1946 National Survey for Health and Development

Summary of cohort

The Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey for Health and Development (NSHD), or the 1946 British birth cohort, is the oldest and longest running British birth cohort study [30-33]. NSHD originated from an initial maternity survey of 13,687 births recorded in England, Scotland and Wales during one week in March in 1946, a time when post-war rationing was still underway.

Of these births, a socially stratified sample of 5,362 singleton babies born to married parents were selected for follow-up [34]. Participants have been followed up 27 times with the most recent core sweep being a postal questionnaire at 68 years and a home visit at 69 years [33].

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSHD was included in data collection across the British birth cohorts along with NCDS, BCS70 and MCS. A web-based interview was carried out in May 2020 (Wave 1), September-October 2020 (Wave 2), and February-March 2021 (Wave 3), when NSHD members were aged 74 years.

The initial aim of NSHD was to examine how environmental factors both at home and in school affected physical and mental development and educational attainment. As the cohort has aged interest in how childhood health, development and lifelong social circumstances affect adult health and function grew and the cohort has developed into a life course study of ageing [34].

Overall participation in this study has remained high [33].  Of the 2,546 (47%) original study members who did not participate in the data collection at 68-69 years, 18% had already died, 12% had withdrawn permanently, 11% lived abroad and 7% remained untraceable for more than 5 years.

The majority of participants in NSHD are of white ethnic origin. Participants who previously reported poor general health were less likely to participate in the 68-69 year survey [33]. Lower educational attainment, lower childhood cognition, lifelong smoking, not being married and not owning one’s own home at 53 years were associated with lower response rates at 60-64 years [31].