Chloe E. Bird

@ChloeBirdPhD on Twitter

Adjunct Sociologist; Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Off Site Office

Education

Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; B.A. in sociology, Oberlin College

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

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

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Overview

Chloe E. Bird (she/her), an adjunct sociologist at the RAND Corporation and professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School studies women's health and determinants of sex/gender differences in health and health care. Bird has served as senior advisor in the National Institutes of Health's Office for Research on Women's Health and editor-in-chief of Women's Health Issues, where she is now associate editor.

Her current work includes a PCORI engagement award to bring together stakeholders to develop a research agenda to improve maternal health outcomes in Medi-Cal and a WHAM-commissioned study to evaluate the societal and economic impacts of increasing funding for research on women's health and health care. She is working to build a donor-funded Women's Health Research and Policy Center at RAND.

Recent research examined the impact of over-the-counter access to emergency contraception on births. In Gender and Health: The Effects of Constrained Choice and Social Policies (Cambridge University Press, 2008), Bird and her coauthor explore how policymakers and other stakeholders shape individuals' opportunities to pursue a healthy life. They emphasize the need for research that informs stakeholders' decisions to improve women's health and reduce disparities.

Bird received the American Sociological Association's Distinguished Career Award for the Practice of Sociology for her work on women's health and health care. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Health Behavior. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Research Focus

Concurrent Non-RAND Positions

Associate Editor, Women’s Health Issues

Recent Projects

Birth-Centered Outcomes Research Engagement (B-CORE) in Medi-Cal
WHAM Report!: An Economic and Social Impact Analysis of Accelerating Health Research on Women
Impact of Over-the-Counter Availability of Emergency Contraception on Uptake, Pregnancy and Births
Developing a Women's Health Research and Policy Center at RAND and a Collaboration between Magee-Women's Research Institute and the RAND Corporation
Gender Gap Analyses and Mapping of Four Geographic Areas

Selected Publications

CE Bird, MN Elliott, JL Adams, DJ Klein, JW Dembosky, S Gaillot, AM Fremont, AM Haviland, "How Do Gender Differences in Quality of Care Vary across Medicare Advantage Plans?" Journal of General Internal Medicine, 33(10), 2018

Chloe E Bird, Michael Manocchia, Brooke Tomblin, Peggy Payne, Mahesh Kulakodlu, Emily Iacolo, and Allen M Fremont, "Mapping the Gaps: Gender Differences in Preventive Cardiovascular Care among Managed Care Members in Four Metropolitan Areas," Women's Health Issues, 28(5), 2018

Alyson M Cavanaugh, Mitchell J Rauh, Caroline A Thompson, John Alcaraz, William M Mihalko, Chloe E Bird, Charles B Eaton, Milagros C Rosal, Wenjun Li, Aladdin H. Shadyab, Todd Gilmer, and Andrea Z. LaCroix. , "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Utilization of Total Knee Arthroplasty among Older Women," Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 27(12), 2019

Hailey R Banack, Andrew Stokes, Matthew P Fox, Kathleen M Hovey, Elizabeth M Cespedes-Feliciano, Erin LeBlanc, Chloe E Bird, Bette J Caan, Candyce H Kroenke, Matthew A Allison, Scott B Going, Linda Snetslaar, Ting-Yuan David Cheng, Rowan T Chlebowski, Mar, "Stratified Probabilistic Bias Analysis for Body Mass Index-related Exposure Misclassification in Postmenopausal Women," Epidemiology, 29(5), 2018

Priya Batra, Sally Rafie, Zhiwei Zhang, Amay V Singh, Chloe E Bird, Aparna Sridhar, Greer Sullivan, "An Evaluation of the Implementation of Pharmacist-Prescribed Hormonal Contraceptives in California," Obstetrics & Gynecology, 131, 2018

Michael LaMonte, Cora Lewis, David Buchner, Kelly Evenson, Eileen Rillamas-Sun Chongzhi Di, I-Min Lee, John Bellettiere, Marcia Stefanick, Charles Eaton, Barbara V Howard, Chloe Bird, Andrea LaCroix, "Both Light Intensity and Moderate-t0-Vigorous Physical Activity Measured by Accelerometry are Favorably Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Older Women: OPACH (The Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health) Study," Journal of the American Heart Association, 6(10), 2017

Gloria C Chi, Anjum Hajat, Chloe E Bird, Mark R Cullen, Beth A Griffin, Kristein A Miller, Regina Shih, Marcia L Stefanie, Sverre Vedal, Eric A Whitsel, Joel D Kaufman, "Individual and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and the Association between Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease," Environmental Health Perspectives, 124, 2016

Nancy Fugate Woods, Eileen Rillamas-Sun, Barbara B Cochrane, Andrea Z LaCroix, Teresa E Seeman, Hilary A TIndle, Oleg Zaslavsky, Chloe E Bird, Karen C Johnson, JoAnne E Manson, Judith Ockene, Rebecca A Seguin, Robert B Wallace, "Aging Well: Observations from the Women's Health Initiative Study," Journal of Gerontology A: Biological Sciences Medical Sciences, 71(Supple 1), 2016

Honors & Awards

Distinguished Career Award in the Practice of Sociology, American Sociological Association
Elected Member, Women of Impact for Healthcare. http://www.womenofimpact.net/
2015 Leadership Award, California Department of Managed Health Care “for improving women’s cardiovascular outcomes and reducing gender disparities”, California Department of Managed Health Care

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: The Atlantic; Ms. Magazine; MPR News; Oberlin News-Tribune; U.S. News & World Report

