Marcus Richards|Christine Power|A Sacker
Paths to literacy and numeracy problems: evidence from two British birth cohorts
MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing|Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health|University of Essex|Institute for Social and Economic Research
h3backgroundh3 test life course model linking circumstances origin selfreported literacy numeracy problems midlife investigate effects model changing social circumstances two postwar cohorts h3methodsh3 based data men women british 1946 1958 birth cohorts used relative index inequality logistical regression test associations fathers occupation childhood cognition educational attainment occupation third decade binary variable representing selfreported literacy numeracy problems fourth decade h3resultsh3 lower frequency literacy numeracy problems 1958 cohort 1946 cohort cohorts associations fathers occupation childhood cognition educational attainment occupation pattern mirrored associations childhood cognition educational attainment occupation adult literacy numeracy problems positive associations childhood cognition educational attainment educational attainment occupation stronger 1946 cohort 1958 cohort however inverse associations educational attainment literacy numeracy problems stronger 1958 cohort possibly reflecting expansion secondary education intervening years h3conclusionsh3 literacy numeracy problems robust structure life course associations although changing pattern associations may reflect important social structural changes early postwar years early 1960s uk