Early-Life Social and Economic Adversities on Health

Abstract

This chapter addresses how environmental exposures interact with poverty and other social factors in the first 1000 days of life influence children’s health throughout the life course. These have a direct adverse effect on health through infection, growth, and brain development, as well as interacting with the indirect effects of social factors such as poor quality housing and dense population. Key concepts such as the life course approach, social determinants of health, and health inequity are described. These concepts and their relevance to environmental health and disease are explained through applied examples in pollution and health. Efforts should be borne to intervene during early life to reduce burden of disease both in childhood and in later life.