Deborah Cohen

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or e-mail media@rand.org.

Senior Natural Scientist

Santa Monica Office

Education

M.D., School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; M.P.H. in epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health; B.A. in filmmaking, Yale University

Contact Information

Overview

Biography

Deborah Cohen is a senior natural scientist at the RAND Corporation. Her areas of interest include how structural environmental factors—social and physical—influence health. She has studied how community characteristics affect physical activity among adolescent girls and analyzed neighborhood characteristics and health disparities among children. Cohen has directed numerous projects on sexually transmitted diseases, HIV screening and prevention, and alcohol policy. She has served on technical and advisory panels for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Cohen received her B.A. in filmmaking from Yale University; her M.P.H. in epidemiology from the UCLA School of Public Health; and her M.D. from the School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

The role of parks in physical activity
Cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention

Selected Publications

D.A. Cohen, "Eating as an Automatic Behavior, Preventing Chronic Disease," http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/jan/07_0046.htm, 5(1), 2008

D. A. Cohen et al., "Neurophysiological Pathways to Obesity: Below Awareness and Beyond Individual Control," Diabetes, 57(1768):1773, 2008

D. A. Cohen et al., "Collective Efficacy and Obesity: The Potential Influence of Social Factors on Health," Social Science and Medicine, 62, 2006

D. A. Cohen et al., "Public Parks and Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls," Pediatrics, 118(5), 2006

D. A. Cohen et al., "Cost-Effective Allocation of Government Funds to Prevent HIV Infection," Health Affairs, 24(4), 2005

T. Farley and D. A. Cohen, Prescription for a Healthy Nation: A New Approach to Improving Our Lives by Fixing Our Everyday World, Beacon Press, 2005

D. A. Cohen et al., "How Do Public Parks Contribute to Physical Activity?" American Journal of Public Health

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: Chicago Sun-Times; Health & Medicine Week; HealthDay.com; Los Angeles Times; National Journal; New York Times; NPR; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Scripps Howard News Service; The Times-Picayune, New Orleans; United Press International; Washington Post; WebMD Medical News

Deborah Cohen

Media Resources

Education

Overview

Biography

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Selected Publications

Recent Media Appearances

Commentary

Marketing is Making Us Fat — Mar 7, 2007

A Desired Epidemic: Obesity and the Food Industry — Feb 21, 2007

Flooded with Food — Jan 7, 2007

Publications

Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Family Fitness Zones: A Natural Experiment in Urban Public Parks - 2012

Assessment of Food Offerings and Marketing Strategies in the Food-Service Venues at California Children's Hospitals - 2011

Economic Analysis of Physical Activity Interventions - 2011

How Much Observation Is Enough? Refining the Administration of SOPARC - 2011

Preventing Obesity and Its Consequences: Highlights of RAND Health Research - 2011

Discretionary Calorie Intake a Priority for Obesity Prevention: Results of Rapid Participatory Approaches in Low-Income US Communities - 2010

Examination of Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics and Transportation on Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior: The Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls - 2010

Not Enough Fruit and Vegetables or Too Many Cookies, Candies, Salty Snacks, and Soft Drinks? - 2010

Parks and Physical Activity: Why Are Some Parks Used More Than Others? - 2010

The Effect of Light Rail Transit on Body Mass Index and Physical Activity - 2010

Body Mass Index, Neighborhood Fast Food and Restaurant Concentration, and Car Ownership - 2009

Effects of Park Improvements on Park Use and Physical Activity: Policy and Programming Implications - 2009

Neighborhood Food Environments and Body Mass Index: The Importance of In-Store Contents - 2009

New Recreational Facilities for the Young and the Old in Los Angeles: Policy and Programming Implications - 2009

Social Capital and the Neighborhood Alcohol Environment - 2009

South Los Angeles Ban on Fast-Food Chains Misses the Mark - 2009

Zoning for Health? The Year-Old Ban on New Fast-Food Restaurants in South LA: The Ordinance Isn't a Promising Approach to Attacking Obesity - 2009

Alcohol Availability and Neighborhood Characteristics in Los Angeles, California and Southern Louisiana - 2008

