Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)
ALSPAC, also known as Children of the 90s, is a prospective, population-based birth cohort study. The study was designed to understand the ways in which genetic and environmental factors interact to influence health, behaviour and development across the lifespan. Over 14,000 children born between April 1991 and December 1992 were initially included in the study from over 14,500 pregnant mothers recruited antenatally. ALSPAC participants were born to mothers residing in the Bristol & District Health Authority Area (Former Avon Health Authority Area) at the time of recruitment. Further recruitment occurred at age 7 years, with over 450 additional children recruited into the study. Similarly between age 8-18 years, over 250 further children were added to the cohort, and after turning 18, just under 200 further children enrolled in the study. Data has primarily been collected for the ALSPAC participants and mothers, but has also been collected regarding the mothers' partners, and the children's fathers and grandparents.
Study design
Cohort - birth, Cohort - primary caregiver and child, Cohort
Number of participants at first data collection
14,541 (mothers)
14,062 (children)
Age at first data collection
Birth (children)
Varied (mothers)
Participant year of birth
1991 - 1992 (children)
Varied (mothers)
Participant sex
All
Representative sample at baseline?
No
Sample features
Countries
Year of first data collection
1990
Primary Institutions
University of Bristol
Profile paper DOI
Funders
Medical Research Council (MRC)
University of Bristol
Wellcome Trust
Ongoing?
Yes
Data types collected
- Computer, paper or task testing (e.g. cognitive testing, theory of mind doll task, attention computer tasks)
- Interview – face-to-face
- Physical or biological assessment (e.g. blood, saliva, gait, grip strength, anthropometry)
- Secondary data
- Self-completed questionnaire – unspecified
- Interviews or focus groups
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
- Education data
- Geographic, spatial & environmental data
- Healthcare data
- Social media & technology use data
Engagement
Keywords
Consortia and dataset groups
