Speakers

Dr Cornelia Wagner, PhD, postdoctoral researcher Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Prof Arnaud Chiolero, MD PhD, Population Health Laboratory, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Abstract

Life course epidemiology offers a practical roadmap for chronic disease prevention by revealing how biological, behavioral, and social processes shape health trajectories. Key concepts such as sensitive periods, accumulation of risk, and chains of risk highlight critical windows for prevention and intervention, from early childhood through to later adulthood. In this presentation, we will discuss the role of social inequalities, showing how disadvantages persist across the life course and across generations, and their effect on chronic diseases. Using European cohort data, we will show how intergenerational educational attainment and social mobility shape multimorbidity risk in later life. Taken together, life course approaches offer both theoretical insights and practical guidance for chronic disease prevention, underlining the importance of policies that act early, support mobility, and address inequalities to improve health trajectories across populations.

References

Wagner, C., Carmeli, C., Jackisch, J., Kivimäki, M., van der Linden, B. W., Cullati, S., & Chiolero, A. (2024). Life course epidemiology and public health. The Lancet Public Health, 9(4), e261-e269. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38553145/

Wagner, C., Jackisch, J., Ortega, N., Chiolero, A., Cullati, S., & Carmeli, C. (2024).
Educational inequalities in multimorbidity at older ages: a multi-generational population-based study. European Journal of Public Health, 34(4), 704-709. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38840419/