The Case for Child Development as a Determinant of Health Le developpement de l’enfant comme determinant de la sante

ABSTRACT: The complex relationship between life course and social/economic-psychosocial conditions in a given society has a powerful determining effect on human health. The socioeconomic gradient emerges from a complex mixture of psychosocial and material influences operating at various levels of social aggregation and, also, a series of biological responses whose character and significance vary over the life course. Biological embedding and the “latency” and “pathways” model incorporate the notion of a critical period in development; the pathways model emphasizes the cumulative effect of life events and the ongoing importance of social/economic-psychosocial conditions throughout the life cycle. The models, although conceptually complementary, result in ideological conflict and lend themselves to different policy directions.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/BF03405090 and is accessible for authorized users.

SUBMITTER: Hertzman C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6990328 | biostudies-literature | 1998 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature