B3702 - Understanding pathways from social transitions in emerging adulthood to later health outcomes - 25/01/2021

B number: 
B3702
Principal applicant name: 
Annie Herbert | University of Bristol (United Kingdom)
Co-applicants: 
Prof. Laura Howe, Dr. Jon Heron
Title of project: 
Understanding pathways from social transitions in emerging adulthood to later health outcomes
Proposal summary: 

There are key transitions that often occur when adolescents become adults, such as leaving full-time education, starting a full-time job, living with a partner, or becoming a parent. In previous generations, when these transitions happen early or happen close together, they have been shown to be related to poorer health and related behaviours, for example, weight gain or increased smoking. However, there is little evidence available on what typical transition patterns look like for today’s young people, which patterns are the most harmful to health, or the reasons that these patterns cause poorer health (for example, is weight gain in those who have made lots of these transitions early in life explained more by the extra stress or by lack of time to eat healthily or exercise). Using data from two recent UK birth cohorts, and sophisticated methods of analysis, we will try to answer these questions. Where possible, we will see if findings differ for sex, ethnic minority, and LGBTQ+ groups. This information can help us understand the best way to support young people moving from adolescence to young adulthood, to help optimise their health later in life.

Impact of research: 
The findings will better inform policymakers and the transitions research community as to whether AST patterns have changed in recent generations, given changing cultures in educational policy and other initiatives and trends over time e.g. preventing teenage pregnancy, closing the gender gap in employment, cohabitation over marriage. We aim to identify high-risk groups for sub-optimal AST patterns in terms of health, and modifiable risk factors, particular pathways, and critical time-points, where intervention to prevent secondary poor health outcomes may be particularly effective.
Date proposal received: 
Monday, 18 January, 2021
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 20 January, 2021
Keywords: 
Epidemiology, Diabetes, Mental health, Obesity, Respiratory - asthma, GWAS, Statistical methods, Genome wide association study, Injury (including accidents), Linkage, Mendelian randomisation, Methods - e.g. cross cohort analysis, data mining, mendelian randomisation, etc., Sex differences, Social science