This paper is one of two briefings that make use of early data from Round 3 of the Young Lives survey in 2009 to explore the extent and effects of economic and environmental shocks and adverse events on Young Lives and children and their households.

This paper is one of two preliminary first findings reports that make use of early data from the third round of the Young Lives survey in 2009 to explore the extent to which inequalities including poverty, location (rural or urban), ethnicity or caste, and gender, are changing over time and how this may affect life chances for children.

The target date for the Millennium Development Goals is only five years away. Much remains to be done if progress towards achieving them is to be sustained. Young Lives research is tracking 12,000 children in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam to learn about their education, well-being and experiences of poverty and uncertainty. Our work shows that over the period covered by the analysis there was progress towards the MDGs, but that significant inequalities in access to and quality of services and children's outcomes remain.

What shapes the influence evidence has on policy? The key lesson that emerges from this paper is the primacy of politics in shaping how evidence is used. In order to influence the policy process, the research community must understand both the technocratic and the political aspects of policymaking, and how these shape the choices and incentives of policy elites. The paper proposes guidelines for integrating political economy analysis into different stages of the research and communication process. It addresses three main questions:

The final published version of the editorial is available on the journal website. 

Stunting is associated with adverse cognitive development in childhood and adolescence, fewer years of schooling, decreased productivity, and reduced adult stature. Recovery from early stunting is possible; however, few studies explore whether those who demonstrate linear catch-up growth experience long-term cognitive deficits.

The importance of reducing childhood undernutrition has been enshrined in the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. This study explores the relationship between alternative indicators of poverty and childhood undernutrition in developing countries within the context of a multi-national cohort study (Young Lives). Approximately 2000 children in each of four countries - Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam - had their heights measured and were weighed when they were aged between 6 and 17 months (survey one) and again between 4.5 and 5.5 years (survey two).