‘The Life Course’ is a module which brings together expertise in Child Health, Ageing and Cohort Methodology. It will focus on the British birth cohort studies and their contribution to understanding how factors across life affect subsequent health. The module will introduce students to the key theories, concepts and models in life course epidemiology and life course study designs. Session will then illustrate how a life course approach has resulted in gains in knowledge across a range of topics from childhood development to ageing, from physical function to mental health. While policy implications will be highlighted in many lectures, there will be a session devoted entirely to thinking about policy and the life course. Seminar and practical activities will provide a chance to critically assess life course research, to discuss the advantages and limitations of a life course approach, and to gain an understanding of how to develop and test a life course hypothesis. Overall, the module aims for you to develop a deeper understanding of the life course approach in contemporary population health research, and to develop critical arguments around key topics and challenges in life course research.

At the end of the module, you will be able to:


	Explain the theories and concepts in life course research and apply these to practical examples
	
	
	Access and use a wide range of data resources appropriate for life course research
	
	
	Present and interpret research evidence in written form
	
This is an intermediate module open to Year 1 and 2 students on the BSc Population Health Sciences programme. There is availability for UCL elective students from other departments. However, spaces are limited and are allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis on Portico.

You will attend weekly lectures and seminars taking place in Term 1.

Module leads:  Dr Leah Li

Selected Reading List 


	Kuh D and Ben-Shlomo Y (Eds) 2004. A life course approach to chronic disease epidemiology. 2nd edition. Oxford University Press.
	
	
	Ben Shlomo Y, Kuh D. A life course approach to chronic disease epidemiology: conceptual models, empirical challenges and interdisciplinary perspectives. Int J Epidemiol 2002; 31(2):285-293.
	
	
	Kuh D, Ben Shlomo Y, Lynch J, Hallqvist J, Power C. Life course epidemiology. J Epidemiol Community Health 2003; 57(10):778-783.Kuh, D, Cooper, R, Hardy, R, Richards, M, Ben-Shlomo, Y (Eds) 2014. A life course approach to Healthy Ageing. Oxford University Press.