The UK Millennium Cohort Study

The Long View: Longitudinal Studies in Scotland

February 26 2004

Lisa Calderwood

Centre for Longitudinal Studies

Institute of Education, University of London

British Birth Cohort Studies

Previous UK/GB National Studies:

1946: MRC National Survey of Health & Development

1958: National Child Development Study1970: 1970 British Birth Cohort Study

MCS: the first national birth cohort study for 30 years 2000-1

1958, 1970 & MCS based at IOE

Objectives of MCS

To chart the initial conditions of the social, economic and health advantages and disadvantages facing new children in the new century

To capture information for the future

To compare patterns of development with other cohorts

To collect information on previously neglected topics, such as father’s involvement, & child care …………./

…Objectives

To chart the experience of mothers and fathers

To emphasise intergenerational links

To investigate the wider social ecology of the family, including community and services, splicing in geo-coded data when available.

To provide evidence for the National Evaluation of Sure Start and of the Children’s Fund -in England.

MCS Sponsors

Economic & Social Research Council ONS consortium of Government Departments:

      ONS       DfES       DWP       DoH       Welsh Assembly   Scottish Executive       NI Executive

SureStart –National Evaluation in England

Government-funded enhancements

Boosted original sample size 15,000 to 20,000+ Extending first interview of mother and father Incorporation of linkage of heath records &

neighbourhood data Further analyses and reports Supplementary surveys of fertility treatment &

Health Visitors• Survey of older siblings at age 3

Design Features of MCS

Cohort born over 12 month period Season of birth effects Spread workload of professional interviewers Sampling necessitated

Geographically clustered by electoral ward Wards being disproportionately stratified Better approach to issue of community & local services

Content multi-purpose & multidisciplinary but with greater emphasis on social rather than medical

MCS First Survey Fieldwork & Data

Birth dates England & Wales: September 2000 to Aug 2001 Scotland & N. Ireland:Dec 2000 to Jan 2002 (+ 6 weeks)

Fieldwork – child 9-10 months old England & Wales: June 2001 to Aug 2002 Scotland & N. Ireland:September 2001 to Jan 2003

Data Archive Deposit: May 2003

Elements and content of the first survey: Mother (75 mins)

Interview Self-completionEthnicity & language

Baby’s father

Lone parenthood

Pregnancy, labour & delivery

Baby’s health & development

Childcare

Grandparents, friends & social support

Parental health

Education & training

Employment & earnings

Housing, local community & services

Time with & without the baby

Other interests

Baby’s temperament & behaviour

Relationship with partner

Previous relationships

Domestic tasks

Previous pregnancies

Mental health

Attitudes to relationships, parenting, work, etc

Elements and content of the first survey: Father (30 mins)

Interview Self-Completion

Ethnicity & language

Father’s involvement with baby

Grandparents, friends & social support

Parental health

Education & training

Employment & earnings

Time with & without the baby

Other interests

Baby’s temperament & behaviour

Relationship with partner

Previous relationships

Children living elsewhere

Mental health

Attitudes to relationships, parenting, work, etc

MCS1 sample size, by country

ChildrenFamilies

interviewed Partners

Lone Parents

Total UK 398 20,646 18,819 18,553 13,441 3,194

ENGLAND 200 13,146 11,695 11,533 8,485 1,853

WALES 73 3,000 2,799 2,761 1,933 590

SCOTLAND 62 2,500 2,370 2,336 1,727 375

N IRELAND 63 2,000 1,955 1,923 1,296 376

Achieved ResponsesNumber of sampled

wards

Target sample as boosted

0

10

20

30

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50

60

70

80

90

100

% I

nte

rvie

wed

England Wales Scotland N.I.

Adv

Dis

Eth

All

MCS1 response, by strata and country

MCS2: Design & Fieldwork

The second MCS survey is taking place around the time of the children’s third birthdays

The survey will follow all those 18553 families who took part in MCS1

Fieldwork started in September 2003 in England & Wales and in December 2003 in Scotland & Northern Ireland

MCS2 includes Mums (60 mins), Dads (17mins), the cohort children themselves (30mins) and older siblings

MCS2: Elements of the survey

Cognitive assessments British Ability Scales (II) Bracken Basic Concept Scale – Revised (BBCS-R)

Measurement of Height & Weight

Sample of Saliva (not for DNA purposes)

Interviewer observation of home environment & neighbourhood

Older Siblings

Employment of MCS mothers by country and type of area

54%

60% 58%

64%

40% 40%

47% 45%

21%

10%

30%

50%

70%

England Wales Scotland NI

Children 9-10 months old, 2001-2

Advantaged Disadvantaged Ethnic

Parents Employment in Scotland

Parents Employment in Scotland

Scotland UK

Two Parent Families

Both Working 57.1% 53.9%

Father only Working 32.1% 37.8%

Mother only Working 2.9% 2.2%

Neither Working 6.6% 6.1%

Lone Parent Families

Lone Parent Working 33.8% 24.7%

Lone Parent Not Working 66.2% 75.3%

Mother’s Breast-feeding by country

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

%

England Wales Scotland NI UK

One dayor more

Onemonth ormore

Father’s Involvement in Scotland

88% of Fathers in Scotland (85% UK) look after the cohort child at least weekly and 66% of Fathers in Scotland (57% UK) change a nappy at least once a day.

Longitudinal Evidence A strong father figure is associated with academic

success (Flouri et al 2003) Girls whose fathers are involved in their upbringing are

less likely to have mental health problems in later life (Flouri and Buchanan 2002)

MCS1: A User’s Guide to Initial Findings. Household structure

characteristics Ethnic identity Partnerships and

parenthood Wider family Pregnancy, delivery

and labour Babies’ health and

development

Parenting and parents’ psycho-social adjustment

Parents’ health Parental employment

and education Child care Income and Benefits Housing and the area Citizenship

Analysis Possibilities

MCS1 now MCS2 mid 2005 Cross cohort analysis Cross source e.g. census, International comparisons

Canada, Australia USA Young Lives: Ethiopia, India, Vietnam, Peru Scandinavia

MCS: The Future of Data collection

Future surveys are planned for: Age 5 2005-6 Age 7 2007-8

etc…….

Possible future design elements Obtain info on or from daycare provider at 3 At 5 and 7 Repeat interviews with resident parents Repeat cognitive and behavioural assessments with children Collect information from Schools? Collect information on child’s hospital episodes?

Useful Websites for Further Information

http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/Cohort/MCS/mcsmain.htmMillennium Cohort Study (MCS) Main pageIncludes: Rationale, Surveys, MCS Launch, Data Archive, Documentation, Contact details 

http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/Cohort/MCS/Publications/mainpubs.htmAnnual report, Conference Papers, Journal Articles 

http://ioewebserver.ioe.ac.uk/ioe/cms/get.asp?cid=6186Bedford Group (BG) on the Institute of Education (IoE) Website 

http://ioewebserver.ioe.ac.uk/ioe/cms/get.asp?cid=6194&6194_0=8239MCS on BG/IoE Website including the MCS Users Guide to Initial Findings (Descriptive

Report)