Supervisor(s)
Programme(s)
Behavioural Epidemiology and Interventions in Young People
Summary
Emerging evidence suggests that parity (i.e. how many children a women has given birth to) is associated with women’s late cardiovascular health, but little is known about why this is the case. The transition to motherhood often impacts a woman’s behaviours, including her ability to eat healthily, engage in sufficient physical activity and get adequate sleep, often leading to increases in weight. However, pregnancy also results in long-term biological and physiological changes, which may also contribute. Longitudinal data can help us disentangle how physiology and lifestyle changes across early and middle life impact women’s later health. Using data from a range of international cohort studies, this project will explore the complex relationship between parity, physiology and behaviours, and how these influence later cardiovascular health in women.
The direction of the project will be informed and shaped by the interests and skills of the successful candidate, and by relevant recent literature. The project will be largely quantitative: it will suit a PhD student with a strong background in epidemiology or quantitative methods, ideally with experience of analysing large-scale epidemiological datasets.
For more information or informal discussion about this or similar projects, please contact Dr Kathryn Hesketh (Kathryn.hesketh@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk).