Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents & Children (ALSPAC)

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.

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Question/Data item wording	Response scale wording	Need OR provision OR receipt	Description of measure	Start Year	Age of interest	Age from	Age to	Informant	Multiple rater	Reporting term	Sweep title	Standard instrument	Dataset
Since the start of the pandemic: B35) You took on a caring role	Yes, it affected me alot Yes, moderately affected Yes, mildly affected Yes, but did not affect me at all No did not happen at all	Provision;	Caring since start of pandemic	2021	28-30	28	30	Participant	No	Since pandemic	Parents Questionnaire 2022	No	ALSPAC
Are you currently: Please cross one circle on each line. A full/part-time carer	Yes No	Provision;	Full or part-time carer	2021	28-30	28	30	Participant	No	Current	Life @ 29+	No	ALSPAC
In the past year how often have you done the following; whether at work, for a family member or friend, as a volunteer or as a hobby? d. Nursing or caring	Every day Most days About once a week Less than once a week Not at all	Provision;	Caring in past year	2021	28-30	28	30	Participant	No	Past year	Life @ 29+	No	ALSPAC
Since the start of the pandemic: B35) You took on a caring role	Yes, it affected me alot Yes, moderately affected Yes, mildly affected Yes, but did not affect me at all No did not happen at all	Provision;	Caring since start of pandemic	2021	28-30	28	30	Participant	No	Since pandemic	Life @ 29+	No	ALSPAC
Are you currently:	a. In full-time paid work (30 or more hours a week) b. In part-time paid work (less than 30 hours a week) c. In irregular or occasional work d. Doing a modern apprenticeship or other government supported training/work-experience scheme e. Unemployed and looking for work f. Unable to work through sickness/disability g. In full-time education h. Doing voluntary work i. Self-employed j. A full/part-time carer k. Other (please specify)	Provision;	Full or part-time carer	2014	21-23	21	23	Child	No	Current	Life at 22+	No	ALSPAC
Are you currently: Please cross one box on each line.	a. In full-time paid work (30 or more hours a week) b. In part-time paid work (less than 30 hours a week) c. In irregular or occasional work d. Retired e. Unemployed and looking for work f. Unable to work through sickness/disability g. In full-time education h. In part-time education i. Doing voluntary work j. Self-employed k. A full/part-time carer l. Other work or education activity (please describe)	Provision;	Full or part-time carer	2020	16-120	16	120	Partner	No	Current	Parents 2020	No	ALSPAC
How many hours each week approximately do you spend time doing the following:	a) Preparing food, cooking and washing up b) Shopping for food and groceries c) Shopping and browsing in shops for other items (e.g. clothes, toys) d) Cleaning the house e) Doing the washing and ironing f) Caring for pre-school children or babies at home (not as paid employment) g) Caring for handicapped, elderly or disabled people at home (not as paid employment)	Provision;	Caring responsibilities	2002	16-120	16	120	Partner	No	Current	Lifestyle and health of partner	No	ALSPAC
The following questions are about activities you might do during a typical day. Does your health limit you in these activities? If so how much?	a) Vigorous activities, such as running, lifting heavy objects, participating in strenuous sports b) Moderate activities, such as moving a table, pushing a vacuum, bowling or playing golf c) Lifting or carrying groceries 1 2 3 d) Climbing several flights of stairs 1 2 3 e) Climbing one flight of stairs 1 2 3 f) Bending, kneeling or stooping 1 2 3 g) Walking more than a mile 1 2 3 h) Walking several hundred yards 1 2 3 i) Walking one hundred yards 1 2 3 j) Bathing and dressing yourself	Need;	Ability to complete IADL/ADLs	2010	17-19	17	19	Child	No	Current	Your changing life	No	ALSPAC
The following questions are about activities you might do during a typical day. Does your health limit you in these activities? If so how much?	a) Vigorous activities, such as running, lifting heavy objects, participating in strenuous sports b) Moderate activities, such as moving a table, pushing a vacuum, bowling or playing golf c) Lifting or carrying groceries 1 2 3 d) Climbing several flights of stairs 1 2 3 e) Climbing one flight of stairs 1 2 3 f) Bending, kneeling or stooping 1 2 3 g) Walking more than a mile 1 2 3 h) Walking several hundred yards 1 2 3 i) Walking one hundred yards 1 2 3 j) Bathing and dressing yourself	Need;	Ability to complete IADL/ADLs	2013	20-22	20	22	Child	No	Current	Your life now (21 years)	No	ALSPAC
