Population Health Research

Population health is an approach that focuses on improving the overall health of a community rather than treating individual patients. Individual, neighborhood, and societal factors all influence or determine population health. Population health research by faculty and students in ESS investigates social/environmental determinants of a variety of health problems such as obesity, cancer, mental problems, and healthcare utilization. We use quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate how physical (e.g., air pollution, greenspace, tobacco outlets) and social (e.g., neighborhood safety, discrimination, social cohesion, food desert) factors influence individuals’ health behaviors, healthcare utilization, and health outcomes.