MRC National Survey of Health & Development (MRC)
Measures describe a question asked to a participant during a survey or an item of information requested from a manager when they fill out a data return. For example, ‘Who do you live with?’ is a measure and the possible responses might be, mother, father, brother, sister etc.
Need/provision/receipt | Description of measure | Start Year | Age range | Age from | Age to | Informant | Multiple rater | Reporting term | Sweep title | Standard instrument | Question/Data item | Response scale | Notes | Physical health measures | Dataset | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Need; | Frequency of care | 2020 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 3 | No | In the last four weeks how many hours of help has someone you lived with usually received each week? |
Up to 4 hours |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Who helps | 2020 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 3 | No | In the last four weeks who has provided the person you live with the help they have needed. Please tick all that apply |
Nobody-needs were not met |
MRC | |||
Provision; | Care to someone else | 2020 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 3 | No | In the last four weeks has someone you lived with needed help with personal task (washing, dressing) or domestic tasks (shopping, providing meals) because they could not manage them alone? |
Yes-someone I lived with needed help |
MRC | |||
Need; | Frequency of care | 2020 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 3 | No | In the last four weeks how many hours of help have you usually received each week? |
Up to 4 hours |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Who helps | 2020 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 3 | No | In the last four weeks who has provided you with the help you have needed. Please tick all that apply |
Nobody-needs were not met |
MRC | |||
Need; | Help with ADLs & IADLs | 2020 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 3 | No | In the last four weeks have you needed help with personal task (washing, dressing) or domestic tasks (shopping, providing meals) because you could not manage them alone? |
Yes I needed help No |
MRC | |||
Need; | Frequency of care | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the last four weeks how many hours of help has someone you lived with usually received each week? |
Up to 4 hours |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Who helps | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the last four weeks who has provided the person you live with the help they have needed. Please tick all that apply |
Me Nobody-needs were not met |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Who helps | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Wave 1 | No | Who provided this help? Please tick all that apply |
“Husband/wife/partner/self |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Who helps | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the past month before the Coronavirus outbreak in March, who provided you with the help you needed? Please tick all that apply. |
Nobody- needs were not met Husband/wife/partner/self |
MRC | |||
Need; | Frequency of care | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past Week | Wave 1 | No | Since the Coronavirus outbreak, how many hours help have you or someone you live with typically received each week? |
0 hours. Up to 4 hours |
MRC | |||
Provision; | Change in care | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past 12 Months | Wave 1 | No | Since the Coronavirus outbreak have you or someone you live with had a change in help needed and/or received? |
Yes, there has been a change to the care needed or received |
MRC | |||
Need; | Frequency of care | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past Week | Wave 1 | No | Altogether how many hours help have you received with these tasks in the last week |
Up to 4 hours |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Who helps | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Wave 1 | No | Who provided this help? Please tick all that apply |
Husband/wife/partner/self |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs, IADLs | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past 12 Months | Wave 1 | No | Before the Coronavirus outbreak did you or a person you live with usually get help with regular personal tasks (washing, dressing) or domestic tasks (shopping, providing meals) that cannot be managed alone? |
No help needed |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Who helps | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | If you (and your spouse) needed help with daily activities because of sickness, frailty or disability, who would be most likely to provide help? |
Son (including stepson, adopted son or son in law) |
MRC | |||
Provision; | Who you help | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Who do you look after or help that lives with you? |
Wife/husband/partner |
MRC | |||
Provision; | Care to someone else | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Is there anyone living with you who is sick, frail, or has a disability whom you look after or give special help to (for example, a sick, disabled, or older relative/husband/wife/friend etc.) |
No |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Frequency of care | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past Week | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Altogether how many hours help have you received with these tasks in the last week |
No help in the past week |
MRC | |||
Need; | Help with ADLs & IADLs | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the past month before the Coronavirus outbreak in March did you need help with personal tasks( washing, dressing) or domestic tasks (shopping, providing meals) because you could not manage them alone? |
Yes I needed help No |
MRC | |||
Need; | Frequency of care | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past Week | Wave 2 | No | In the month before the Coronavirus outbreak in March how many hours of help did you usually get each week ? |
Up to 4 hours |
MRC | |||
Need; | Care to someone else | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the month before the Coronavirus outbreak in March did someone you lived with need help with personal tasks (washing, dressing) or domestic tasks (shopping, providing meals) because they could not manage alone? |
