National Survey of Health and Development
The MRC National Survey of Health and Development
1946 (NSHD) has collected information from birth to
the current day on the health and life circumstances of five and a
half thousand men and women born during one week in March in 1946.
As the study and its study members reach 65 years, we celebrate
this very special milestone with a few trips down memory lane.
Every year since their 16th birthday, study members
have received a birthday card from the
research team. As expected, these have changed over time but we
hope they will bring back many happy memories.
To celebrate their 21st birthday, (1967)
‘Penny Lane’
by the Beatles was requested and played for them on the radio, a
gesture repeated for their 65th. We also had a very special birthday message from Baroness Joan
Bakewell DBE. A short documentary
celebrating the Douglas Children and NSHD at 65 has also been
made.
As they were growing up, study members were asked to complete a
variety of cognitive tests. Here are some of the questions asked when they were 15 years old.
A new illustrated brochure about the
NSHD has been published. Study members will have received a copy
with this year's birthday card. In the brochure we have
tried to answer as many of the questions raised by study members as
possible. We have also included some of the memories of being in
the study that were sent to the research team. If you are
study member and have not received your copy, please contact the
LHA office.
The 65th birthday attracted a great deal of interest from the
media. Links to freely available articles, editorials and
podcasts can be found here.