Bristol’s Children of the 90s seeks participants to attend its biggest ever clinic

A Children of the 90s participant having their height measured by a nurse

Press release issued: 21 March 2024

Thousands of Bristol and Weston families are already part of the world-renowned Children of the 90s health study based at the University of Bristol. Their participation has led to many scientific discoveries about health. From how babies can safely sleep on their backs to genes that may cause obesity or deteriorating liver health in young people – much of what is now known about health is due to Children of the 90s data, and the study is now calling on more people to take part.

The study's latest @30 Clinic is its largest yet – with over 7,500 people having taken part so far. Researchers hope a further 2,000 participants will book to attend the clinic before it finishes this summer.

Adding to the health data collected throughout their lives, the clinic captures measurements from the original Children of the 90s as they enter their 30s plus their parents and children. This can include height, weight, blood pressure, as well as full body scans, blood tests and hearing/eye tests, depending on the participant’s age.

Professor Nic Timpson, Principal Investigator at Children of the 90s, said: "The health data collected at this clinic will enable life-changing research and have a huge impact across many areas of science. Recently our data has been used to improve how childhood obesity is measured – potentially replacing BMI with a newer, easier waist-to-height measure.

"Anyone born in the Bristol, Weston or South Gloucestershire area in 1991-92 might be eligible to take part. We would love to hear from participants interested in our clinic via text 07772 909090 or email info@childrenofthe90s.ac.uk. If you are eligible and attend our clinic you will receive £40 as a thank you."

Children of the 90s is funded by the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council and the University of Bristol. Health data collected from participants is added to the study’s resource of detailed health, lifestyle and genetic data.

The @30 Clinic includes health and wellbeing measures such as:

height and weight
lung function
blood pressure along with blood samples
liver scans
vision and hearing measures
physical fitness e.g. hopping on a force plate, a hand grip test
cardio exercise bike test looking at how heart, lungs and muscles react when you exercise
a DXA scan that measures fat, lean mass and bone density
participants also answer questions about their mental health, beliefs and wellbeing.

Danielle Smith and her husband are both participants and recently attended their @30 visit. Danielle said: "Not only is the clinic visit a great health check, checking areas of my body and development that wouldn’t usually be checked, it’s also great to be taking part in a research project that will help towards the future.

"It is a really interesting few hours, from liver scans to full body scans, breathing tests and samples. You also get your transport costs covered and a £40 voucher for coming along, which is a nice touch!"

Further information

About Children of the 90s
Based at the University of Bristol, Children of the 90s, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), is a long-term health research project that enrolled more than 14,000 pregnant women in 1991 and 1992. It has been following the health and development of the parents, their children and now their grandchildren in detail ever since. It receives core funding from the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the University of Bristol.

About Wellcome
Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and we’re taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, global heating and infectious diseases.

About the Medical Research Council

The Medical Research Councilis at the forefront of scientific discovery to improve human health. Founded in 1913 to tackle tuberculosis, the MRC now invests taxpayers’ money in some of the best medical research in the world across every area of health. Thirty-three MRC-funded researchers have won Nobel prizes in a wide range of disciplines, and MRC scientists have been behind such diverse discoveries as vitamins, the structure of DNA and the link between smoking and cancer, as well as achievements such as pioneering the use of randomised controlled trials, the invention of MRI scanning, and the development of a group of antibodies used in the making of some of the most successful drugs ever developed. Today, MRC-funded scientists tackle some of the greatest health problems facing humanity in the 21st century, from the rising tide of chronic diseases associated with ageing to the threats posed by rapidly mutating micro-organisms.