All eligible study members were contacted.

Data collection was carried out at home visits to cohort members by research nurses recruited by the study team. Questionnaires were used to ask about family and home circumstances, health, employment and social participation, experience of disturbing life events, smoking habits and diet. The nurses made a number of body measurements, measured pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory function, and used the short Present State Examination, a clinically validated questionnaire that evaluated mental health. 

Nurses explained how to use the diet diary, and asked cohort members to post them back at the end of five consecutive days of completion. 

Cohort members self-completed questionnaires about leisure time exercise and returned them to the nurse.

The study team and specialist colleagues trained the nurses over three consecutive days. The nurses’ instruction manual is available to view.

• Household and housing information
• Marital status (and information on spouse employment)
• Information on children including type of school
• Hospital admissions
• Parental information
• General Health problems
• Chest and cough trouble (MRC questionnaire on respiratory symptoms)
• Rose Angina
• Employment history and earnings
• Employment training
• Attitudes to employment
• Exercise
• Finance and financial hardship
• Home life and care of children
• Social and leisure activities
• Life events
• Religion
• Diet
• Smoking
• Blood pressure
• Present State Examination
• Activities of daily living
• Diet Diary

• Form A - Main Questionnaire
• Form B - Present State Examination
• Form C - Self completion
• Form D - Diet Diary