Understanding social transitions in emerging adulthood and pathways to later health outcomes

Social transitions during emerging adulthood (starting further education/training/employment, leaving the family home, cohabitation, marriage, parenthood), have been shown to influence health and related behaviours in subsequent years.

However, there is a lack of evidence on adult social transition patterns among today’s young people, or the likely complex mechanistic pathways to later health outcomes.

Using rich clinical, questionnaire, genetic, and linked administrative health data from three contemporary European cohorts, and advanced longitudinal epidemiological methods, this project will address the following objectives: - Determine the most common adult social transition patterns in terms of timing, quantity, and unique combinations. - Identify causal determinants of adult social transition patterns. - Determine the causal relationship between different adult social transition patterns and adult health outcomes. - Estimate the contribution of psycho-social factors as moderators/mediators of the relationship between different adult social transition patterns and health outcomes. - Estimate bi-directional associations between different adult social transitions, and psychological and socio-economic (psycho-social) factors.

Where possible, I will explore these objectives separately for different important subgroups, e.g. by sex, to establish who might need targeting/supporting differently.

The research project's overall aim is to provide evidence that can better inform support of young people and prevent downstream adverse health outcomes.