HomeAbout usData SharingFindingsData collectionArchiveContact Us MRC National Survey of Health and Development The Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) is the oldest of the British birth cohort studies. It is unique in having data from birth on the health and social circumstances of a representative sample (N=5362) of men and women born in England, Scotland or Wales in March 1946. The NSHD is housed within the MRC Unit of Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL (LHA), which was established in 2008 and has been directed by Nish Chaturvedi since 2017. About Us Find out more about the NSHD and it's history Data collections Learn more about the studies we are conducting Data sharing Information about data access and how to cite our DOIs Archive Discover our archive and how we celebrate our study member’ birthdays Findings Find out what have we have learnt from the study Contact Us Search this site Tweets by MRCLHA ©2021 MRC LHA & NSHD.

HomeAbout usData SharingFindingsData collectionArchiveContact Us About Us Research History of the NSHD Cohort profile Impact of NSHD MRC LHA & NSHD > About us About us The MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) has informed UK health care, education and social policy for more than 70 years and is the oldest and longest running of the British birth cohort studies. 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. From an initial maternity survey of 13,687 of all births recorded in England, Scotland and Wales during one week of March, 1946, a socially stratified sample of 5,362 singleton babies born to married parents was selected for follow-up. This sample comprises the NSHD cohort and participants have been studied 25 times. 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. The research team is now investigating the factors which lead to healthy ageing. ©2021 MRC LHA & NSHD.