Aberdeen Children of the 1950s

The Children of the 1950s study is a population-based resource for the study of biological and social influences on health across the life-course and between generations.

Comprising individuals born in Aberdeen, Scotland between 1950 and 1956, this cohort is based on the 12,150 people who took part in the Aberdeen Child Development Survey, a cross-sectional study in a population of all children who were attending an Aberdeen primary school in December 1962. The data collected include information on birth weight, childhood height and weight, tests of cognition and behavioural disorder, and a range of multi-level socio-economic indicators.

In the early 2000s the current vital status and whereabouts of 98.5% of the 12,150 subjects (6276 males, 5874 females) with full baseline data were ascertained. The large majority (81%) of study participants still resided in Scotland and the majority (73%) remained in the Grampian region which incorporates Aberdeen.

Linkages to hospital admissions and other health endpoints captured through the routine Scottish Morbidity Records system have been completed. A postal questionnaire to all surviving cohort members was distributed in 2001, with a response proportion of 63%.

The cohort database is now maintained as a resource for researchers, with over 40 publications to data resulting from interrogation of the data.

Last Update 21/09/2017

Types General population-based cohort
Participant Types No diagnosis
Countries United Kingdom
Genders Male and Female
Sample sizes 10,000 to 19,999
Ages 0 to 9|10 to 19
Brain related measures Behaviour|Cognitive function|Neurological
Funtional rating
Anthropometric Height|Weight
Physical Cardiovascular|Reproductive|Respiratory
Biological samples
Genotyping
Brain imaging
Brain banking
Lifestyle Alcohol|Physical activity|Smoking
Socio-economic Education|Family circumstances|Housing and accommodation|Income and finances|Marital status|Occupation and employment
Health service utilisation Formal health and social care service utilisation including private care
Institute names University of Aberdeen
Current Sample Sizes 10,000 to 19,999

age at recruitment 7-12
last updated
recruitment period 1950-1956
estimated current sample size number value
cohort acronym ACONF
start date 1962
pi Professor Phil Hannaford
website https://www.abdn.ac.uk/birth-cohorts/1950s/for-researchers/
contact details
abstract  ACONF is a population-based resource for the study of biological and social influences on health across the life-course and between generations. 12150 participants were recruited aged 7-12years between 1950 and 1956.
funders  N/A
contact email Email: [email protected]
contact phone number Telephone: +44 (0)1224 438443
estimated current sample size
sample sizes 12150