Yes-someone you lived with needed help |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Who helps | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the month before the Coronavirus outbreak in March who provided the person you live with the help they needed? Please tick all that apply. |
Nobody-needs were not met |
MRC | |||
Need; | Frequency of care | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the month before the Coronavirus outbreak in March how many hours of help did the person you live with usually get each week? |
Up to 4 hours |
MRC | |||
Need; | Help with ADLs & IADLs | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the last four weeks have you needed help with personal task (washing, dressing) or domestic tasks (shopping, providing meals) because you could not manage them alone? |
Yes I needed help No |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Who helps | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the last four weeks who has provided you with the help you have needed. Please tick all that apply |
“Nobody-needs were not met |
MRC | |||
Need; | Frequency of care | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the last four weeks how many hours of help have you usually received each week? |
Up to 4 hours |
MRC | |||
Provision; | Care to someone else | 2019 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Wave 2 | No | In the last four weeks has someone you lived with needed help with personal task (washing, dressing) or domestic tasks (shopping, providing meals) because they could not manage them alone? |
Yes-someone I lived with needed help |
MRC | |||
Need; | IADLs-home maintenance/housecleaning | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: doing routine housework or laundry? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | IADLs-who helps | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past month | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Please tell me about all the people on the list who have helped you with these tasks in the last month |
No help received in past month |
MRC | |||
Need; | IADLs- managing transportation | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: getting out of the home, for example to go to the doctors or to visit a friend? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | IADLs- shopping | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: shopping for food including getting to the shops, choosing the items, carrying the items home, and then unpacking and putting the items away? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | IADLs-managing finances | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: doing paperwork and paying household bills? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | IADLs- meal preparation | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: preparing hot meals? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | IADLs-managing medication | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: taking the right amount of medicines at the right time? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-dressing | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Can you dress and undress yourself, including putting on your shoes and socks, without aids/special items or personal help? |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-transferring | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: getting in or out of a chair? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-transferring | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Can you get in or out of a chair without aids or personal help? |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-transferring | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: getting in or out of bed? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-transferring | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Can you get in and out of bed without aids or personal help? |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-walking | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: getting around indoors? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-walking | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Can you get around indoors without aids or personal help? |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-toileting | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: using the toilet? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-toileting | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Can you use the toilet without aids or personal help? |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-feeding | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: feeding yourself, including cutting up food? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-feeding | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Can you feed yourself, including cutting up food, without aids or personal help? |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs, IADLs - who helps | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Please tell me about all the people on the list who have helped you with these tasks in the last month |
No help received in past month |
MRC | |||
Receipt; | Frequency of care | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Past Week | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Altogether how many hours help have you received with these tasks in the last week |
No help in the past week |
MRC | |||
Need; | IADLs- meal preparation & home maintenance | 2008 | 60-64 | 60 | 64 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Clinic Schedule | No | Is it difficult because of long term health problems for you to do any of the following activities? A) go shopping and carry a full bag of shopping in each hand? B) do heavy housework? C) prepare a hot meal |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | IADL- managing finances | 2008 | 60-64 | 60 | 64 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Clinic Schedule | No | On your present household income do you find (as a family) |
