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Why my early 60s?

We are keen to hear from you every few years to keep up-to-date with how your lives are changing. Now you are entering your sixties; many of you are planning for retirement, having grandchildren and experiencing new things. We’d love to hear about your lives right now.

Why take part?

Taking part in the study is a chance to represent your generation, and to inform the support and services available in the future. The study will inform and improve policy in areas such as health, work and pensions. Most people usually enjoy taking part and find it’s a useful opportunity to reflect on life.

Who is running the study?

The study is managed by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies at the UCL Social Research Institute, a department of University College London (UCL). The visits are being conducted by two experienced independent social research organisations, NatCen Social Research, and Kantar Public, who have both conducted previous NCDS surveys. Health visits are being conducted by NatCen […]

Who is paying for the survey?

The Life in Your Early 60s Survey is funded by: – the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) – the Medical Research Council (MRC) – the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Will the funders see my replies?

No, they will not know who said what. The names and address of respondents interviewed in this survey are only seen by a small number of researchers at the Centre of Longitudinal Studies, NatCen Social Research and Kantar Public who are involved in this study. Names and addresses will be kept separate from the questionnaire […]

What does the survey involve?

We would like you to take part in the following: – an interview about your home life, relationships, housing, economic circumstances, and health – a paper questionnaire covering wellbeing, values, physical activity and leisure activities – a paper questionnaire about how well you remember your childhood – a visit from a healthcare professional who will […]

Why do you ask questions about my partner and other members of my family?

Our surveys often include questions about your partner, parents, children and other people who you may live with. This is important because family circumstances have a huge impact on people’s lives. We ask for some personal information relating to family members, including names.  This is so that in later surveys we can refer back to […]

How long will it take?

The interview will take around 90 minutes, and the health visit will take about an hour.

Is it compulsory to take part?

Taking part is completely voluntary, but most members of the study find it an enjoyable and interesting experience to reflect on life. You can skip any questions that you would rather not answer. Likewise, in the health visit you can agree to the health measurements that you want to take part in, and decide not […]

Can I take part in just the interview part?

Yes. Agreeing to the health visit is your choice. During the health visit you can decide to consent to some, all, or none of the measurements – this will not affect your participation in the study as a whole.  We really hope you do agree to a health visit as this will make the information […]