Life Course Perspectives
Life course transitions, pathways, and trajectories relevant to health
Situated at the intersection of the social, behavioral, and developmental sciences, the life course perspective has transformed population research over the past two decades. The life course itself refers to an age-graded sequence of events and social roles embedded in social structures and history. It draws attention to the importance of transitions and trajectories for health and well-being. As demonstrated by research done by several CPC fellows, the transition to adulthood involves risks and benefits that can last well into adulthood.
Examples of life course studies pursued by CPC fellows include how young adolescents with more exposure to sexually explicit material through media are also those more likely to be sexually permissive. Such influence on adolescents also extends to both family members and nonfamily members, especially among those from a disadvantaged environment. Furthermore, mentors have a significant influence on the educational success of youth.
The role of religion in shaping the lives of youth has been an interest area for other CPC researchers by investigating the aspects of religious ideology and practice that bear on youth self-image, aspirations, and achievement—outcomes that are important to future mental, physical, and socioeconomic well-being.
Lifelong trajectories of overweight are established early, and CPC researchers explore how maternal nutrition in pregnancy and prenatal growth may be factors in the development of adult disease. These explorations require longitudinal data that have been collected over a long period, and CPC researchers have contributed to the rich source of original data available for such analyses.
Related Fellows:
- Linda S. Adair
- Kenneth A. Bollen
- Jane D. Brown
- Glen H. Elder, Jr.
- Guang Guo
- Carolyn Tucker Halpern
- Kathleen Mullan Harris
- Jon M. Hussey
- William D. Kalsbeek
- Michelle Mendez
- Margarita Mooney
- Shuwen Ng
- Lisa D. Pearce
- Anthony D. Perez
- Krista M. Perreira
- Whitney Robinson
- Eleanor Seaton
- Chirayath M. Suchindran
- Peter R. Uhlenberg
- Yang Yang
Related Research:
- Life Course Studies
- Modeling the Developmental Origins of Adult Disease Risk Factors
- Relating multiple dimensions of stress to CVD risk in Filipino adults
- Religion's Role in the Shaping of Self-Image, Aspirations, and Achievement in Youth
- Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey of HSE (RLMS-HSE)
- Socioeconomic Disparities in Young Adult Health
- The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
