Lifecourse influences on ethnic health inequalities in the UK

Rates of morbidity and mortality in the UK are higher for non-white ethnic minority groups compared with the white majority population. Ethnic health inequalities have been partly attributed to lower socioeconomic resources and experienced racism. However, there is still substantial debate on the causal mechanisms behind health inequalities, and it is not clear when and how the ethnic patterning of chronic disease risk emerges during the early life course, and how this varies across ethnic groups.
There are important differences in the processes that have led to the ethnic makeup of the populations in the UK, including motivations for and patterns of migration, and both historical and contemporary ethnic relations. Hypothesised causal factors of ethnic health inequalities may thus differ substantially across ethnic groups, leading to possible variations in the patterning of ethnic health inequalities.
This study will analyse a birth cohort with an oversample of ethnic minority children in the UK to examine and compare inequalities in child health and development across ethnic groups, exploring cognitive development and socioemotional behaviours. Results will make a unique contribution to research on ethnic inequalities in child development and health, allowing a better understanding of the determinants of health inequalities