The 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) follows the lives of more than 17,000 people born in England, Scotland and Wales in a single week of 1970. Over the course of cohort members lives, the BCS70 has collected information on health, physical, educational and social development, and economic circumstances among other factors.

Since the birth survey in 1970, there have been eight ‘sweeps’ of all cohort members at ages 5, 10, 16, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42 and 46. A new sweep of the cohort is planned at age 51.

The main data collection methods used during the study have included questionnaires, cognitive assessments, clinical assessments and nurse measurements.

Questionnaires have been used to gather a variety of information about study members, including social and family background, mental health and wellbeing, income and housing, and marriage and employment status. Cognitive assessments have measured verbal and language ability in early childhood, as well as literacy and numeracy from adolescence to middle age. Medical examinations and nurse measurements have provided information about different health conditions experienced by the study members, from bone development in childhood to heart problems in middle age.

By collecting information on various aspects of life, BCS70 has become a vital source of evidence on key policy areas such as social mobility, education, training and employment, and economic insecurity.

BCS70 is part of CLOSER (Cohort & Longitudinal Studies Enhancement Resources) which aims to maximise the use, value and impact of the UK’s longitudinal studies.