Linkage to routine health and social records

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ALSPAC is able to link participants’ self-reported data with external data sources to further strengthen the resource and enable life-changing research. Many of these linkages are in place and the data are readily available for use; others are in development, or the data are available but require bespoke access arrangements. UK-based researchers can apply to use linked data as part of a project proposal submitted to ALSPAC.

Please contact the linkage team (alspac-linkage@bristol.ac.uk) if you are interested in the existing data (outlined below), developing new linkages, linkage methodologies or collaborative projects.

Existing linkage data

The national datasets currently linked to ALSPAC participants are listed below. The linkage team also has access to some smaller, regional datasets which are listed in the ALSPAC guide to accessing linked records (PDF, 349kB). Currently, unless stated otherwise, linked datasets are available only for the index children (G1).

 Datasets currently linked to ALSPAC participants
Source Data Data coverage Approx. sample size Further details
Years Age
Primary Care (GP records) 

1990 – 2016

0 – 25 12,000  
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)

1990 – 2017

0 – 27 11,000 Information from NHS Digital

STORK database(midwifery records for G0

and delivery records for G1)

1990 – 1992 Various

4690 (G1s and their mothers)

Wellcome Open Research data note
Mental Health Service Data Set (MHSDS) 2006 – 2015 16 – 25 800 Information from NHS Digital
National Pupil Database (NPD)
Key Stage (1-5)
1995 – 2011 5 – 18 13,000 Information from Department for Education
School absences & exclusions 2006 – 2009 15 – 16 11,000 Information from Department for Education
Annual School Census 1999 – 2009 8 – 18 20,000 schools Information from Department for Education
Crime data (Avon & Somerset Police) 2007 – 2021 15-31  1,750 Wellcome Open Research data note

We can also able to link participant level data to that associated with their geographic location across the lifecourse. Linkages can be established to co-ordinates or to health, political and administrative geographies. In turn we can link participants to neighbourhood data such as pollution and biodiversity.

The ALSPAC data linkage team have extensive experience of negotiating access and undertaking linkage to data sets that are either non-routine or are not routinely centralised. To discuss these possibilities please get in touch with the linkage team: alspac-linkage@bristol.ac.uk.

Submit a research proposal

Our online proposal system will be closed for maintenance from December 9th. A new, improved version will be available from January 6th. If you would like to read more about the changes we are introducing, they are summarised below.  

Please ensure that you submit any proposals before December 9th as draft proposals will not be migrated to the new system.

More details are available here: OPS changes (PDF, 66kB)

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