Working papers

Response burden and survey participation: experimental evidence on the effect of interview length on non-response conversion

Exploring the best methods for non-response conversion is essential to maintain high response rates to social surveys, particularly among underrepresented groups. This paper, which uses experimental data from the Next Steps Age 32 Survey, examines whether re-contacting non-respondents and asking them to complete shorter, online surveys can increase participation among this group.

The effect of targeted incentives on response rates and representativeness: evidence from the Next Steps Age 32 Survey – CLS Working Paper 2024/4

Maintaining high response rates is a challenge facing social surveys everywhere – it’s crucial we explore a wide range of methods to boost survey participation, particularly among underrepresented groups. This paper, which uses experimental data from the Next Steps Age 32 Survey, examines whether offering larger incentives to previous non-respondents can increase participation among this group.

Not just grades: The far-reaching consequences of failing to gain a grade 4-9 in English and Maths GCSEs – CLS Working Paper 2024/3

This paper examines the post-16 experiences of teenagers in England who did not obtain a pass grade in their English and/or Maths GCSEs, using data from the Millennium Cohort Study. Those who did not obtain pass grades in English or Maths were more likely than their peers to experience poorer health and wellbeing at ages 17-18, and to have been involved in criminal behaviour.

Changing trust in the UK government during the COVID-19 pandemic – CLS Working Paper 2024/2

This paper compares data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) and the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) to evaluate changing trust in the UK government over the course of the pandemic. Across both cohorts, prior attachment to the conservative party was linked to higher trust ratings in the government and their handling of the pandemic, while being a graduate was associated with a worse evaluation of the government’s handling of the pandemic. Sex, vaccine reluctance and country of residence were also found to impact trust ratings.

Examining sample representativeness and data quality in the linked Next Steps survey and Student Loans Company administrative data – CLS Working Paper 2024/1

Linked cohort and administrative data provide rich resources with wide ranging research possibilities, yet understanding representativeness and quality of linked data is important. Through examination of linked Next Steps age 25 survey data and Student Loans Company data, the linked sample was found to be reasonably representative of wider populations, and data quality was found to be high. However, those from ethnic minority or more disadvantaged backgrounds were slightly underrepresented in the linked sample, due to lower linkage consent rates.

Mediation of the association of prenatal maternal smoking with time to natural menopause in daughters by birthweight-for gestational-age z-score and breastfeeding duration – CLS Working Paper 2023/4

Maternal smoking during pregnancy, lower birth weight, and shorter breastfeeding duration, have all been linked to the earlier onset of menopause in daughters. This study investigates the mediating effect of birthweight and breastfeeding duration on the relationship between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the time to natural menopause in daughters. The findings show that the consequences of smoking during pregnancy may partly be offset by foetal growth and longer breastfeeding duration to the extent that they mediate the risk of earlier menopause.

Economic activities of care leavers and children of care leavers: employment, education and training (EET) disadvantages over the life course – CLS Working Paper 2023/3

Relatively little is known about the long-term economic activities of care leavers and their attachment to the labour market, and even less about the education and employment outcomes of the children of care leavers. Using data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70), findings from this study show that cohort members who have experienced care, and the children of mothers who experienced care, acquired fewer qualifications and spent fewer months in employment, education or training (EET) over a 30-year period than their peers without care experience in their family.

The relationship between maternal care experience and early child development: Evidence from the UK – CLS Working Paper 2023/2

This paper examines the relationship between maternal out-of-home care (OHC) experience and her child’s early behavioural, emotional and cognitive development, drawing on data collected for the UK Millennium Cohort Study.

Using linked Hospital Episode Statistics data to aid the handling of non-response and restore sample representativeness in the 1958 National Child Development Study – CLS Working Paper 2023/1

There is growing interest in whether linked administrative data have the potential to aid analyses subject to missing data in cohort studies. The authors used linked 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) NHS Digital Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for this research project.

Trust in government, trust in others and compliance with social distancing: findings from the CLS COVID-19 web survey across four National Longitudinal Studies during 2020-2021 – CLS Working Paper 2022/9

Only children and cognitive ability in childhood: a cross-cohort analysis over 50 years in the UK – CLS Working Paper 2022/8

Using data from four British birth cohorts, we investigate whether the association between being an only child and cognitive ability in childhood has changed over time. Findings show that only children have higher cognitive scores than children from larger families. However, the ‘only child advantage’ has weakened across cohorts as the composition of the only child group has become more associated with disadvantage. The results highlight diversity in only children whose characteristics are conditional on changes throughout time and society.

Intergenerational transmission of educational disadvantage: Educational progression of children of care leavers compared to other children in a general population sample – CLS Working Paper 2022/7

There is persistent evidence showing that care-leavers tend to have lower educational outcomes than their peers. However, less is known on whether this educational disadvantage transfers to the second generation. Drawing on data collected from families living in England in the nationally representative UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), the findings suggest intergenerational transmission of educational disadvantage, but that once socioeconomic inequalities are accounted for, children of care-leavers perform comparably to their peers in their educational progression to GCSE level. Findings are discussed regarding implications for policy.