Are childhood experiences and social inequalities linked to adolescent health?

Project Summary

Health disparities remain as one of the biggest challenges to health policy, with an important question being the link between childhood health and circumstances and health in later life.

This aim of this study is to examine the extent to which health in early adulthood can be explained by parental, individual and community socio-demographics from infancy. This question is being explored using the longitudinal data collected from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. The study is examining socioeconomic inequalities in health during childhood and how they change as children age. In addressing this question, a distinction is drawn between individual, household and community socioeconomic inequalities and their influence on health outcomes over this time period.  The study is also investigating the relationship between childhood experiences and general health outcomes in late adolescence and young adulthood.

A better understanding of how health disparities emerge in the longer term will provide an important evidence base for developing effective strategies for early intervention to reduce socio-economic differentials in health