Tell me about your childhood...using life grids to gather information on health-related behaviours and experiences across the life course

Abstract

Socio-economic status and conditions are known to be key determinants of health and inequality. These factors exert influence over the life course, with both past and present health experiences being shaped by the wider social, economic and cultural context. Numerous epidemiological studies have employed a life course approach to investigate the ways in which health-damaging exposures or health-promoting opportunities contribute to social inequalities in health. Individual responses to these exposures are socially patterned and also influenced by experience. Qualitative research can be used to explore life experiences by emphasising a temporal and social perspective. This paper examines the role of biography and context in shaping the health experiences of individuals living in socio-economically disadvantaged communities. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 23 participants in a lay-led health improvement intervention. A life grid approach was used to explore associations between past experiences and present health-related behaviours, and to reach a holistic understanding of different aspects of behaviour change. This paper will describe the life grid as a data collection method, present findings to offer insight into the participants’ biographies, and discuss the contribution of multiple, cumulative disadvantage across the life course to contemporary health inequalities. Improved understanding of the factors that influence health behaviours and the likelihood of successful behaviour change will be of interest to policy makers and service planners. This paper also highlights the advantages and disadvantages of using a life grid approach in social (as opposed to epidemiological) research.