That it’s really quite hard to manage |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-bathing | 2008 | 60-64 | 60 | 64 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Clinic Schedule | No | Is it difficult because of long term health problems for you to do any of the following activities? A) washing hands and face? If yes can you do it without aids or personal help? |
No Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-bathing | 2008 | 60-64 | 60 | 64 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Clinic Schedule | No | b) bathing or showering? If yes can you do it without aids or personal help? |
No Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-dressing | 2008 | 60-64 | 60 | 64 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Clinic Schedule | No | c) dressing or undressing? If yes can you do it without aids or personal help? |
No Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-transferring | 2008 | 60-64 | 60 | 64 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Clinic Schedule | No | d) getting in or out of a chair ? If yes can you do it without aids or personal help? |
No Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-transferring | 2008 | 60-64 | 60 | 64 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Clinic Schedule | No | e) getting to the toilet? If yes can you do it without aids or personal help? |
No Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-toileting | 2008 | 60-64 | 60 | 64 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Clinic Schedule | No | f) using the toilet? If yes can you do it without aids or personal help? |
No Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-feeding | 2008 | 60-64 | 60 | 64 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Clinic Schedule | No | g) feeding yourself, including cutting up food? If yes can you do it without aids or personal help? |
No Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs, IADLs | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Postal Questionnaire | No | The following question asks you to indicate the level of physical and mental fatigue (i.e., tiredness, exhaustion) you expect or imagine when competing each of the ten listed activities. Leisurely walk for 30 minutes Have you done this activity within the last month? |
0 No Fatigue 1 YES |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-walking | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty walking for a quarter of a mile on this level? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-walking | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty walking up and down stairs? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-walking | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | When walking up and down a flight of 12 stairs do you need to |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-grooming | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: Cutting your toenails? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-grooming | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Can you cut your toenails without personal help? |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-bathing | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: Bathing and/or showering (including getting into and out of the bath or shower)? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-bathing | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Can you bath or shower without aids or personal help? |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-bathing | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: Washing your hands and face? |
No |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-bathing | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Can you wash your hands and face without aids or personal help? |
Yes |
MRC | |||
Need; | ADLs-dressing | 2014 | 68-70 | 68 | 70 | Participant | No | Current | Nurse Home Schedule | No | Do you have difficulty with any of the following activities…: dressing and undressing yourself? |
No |
MRC |
Overview
Aims
The MRC National Survey of Health and Development is the oldest and longest running continually-studied British birth cohort study, having followed a sample of 5,362 men and women born in England, Scotland and Wales since their birth in one week in March, 1946. During their childhood, the main aim of the NSHD was to investigate how the environment at home and at school affected physical and mental development and educational attainment. During adulthood, the main aim was to investigate how childhood health and development and lifetime social circumstances affected their adult health and function and how these change with age. Today, with study members in their seventies, the NSHD offers a unique opportunity to explore the long-term biological and social processes of ageing and how ageing is affected by factors acting across the whole of life.
Institution
MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, University College London
Geographic coverage - Nations
England; National; Scotland; Wales;
Start date
Minimum age at recruitment
0
Sample Size
5,362
Sample
Study design
Birth Cohort Study
Sample details
From an initial maternity survey of 13,687 of all births recorded in England, Scotland and Wales during one week of March, 1946, a class stratified sample of 5,362 singleton babies born to married parents was selected for follow-up. The sample was distributed geographically in proportion to the national population. The study population has not been augmented in any way and now aims to be as far as possible representative of single, native born individuals born to married mothers who are still resident in England, Wales, or Scotland; it cannot therefore be representative of immigrants.
Sex
All
Sample Characteristics
Ageing cohort
Sample size at most recent sweep
2,648 - 2014-16 Follow-Up
Data
Data Access
skylark.ucl.ac.uk/NSHD/doku.php?id=nshd:data-access-requests
https://skylark.ucl.ac.uk/NSHD/doku.php?id=nshd:data-access-requests
Complementary Data
Brain activity and structures
Genetic/genomic data
Linked administrative data
Genetic Data Collected
Yes
Linked Data
Health data
HDR UK Innovation Gateway
Additional information
Reference paper(s)
Kuh, D, Wong, A, Shah, I et al. (2016). The MRC National Survey of Health and Development reaches age 70: maintaining participation at older ages in a birth cohort study. European Journal of Epidemiology, 31:1135-1147.
doi.org/10.1007/s10654-016-0217-8
Full list of cohort profile papers available at nshd.mrc.ac.uk/about-us/cohort-profile
Funders
MRC