Background

The Glasgow Students Dataset, 1948-1972

Students attending the University of Glasgow between 1948 and 1972 were invited to attend annual medical examinations at which a doctor recorded their height, weight, blood pressure and observations on their current health. They also recorded several aspects of their family background, medical history and current risk factors such as smoking, drinking and diet. The cohort is 76% male and the average age is 20. After the student medical service closed, the data were obtained, digitised and linked to national records of emigration, cancer and mortality for research purposes by George Davey Smith, James McEwan and Peter McCarron.

The Glasgow Alumni Health and Lifestyle Study, 2000-2003

A follow-up study in 2000–2003, led by Mona Jeffreys (née Okasha), sent health questionnaires to all 11,422 traceable surviving participants, of whom 5830 responded. The questionnaire included questions about participants’ current and previous health, as well as health-related aspects of their lifestyle. Permission was also sought to access the mammogram records of female participants, leading to successful linkage in 656 cases.