Documentation   Keywords  Publications  Related Studies

Title:
Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, 1990-2003: Social Science Sampler Datasets
(ALSPAC; Children of the 90s)

Subject Categories:
General - Employment and labour
Childbearing, family planning and abortion - Health
General - Health
Housing
Community and urban studies - Society and culture
Social attitudes and behaviour - Society and culture
Social indicators and quality of life - Society and culture
Child development and child rearing - Social stratification and groupings
Social and occupational mobility - Social stratification and groupings

Depositor(s):
University of Bristol. Department of Social Medicine. Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Principal Investigator(s):
University of Bristol. Department of Social Medicine. Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Sponsor(s):
Economic and Social Research Council
University of Bristol
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Home Office
United States. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health

Grant Number:
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC): RES-587-47-0001

Other Acknowledgements:
Throughout the lifetime of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), many organisations have provided funding for specific aspects of data collection and processing. These include but are not limited to: the Medical Research Council (MRC); South West Regional Health Authority; Cow and Gate; Meat and Livestock Commission; British Gas; Milupa; Department of Health; Department for Employment and Education (DfEE); Hewlett Packard; Clothworkers' Guild; British Heart Foundation; Northern Region Research and Development Directorate; Smith's Charities; the Wellcome Trust; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF); Special Trustees of United Bristol Health Trust (UBHT); March of Dimes Foundation; and Remedi.

Abstract:
The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, and also known as the 'Children of the 90s' study), which is based at the University of Bristol, is an ongoing longitudinal study of a population of children born to mothers resident in one geographic area in England. The overall objectives of the study are to understand the ways in which the physical and social environments interact over time with genetic inheritance to affect health, behaviour and development in infancy, childhood and then into adulthood. Information has been collected at regular and frequent intervals from pregnancy and throughout childhood concerning the child's physical environments, parental characteristics (including economic and educational indicators), social circumstances, and family relationships. ALSPAC recruited more than 14,000 pregnant women with estimated dates of delivery between April 1991 and December 1992, who were living in the Avon Health Authority area, to take part in the study. These women, the children arising from the index pregnancy and the women's partners have been followed up since then and detailed data collected throughout childhood.

The datasets held at the UKDA are sampler datasets, and have been compiled using various questionnaire and assessment data from the ALSPAC study. Further information may be found in the documentation, and for the wider study, on the ALSPAC web site.


Main Topics:
The ALSPAC study collects data using a variety of methods, including:

• self-completion questionnaires completed by the child's mother
• self-completion questionnaires completed by the mother’s partner
• assays of biological samples, including genetics
• medical records
• educational records
• information from teachers and head teachers
• self-completion questionnaires completed by the study child
• hands-on assessments

Coverage:
Time Period Covered: 1990-2003
Country: England
Geography: Avon
Spatial Units: No spatial unit
Observation Units: Individuals; Families/households
Kind of Data: Numeric data; Alpha/numeric data; Individual (micro) level

Universe Sampled:
Location of Units of Observation:Subnational
Population:ALSPAC recruited more than 14,000 pregnant women with estimated dates of delivery between April 1991 and December 1992 who were living in the then Avon Health Authority area (now Avon NHS Trust). These women, the children arising from the index pregnancy and the women's partners have been followed up since then and detailed data collected throughout childhood.

Methodology:
Time Dimensions: Longitudinal/panel/cohort
Data have been collected regularly from 1990 onwards. The UKDA datasets comprise data from 1990-2003.
Sampling Procedures: No sampling (total universe); Quasi-random (eg random walk) sample
Method of Data Collection: Postal survey; Self-completion; Educational measurements; Clinical measurements; Physical measurements; Compilation or synthesis of existing material
Weighting: No weighting used
Data Sources: Child height data were transcribed from the Avon Health Authority area Child Health Database.

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: 8 June 2009

Copyright:
Copyright Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

READ File

Download Acrobat PDF Reader