Are you currently:	a. In full-time paid work (30 or more hours a week) b. In part-time paid work (less than 30 hours a week) c. In irregular or occasional work d. Retired e. Unemployed and looking for work f. Unable to work through sickness/disability g. In full-time education h. In part-time education i. Doing voluntary work j. Self-employed k. A full/part-time carer l. Other work or education activity (please describe)	Provision;	Full or part-time carer	2020	16-120	16	120	Participant	No	Current	Parents 2020	No	ALSPAC
Are you currently:	a. In full-time paid work (30 or more hours a week) b. In part-time paid work (less than 30 hours a week) c. In irregular or occasional work d. Doing a modern apprenticeship or other government supported training/work-experience scheme e. Unemployed and looking for work f. Unable to work through sickness/disability g. In full-time education h. Doing voluntary work i. Self-employed j. A full/part-time carer k. Other (please specify)	Provision;	Full or part-time carer	2017	24-26	24	26	Child	No	Current	Life at 25+	No	ALSPAC
Were you ever ‘in care’ of either a local authority or voluntary agency (e.g. Barnardo’s)?	Yes No Unsure	Receipt;	History of being in care	2019	26-28	26	28	Child	No	Entire life	Life at 27+	No	ALSPAC
Are you currently: Please cross one circle on each line.	a. In full-time paid work (30 or more hours a week) b. In part-time paid work (less than 30 hours a week) c. In irregular or occasional work d. Doing a modern apprenticeship or other government supported training/work-experience scheme e. Unemployed and looking for work f. Unable to work through sickness/disability g. In full-time education h. In part-time education i. Doing voluntary work j. Self-employed k. A full/part-time carer l. Other (please specify)	Provision;	Full or part-time carer	2019	26-28	26	28	Child	No	Current	Life at 27+	No	ALSPAC
How many hours each week approximately do you spend time doing the following: a) Preparing food, cooking and washing up b) Shopping for food and groceries c) Shopping and browsing in shops for other items (e.g. clothes, toys) d) Cleaning the house e) Doing the washing and ironing f) Caring for pre-school children or babies at home (not as paid employment) g) Caring for handicapped, elderly or disabled people at home (not as paid employment)	Response scale for each data item: None Less than 1 hour Between 1 and 3 hours Between 3 and 6 hours Between 6 and 10 hours Between 10 and 15 hours More than 15 hours	Provision;	Caring responsibilities and hours per week	2002	16-120	16	120	Participant	No	Current	Lifestyle and health of mother (11y)	No	ALSPAC
The following questions are about activities you might do during a typical day. Does your health limit you in these activities? If so, how much? a) Vigorous activities, such as running, lifting heavy objects, participating in strenuous sports b) Moderate activities, such as moving a table, pushing a vacuum, bowling or playing golf c) Lifting or carrying groceries d) Climbing several flights of stairs e) Climbing one flight of stairs f) Bending, kneeling or stooping g) Walking more than a mile h) Walking half a mile i) Walking 100 yards j) Bathing and dressing yourself	Response scale for all data items: Yes, limited a lot Yes, limited a little No, not limited at all	Need;	Ability to complete IADL/ADLs	2010	16-120	16	120	Participant	No	Current	You and your life 2010	No	ALSPAC
Are you/your partner currently?	Employed in a paid job (full or part-time) Retired Unemployed and seeking work Unable to work through sickness/disability Full/part-time student Doing voluntary work Looking after family/home Self employed Full/Part time carer Other, please describe:	Provision;	Full or part-time carer	2012	16-120	16	120	Participant	No	Current	Your life 2013	No	ALSPAC
The following questions are about activities you might do during a typical day. Does your health limit you in these activities? If so, how much? a) Vigorous activities, such as running, lifting heavy objects, participating in strenuous sports b) Moderate activities, such as moving a table, pushing a vacuum, bowling or playing golf c) Lifting or carrying groceries d) Climbing several flights of stairs e) Climbing one flight of stairs f) Bending, kneeling or stooping g) Walking more than a mile h) Walking half a mile i) Walking 100 yards j) Bathing and dressing yourself	Response scale for all data items: Yes, limited a lot Yes, limited a little No, not limited at all	Provision;	Ability to complete IADL/ADLs	2012	16-120	16	120	Participant	No	Current	Your life 2013	No	ALSPAC

