Abstract BackgroundEvents over the life course can positively or negatively affect health and wellbeing in older age. This research aims to identify associations between groups of older people with similar life events, their health, behaviours and social interactions in older age.MethodsWe undertook a latent class analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing wave 3. Groups of participants with similar life events were generated based on nine life events; maternal and paternal closeness, educational opportunities in childhood, financial hardship, loss of an unborn child, bereavement due to war, involvement in conflict, violence, and experiencing a natural disaster. The number of groups was determined based on a combination of the model fit and team discussion. Each participant was allocated to the group of highest probability. Linear and logistic regression were used to explore associations between these groups and pre-specified health and wellbeing factors.Results7,553 participants were allocated to one of four Latent Class Analysis groups:, Group A “Few life events” (n=6,238), Group B “emotionally cold mum” (n=704), Group C “violence in combat” (n=285) and Group D “many life events” (n=326). Participants in Group D were statistically significantly more likely than those in Group A to experience disability (coefficient 0.36, 95%CI 0.21 to 0.50), reduced quality of life (coefficient -5.15, 95%CI -6.39 to -3.91), psychological disorders (OR 2.91, 95%CI 2.12 to 4.01) and social detachment (OR 2.58, 95%CI 1.38 to 4.82). Group B membership compared to Group A was associated with reduced quality of life, psychological disorders and social detachment. Group C membership, compared to Group A, was associated with a reduced quality of life.ConclusionsExperiencing many adverse life events negatively influences social, psychological and physical health in later life. Policies to improve health and wellbeing in later life should have a life course perspective. Funding None