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Children of the 90s: third generation joins pioneering UK study

Grandchildren, their parents and the original participants gather for 30th year of Bristol health project

It was a clinic with health staff in scrubs and masks and all sorts of scans, sensors and medical kits at the ready – but the atmosphere in the waiting area was more party-line than sombre.

“I’ve always enjoyed coming here,” said 30-year-old Sam Burton, who was with her mum, Deborah Burton, 61, and her daughter, Lily, three. “When I was little, it was a day off school and it never felt like a medical trial, it was fun; now I feel we’re part of something really important, something that has produced so much information, led to so much research.”

This was the first clinic of a new phase in the world-renowned Children of the 90s health study, which has closely followed three generations of residents in Bristol, helping scientists make important discoveries on everything from sudden infant death syndrome to the impact of the Covid pandemic on anxiety levels.

For the first time, three generations are being invited to attend the @30 clinics together. More than 20,000 people will be asked to take part in a series of tests over the next two years, examining everything from hand grip strength to bone density and susceptibility to a range of diseases and conditions including diabetes, dementia and septic shock. They will also be asked questions such as how happy they feel that day and what their religious beliefs are.

The 30th anniversary of the launch of the study is also a moment for the participants and experts to take stock.