England

Aims

The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents & Children (ALSPAC) is a multi-generational, population-based prospective birth cohort study. Established in the early 90s, ALSPAC follows the lives of over 14,500 people born between April 1991 and December 1992 and their family members. Children and their families have been followed intensively, primarily with annual questionnaires, as well as clinical assessments for a sub-sample of cohort members. ALSPAC was specifically designed to understand the ways in which genetic and environmental factors interact to influence health, behaviour, and development across the lifespan. The ALSPAC study has collected data using a range of methods. Mental health measures collected in postal questionnaires and from clinic assessments are detailed on the Catalogue.

Institution

University of Bristol

Geographic coverage - Nations

Bath and North East Somerset; Bristol; North Somerset; South Gloucestershire;

Start date

1990

Minimum age at recruitment

Sample Size

3,400

Sample

Study design

Pregnancy cohort

Sample details

Pregnant women residing in Avon with an expected delivery date between the 1 April 1991 and the 31 December 1992 were eligible to participate. The initial sample was recruited during Phase I, in which mothers enrolled in the study during pregnancy and then either returned at least one questionnaire or attended a ""Children in Focus"" clinic by 19 July 1999. This initial sample consisted of 14,541 pregnancies (14,676 foetuses, with 195 twin, 3 triplet and 1 quadruplet pregnancies), resulting in 14,062 live births. 13,988 children (cohort members) were alive at 1 year of age. Eligible cohort members who did not join in Phase I have joined the study through major recruitment drives since the cohort members were 7 years old. A further 913 eligible cohort members have been enrolled in this way. As a result of further enrolment during Phases II (7years), III (8 years) and IV (18 years), the baseline sample consists of 15,454 pregnancies (15,589 known foetuses) and 14,901 cohort members alive at 1 year of age. During pregnancy, partners/fathers were recruited via the mother. More recently, fathers have been recruited directly by the ALSPAC team and via the cohort members. Measures relating to cohort members’ grandparents have also been collected from the cohort members, mothers and fathers. The study has been extended to include cohort members’ children. This study, known as ALSPAC-Generation 2 (COCO90s), is not currently included in the Catalogue, but more information is available here.

Sex

All

Sample Characteristics

Birth cohort

Sample size at most recent sweep

~3,400 (cohort members) (Life at 27+)

Individual data available (e.g. upon special request)?

Yes

Data Access Level

Restricted access only (application required)

Data Access

Contact study team - Proposal

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/researchers/access/

Regional variable present?

Yes

Local Authority variable present?

Yes

Complementary Data

Brain activity and structures
Genetic/genomic data
Linked administrative data
Mapping/spatial data
Observational/qualitative data

Genetic Data Collected

Yes

Linked Data

Education data
Environmental data
Health data
Social media data

HDR UK Innovation Gateway

https://web.www.healthdatagateway.org/dataset/255d70c6-9a50-4b62-adc0-44216606a216

Website

www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/

Notes

Also known as Children of the 90s (CO90s).

Related Measures

Benefits, Biomarkers, Cognitive measures, Covid-19 data collection, Diet and nutrition, Education, Ethnicity and race, Faith/religion, Household composition, Housing, Income/household income, Language and literacy, Loneliness and social isolation, Mental health measures, Migration and immigration, Neighbourhood and community, Parenting and family, Physical health assessment, Political and social attitudes, Pollution, Quality of life/wellbeing, Sexuality and gender identity, Sleep problems, Social security, Social support, Socioeconomic status and deprivation, Transport services, Work and employment,

Study Code

ALSPAC

Reference paper(s)

Boyd, A., Golding, J., Macleod, J., Lawlor, D. A., Fraser, A., Henderson, J., … & Davey Smith, G. (2013). Cohort profile: the ‘children of the 90s’—the index offspring of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. International journal of epidemiology, 42(1), 111-127.

doi.org/10.1093/ije/dys064

Northstone, K., Lewcock, M., Groom, A., Boyd, A., Macleod, J., Timpson, N., & Wells, N. (2019). The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC): an update on the enrolled sample of index children in 2019. Wellcome open research, 4.

doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15132.1

Fraser, A., Macdonald-Wallis, C., Tilling, K., Boyd, A., Golding, J., Davey Smith, G., … & Lawlor, D. A. (2013). Cohort profile: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: ALSPAC mothers cohort. International journal of epidemiology, 42(1), 97-110.

doi.org/10.1093/ije/dys066

Smith D, Bowring C, Wells N et al. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children – A resource for COVID-19 research: Questionnaire data capture November 2020 – March 2021. Wellcome Open Res 2021, 6:155

doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16950.1

Funders

MRC Wellcome BristolUni

Catalogue of Social Care Data

UNITING SOCIAL CARE DATA