservative party was linked to higher trust ratings in the government and their handling of the pandemic, while being a graduate was associated with a worse evaluation of the government’s handling of the pandemic. Sex, vaccine reluctance and country of residence were also found to impact trust ratings.

Linked cohort and administrative data provide rich resources with wide ranging research possibilities, yet understanding representativeness and quality of linked data is important. Through examination of linked Next Steps age 25 survey data and Student Loans Company data, the linked sample was found to be reasonably representative of wider populations, and data quality was found to be high. However, those from ethnic minority or more disadvantaged backgrounds were slightly underrepresented in the linked sample, due to lower linkage consent rates.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy, lower birth weight, and shorter breastfeeding duration, have all been linked to the earlier onset of menopause in daughters. This study investigates the mediating effect of birthweight and breastfeeding duration on the relationship between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the time to natural menopause in daughters. The findings show that the consequences of smoking during pregnancy may partly be offset by foetal growth and longer breastfeeding duration to the extent that they mediate the risk of earlier menopause.

Relatively little is known about the long-term economic activities of care leavers and their attachment to the labour market, and even less about the education and employment outcomes of the children of care leavers. Using data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70), findings from this study show that cohort members who have experienced care, and the children of mothers who experienced care, acquired fewer qualifications and spent fewer months in employment, education or training (EET) over a 30-year period than their peers without care experience in their family.

This paper examines the relationship between maternal out-of-home care (OHC) experience and her child’s early behavioural, emotional and cognitive development, drawing on data collected for the UK Millennium Cohort Study.

There is growing interest in whether linked administrative data have the potential to aid analyses subject to missing data in cohort studies. The authors used linked 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) NHS Digital Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for this research project.