Alcohol Outlet Density and Alcohol Consumption in Los Angeles County and Southern Louisiana - 2008

Alcohol and Tobacco Marketing Evaluating Compliance with Outdoor Advertising Guidelines - 2008

Body Mass Index Is Increasing Faster Among Taller Persons - 2008

Eating as an Automatic Behavior - 2008

Impact of a New Bicycle Path on Physical Activity - 2008

Multilevel Spatio-Temporal Dual Changepoint Models for Relating Alcohol Outlet Destruction and Changes in Neighbourhood Rates of Assaultive Violence - 2008

Neurophysiological Pathways to Obesity: Below Awareness and Beyond Individual Control - 2008

Obesity and the Built Environment: Changes in Environmental Cues Cause Energy Imbalances - 2008

Pathways to Obesity: Are People "Hardwired" to Overeat? - 2008

The Built Environment and Collective Efficacy - 2008

Why People Overeat: Rethinking the Causes of Obesity - 2008

Alcohol and Environmental Justice: The Density of Liquor Stores and Bars in Urban Neighborhoods in the United States - 2007

Availability of High School Extracurricular Sports Programs and High-Risk Behaviors - 2007

Commercial Venues as Supports for Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls - 2007

Comparing Perceived and Objectively Measured Access to Recreational Facilities as Predictors of Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls - 2007

Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity - 2007

Determinants of Social Capital Indicators at the Neighborhood Level: A Longitudinal Analysis of Loss of Off-Sale Alcohol Outlets and Voting - 2007

How Neighborhoods Can Reduce the Risk of Obesity - 2007

Neighborhood Design and Walking Trips in Ten U.S. Metropolitan Areas - 2007

Reliability of a Store Observation Tool in Measuring Availability of Alcohol and Selected Foods - 2007

Weekend Schoolyard Accessibility, Physical Activity, and Obesity: The Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls (TAAG) Study - 2007

Alcohol Outlets, Gonorrhea, and the Los Angeles Civil Unrest: A Longitudinal Analysis - 2006

Collective Efficacy and Obesity: The Potential Influence of Social Factors on Health - 2006

Hispanic Concentration and the Conditional Influence of Collective Efficacy on Adolescent Childbearing - 2006

Park Use and Physical Activity in a Sample of Public Parks in the City of Los Angeles - 2006

Proximity to School and Physical Activity Among Middle School Girls: The Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls Study - 2006

Public Parks and Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls - 2006

Structural Interventions to Prevent HIV/sexually Transmitted Disease: Are They Cost-Effective for Women in the Southern United States? - 2006

System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC): Reliability and Feasibility Measures - 2006

The Collectivity of Sexual Behaviour - 2006

Cost-Effective Allocation of Government Funds for Preventing HIV - 2005

Cost-Effective Allocation of Government Funds to Prevent HIV Infection - 2005

Does Neighborhood Deterioration Lead to Poor Health? - 2005

Maximizing Local Effect of HIV Prevention Resources - 2005

Neighborhood Effects and the Role of Communities in Restructuring - 2005

Prescription for a Healthy Nation: A New Approach to Improving Our Lives by Fixing Our Everyday World - 2005

Screening for Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Non-Traditional Settings: A Personal View - 2005

The Significance of Parks to Physical Activity and Public Health: A Conceptual Model - 2005

After School Activities, Overweight, and Obesity Among Inner City Youth - 2004

Beer Consumption and Premature Mortality in Louisiana: An Ecologic Analysis - 2004

Comparing the Cost-Effectiveness of HIV Prevention Interventions - 2004

Social Marketing of Condoms Is Great, but We Need More Free Condoms - 2004

Suburban Sprawl and Physical and Mental Health - 2004

Asymptomatic Sexually Transmitted Diseases: The Case for Screening - 2003

Maximizing the Benefit: HIV Prevention Planning Based on Cost-Effectiveness : A Practical Tool for Community Planning Groups and Health Departments - 2003

Neighborhood Physical Conditions and Health - 2003

Screening for Sexually Transmitted Diseases During Preparticipation Sports Examination of High School Adolescents - 2003

Street Outreach for HIV Prevention Effectiveness of a State-Wide Programme - 2003