British Birth Cohort Projects

In ADAPT Lab, we are using state-of-the-art statistical modelling techniques to understand ageing processes. We use existing data from the British Birth Cohorts, in which data was collected from a nationally representative sample of people across England, Scotland and Wales.

Our work primarily draws on data from National Survey of Health and Development (1946 British Birth Cohort) and National Child Development Study (1958 British Birth Cohort)

National Survey of Health and Development

The National Survey of Health and Development is a sample of 5,362 people born during one week of 1946 in England, Scotland and Wales. Data has been collected at 24 time-points, most recently when cohort members were aged 69.

National Child Development Study

The National Child Development Study comprises a sample of 17,415 people born during one week of 1958 in England, Scotland and Wales. Data has been collected at 11 time-points, most recently when cohort members were aged 55.

In ADAPT Lab, we are primarily interested in using these data to model the complex relationships between various early life factors and ageing outcomes.

In particular, we use complex statistical techniques to model longitudinal associations between affective symptoms (depression and anxiety) across the life course and cognitive ageing from middle to later life.

We are also looking at the socio-behvaioural and biomedical mechanisms which can potentially underlie associations between depression and cognitive ageing.

One of our recently published studies using these data is described in the video below: