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Title:
National Child Development Study: Sweeps 5-6 Partnership Histories, 1974-2000
(NCDS5/6 Partnership Histories)

Subject Categories:
National Child Development Study - Major studies
Family life and marriage - Social stratification and groupings

Depositor(s):
University of London. Institute of Education. Centre for Longitudinal Studies

Principal Investigator(s):
Elliott, J., University of London. Institute of Education. Centre for Longitudinal Studies

Sponsor(s):
Economic and Social Research Council

Other Acknowledgements:
The project to create these partnership histories was conducted by Constantinos Kallis and Dr. Fiona Steele of the Centre for Multilevel Modelling within the Bedford Group for Lifecourse and Statistical Studies, Institute of Education.

Abstract:
The National Child Development Study (NCDS) is a continuing longitudinal study that seeks to follow the lives of all those living in Great Britain who were born in one particular week in 1958. The aim of the study is to improve understanding of the factors affecting human development over the whole lifespan.

The NCDS has its origins in the Perinatal Mortality Survey (PMS) (the original PMS study is held at the UK Data Archive (UKDA) under SN 2137). This study was sponsored by the National Birthday Trust Fund and designed to examine the social and obstetric factors associated with stillbirth and death in early infancy among the 17,000 children born in England, Scotland and Wales in that one week. Selected data from the PMS form NCDS sweep 0, held alongside NCDS sweeps 1-3, under SN 5565.

To date there have been seven attempts to trace all members of the birth cohort in order to monitor their physical, educational and social development. The first three sweeps were carried out by the National Children's Bureau, in 1965, when respondents were aged 7, in 1969, aged 11, in 1974, aged 16 (these sweeps form NCDS1-3, held together with NCDS0 under SN 5565). The fourth sweep, NCDS4, was conducted in 1981, when respondents were aged 23 (held under SN 5566). In 1985 the NCDS moved to the Social Statistics Research Unit (SSRU) - now known as the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) - and the fifth sweep was carried out in 1991, when respondents were aged 33, (NCDS5, held under SN 5567). For the sixth wave, conducted in 1999-2000, when respondents were aged 41-42 (NCDS6, held under SN 5578), fieldwork was combined with the 1999-2000 wave of the 1970 Birth Cohort Study (BCS70), which is also conducted by CLS (and held at the UKDA under GN 33229).

Response dataset:
A separate dataset covering response to NCDS over all seven waves is available under SN 5560, National Child Development Study Response Dataset, 1958-2005. Users are advised to order this study alongside the other waves of NCDS.

Additional studies:
In addition to the main NCDS sweeps, some further studies have also been conducted. In 1978, a postal survey was conducted of the schools attended by members of the birth cohort at the time of the third follow-up of 1974, in order to obtain details of public examination entry and performance. Similar details were also sought from sixth-form and further education colleges etc., where these were identified by schools. Also, a 37-year sample survey of the NCDS cohort, focusing on basic skills, is held under SN 4992.

The UKDA also holds a number of NCDS-related files (for example, of data collected in the course of a special study of handicapped school-leavers, at age 18 (held under SN 2024) and the data from a 5% feasibility study, conducted at age 20 (held under SN 2025), which preceded NCDS4. A parent migration dataset, based on NCDS5, is held under SN 4324, and a study detailing partnership histories, compiled from NCDS sweeps 5 and 6, is held under SN 5217.

Further information about the full NCDS series can be found on the CLS NCDS web pages.


The ESRC-funded 'Partnership Histories' project was concerned with preparation of continuous partnership histories for female members of the NCDS aged 16-42, using data collected at three sweeps of the study - age 23 years (NCDS4), 33 (NCDS5) and 42 (NCDS6). It is based on the linkage of the consolidated NCDS4 and NCDS5 dataset (Di Salvo, 1995) and the NCDS6 deposited data. The resulting dataset, which includes cohort members with at least one partnership in either NCDS5 or NCDS6, has been used for the analysis of the link between partnership and childbearing processes. The data were derived from existing deposited data using a Stata algorithm described in the accompanying documentation (see the CLS Cohort Studies Data Note 5 publication). A corresponding dataset for the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) series was also produced during the project, and is held at the UKDA under SN 5218.

For the second edition (August 2008), the serial number has been replaced with a new one, variable Ncdsid. This change has been made for all datasets in the NCDS series. Further information may be found in the ‘CLS Confidentiality and Data Security Review’, included in the documentation.


Main Topics:
Each record in the dataset provides details of the start and end dates of each partnership episode of female cohort members, together with information on the nature of the partnership (cohabitation or marriage), and the type of transition to another state (separation, death of partner or marriage).

Dataset variables are as follows:

• serial: NCDS longitudinal identifier
• s: partnership state including single state
• b: episode beginning (year-month format)
• e: episode ending (year-month format)
• t: transition indicator
• alt: alteration of at least an episode of cohort member
• imp: imputation of at least an episode of cohort member

Coverage:
Time Period Covered: 1974-2000
Country: Great Britain
Spatial Units: No spatial units
Observation Units: Individuals
Kind of Data: Numeric data; Individual (micro) level

Universe Sampled:
Location of Units of Observation:National
Population:Each record provides details of the start and end dates of each partnership episode of female NCDS cohort members from 1974-2000.

Methodology:
Time Dimensions: Longitudinal/panel/cohort
Sampling Procedures: Cases selected were all female NCDS cohort members with at least one partnership reported between the ages of 16 and 42.
Number of Units: 6,049
Method of Data Collection: Compilation or synthesis of existing material; derived from existing data.
Weighting: No weighting used.
Data Sources: NCDS4 (held under SN 5566), NCDS5 (SN 5567) and NCDS6 (SN 5578).

Language(s) of Written Materials:
Study Description: English
Study Documentation: English

Access:
Access Conditions: The depositor has specified that registration is required and standard conditions of use apply. The depositor may be informed about usage. See terms and conditions for further information.
Availability: ESDS Longitudinal, UK Data Archive
Contact: Help desk: longitudinal@esds.ac.uk

Date of Release:
First Edition: 29 July 2005
Latest Edition: 14 August 2008 ( 2nd Edition )

Copyright:
Copyright Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Bedford Group for Lifecourse and Statistical Studies, Institute of Education

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