Sustainable Human Development Across the Life Course

It is critical that the wellbeing of society is systematically tracked by indicators that not only give an accurate picture of human life today but also provide a window into the future for all of us. This book presents impactful findings from international longitudinal studies that respond to the United Nations' Agenda 2030 commitment to "leave no-one behind". Contributors explore a wide range and complexity of pressing global issues, with emphasis given to excluded and vulnerable populations and gender inequality. Importantly, it sets out actionable strategies for policymakers and practitioners to help strengthen the global Sustainable Development Goals framework, accelerate their implementation and improve the construction of effective public policy.

Prerna Banati is Chief of Programmes at UNICEF's Office of Research, Innocenti.

Foreword: Understanding and Enhancing Human Development among Global Youth - On the Unique Value of Developmentally Oriented Longitudinal Research ~ Richard M. LernerIntroduction: Measuring Sustainable Human Development Across the Life Course ~ Prerna BanatiExploring the Potential for Gender Norm Change in Adolescent Girls: Evidence from 'Real Choices, Real Lives' Longitudinal, Qualitative Study Data ~ Jenny Rivett and Lilli LovedayUnequal Educational Trajectories: The Case of Ethiopia ~ Ilze PlavgoEarly Life Transitions Increase the Risk for HIV Infection: Using Latent Class Growth Models to Assess the Effect of Key Life Events on HIV Incidence Among Adolescent Girls in Rural South Africa ~ Audrey Pettifor, Emily Agnew, Torsten B. Neilands, Jennifer Ahern, Stephen Tollman, Kathleen Kahn and Sheri A. LippmanAchieving the Sustainable Development Goals: Evidence from the Longitudinal Parenting Across Cultures Project ~ Jennifer E. Lansford, W. Andrew Rothenberg, Sombat Tapanya, Liliana Maria Uribe Tirado, Saengduean Yotanyamaneewong, Liane Peña Alampay, Suha M. Al- Hassan, Dario Bacchini, Marc H. Bornstein, Lei Chang, Kirby Deater- Deckard, Laura Di Giunta, Kenneth A. Dodge, Sevtap Gurdal, Qin Liu, Qian Long, Patrick S. Malone, Paul Oburu, Concetta Pastorelli, Ann T. Skinner, Emma Sorbring and Laurence SteinbergAchieving Gender Equality: Understanding Gender Equality and Health Among Vulnerable Adolescents in the Sustainable Development Goals Era ~ Leah R. Koenig, Mengmeng Li and Robert W. BlumCapturing the Complexities of Adolescent Transitions Through a Mixed Methods Longitudinal Research Design ~ Sarah Baird, Nicola Jones, Bassam Abu Hamad, Maheen Sultan and Workneh YadeteChild Well-being Across the Life-course: What Do We Know, What Should We Know? ~ Gary Pollock, Haridhan Goswami and Aleksandra SzymczykMauritian Joint Child Health Project: A Multigenerational Family Study Emerging from a Prospective Birth Cohort Study: Initial Alcohol-relatedOutcomes in the Offspring Generation ~ Susan E. Luczak, Shameem Oomur, Kristina Jackson and Tashneem MahoomedConclusion: The Future of Longitudinal Research ~ Prerna Banati