PhD researcher ?Socioeconomic health disparities in early adolescence' (0.8 - 1.0 FTE)

The PhD project will be conducted within the research programme Youth in Changing Cultural Context (programme leaders: prof. dr. C. Finkenauer and prof. dr. W. Vollebergh) at the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science at Utrecht University.

Former studies have clearly shown that socioeconomic status of parents and the family of origin may impact developmental outcomes in children fundamentally, either directly as a result of lack of economic and social resources and of reduced access to health care in the less privileged, or indirectly through life style characteristics of people (in particular parents) in different socioeconomic strata. It is the main aim of this proposal to contribute to more in-depth understanding of the origins of socioeconomic disparities in social competence and behavioural control in early adolescents (ages 8-11). We will use the data of the YOUth cohort study, following up a large cohort of early adolescents from ages 8 to 11 to analyse these processes. We will analyse both direct effects and a variety of mediating effects, such as parenting, life style patterns in the family of origin and peer relations.

The PhD project is embedded within the research Consortium on Individual Development that is funded by an NWO Gravitation grant. The current PhD project uses data from the YOUth cohort study, a newly conducted large study in which a large number of early adolescents is followed from ages 8 to 11. The applicant is required to assist in data collection during the first two years of the appointment. For that reason, it is imperative that the applicant is fluent in the Dutch language.