Commentary: Girl with Pen; Ms. Magazine; Sister to Sister; Women's Health Issues

Commentary

Women's Health

Doubling NIH Funding for Women's Health Would Yield Substantial Return on Investment
The scientific evidence base generally is biased toward the male body as a result of a long history of generous funding for diseases that predominantly affect men and underfunding for those that predominantly affect women. But the cost of the science pales in comparison to the price we continue to pay for what we don't know about caring for women.
Jul 8, 2022
Health Affairs Blog
Women's Health

Underfunding of Research in Women's Health Issues Is the Biggest Missed Opportunity in Health Care
For far too long, the medical sciences have treated men and women as interchangeable subjects, favoring men's health for funding and the male body for study. This approach creates a problem, not just for women but for everyone. Not only does it miss a large and critical slice of the population, it leaves an unknown amount of science unexplored.
Feb 11, 2022
Fortune
Maternal Health

Mothers Need a Continuous System of Care Even After Babies Are Born
In the United States, babies are born into a system of well-child care—a series of planned health care visits designed to protect their health from day one through age six. But no such system exists for their mothers. How do we create a system of health care for mothers that mirrors well-child care?
May 10, 2021
Newsweek
Health Care Reform

Out of the Ashes: Forging the Post-Pandemic U.S. Health System
With shifting insights, new problems, and exacerbation of old problems revealed by the pandemic, innovative solutions in the U.S. health system are being adopted where rapid change would normally have been rare. There is both an opportunity and a responsibility to assess how these changes are working and where they can improve health, reduce inequity, and save money.
Jul 31, 2020
The RAND Blog
Advance Directives

Your Gift to Health Care Providers, Yourself, and Your Family
A whispered secret in medicine is that resuscitative efforts do not typically save a life. In anticipation of the pandemic surge, hospitals are discussing blanket do-not-resuscitate orders for patients dying from the coronavirus. It is time to publicly and privately discuss the limits of cardiopulmonary resuscitation so patients stricken with COVID-19 can make informed end-of-life decisions and make those decisions known to their closest relatives.
Apr 30, 2020
Council on Contemporary Families
Women's Health

Women and COVID-19: Studying the Impact of Sex and Gender
Much of current medical evidence is based largely on men. The current COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to examine the potential value of asking questions about sex and gender differences to inform ongoing policy decisions.
Apr 13, 2020
The RAND Blog
Family Planning

Policy Barriers to Best Practices: The Impact of Restrictive State Regulations on Access to Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives
Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods of birth control, which include the intrauterine device and subdermal implant, are highly effective, very safe, preferable to women, and cost effective. But some states' contraceptive policies create direct and indirect barriers to LARC use.
Nov 6, 2015
Women's Health Issues
Gender Equity in the Workplace

UK and Europe Are Behind the Times for Single Mothers and Their Children
Single parents head 10.4 percent of households with children across Europe — 20.4 percent in the UK — and the socioeconomic gap between single- and two-parent households continues to grow. Accessible and flexible work policies are needed to improve employment conditions for single parents, especially mothers.
Mar 11, 2015
The RAND Blog
Health Screening

Should You Get Screened for Heart Disease?
Many think of cardiovascular disease (CVD) primarily as a male problem. But one in three adult women has some form of CVD, which has killed more American women than men every year since 1984. Cardiovascular risk assessments can help women understand their current risk and health behaviors.
Jul 24, 2014
Sister to Sister
Physical Exercise

I'm Too Busy for Exercise I Just Don't Have the Time
As hard as it can be to make time for exercise, failing to do so isn't a time-saver. It might seem so for a day or two, but you will feel the result of not exercising in the reductions in your energy, ability to focus and cope, and in your quality of sleep.
Jul 17, 2014
Sister to Sister
Diet and Eating Habits

Take the Morality Out of Health Choices: Stop the Blame Game
Framing positive health behaviors as good or virtuous and less effective or harmful ones as bad trips most people up on a regular basis. People would do well to think of positive health behaviors—such as getting a good night's sleep or eating healthy foods—as doing what works, rather than as being virtuous.
Jul 10, 2014
Sister to Sister
Health Behaviors

Improving Your Health: Small Steps Can Yield Big Benefits
It is worth making changes in your everyday choices and actions in order to improve your health. Real benefits in terms of increases in energy, improved sleep, and reduced cardiovascular disease risk are attainable.
Jul 2, 2014
Sister to Sister
Cardiovascular Disorders

Have You Estimated Your Cardiovascular Risk?
Research suggests that setting a baseline by getting an estimate of your individual cardiovascular risk can help you see more clearly what you have at stake and what you can do to improve your chances of a long and healthy life.
Jun 26, 2014
Sister to Sister
Cardiovascular Disorders

5 Steps to Decrease Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Five steps could help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, especially if you track your efforts: know your risk, increase physical activity, reduce sedentary time, improve nutrition, and get enough sleep.
Jun 11, 2014
Sister to Sister
Women's Health

Assessing and Addressing Women's Health and Health Care
Women make up a majority of the U.S. population. Yet research policies and practices often treat women's health and health care as special topics or minority issues. The resulting knowledge gaps hamstring efforts to improve women's health care and outcomes even for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among women.
Mar 28, 2014
The RAND Blog
Cardiovascular Disorders

Caring for Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes, Why Gender Matters
High-quality routine care for both cardiovascular disease and diabetes is at least as relevant to women's health and survival as it is to men's. Yet evidence suggests that women continue to face gaps in even low-cost, routine aspects of care.
Feb 27, 2014
Girl with Pen, Bedside Manners blog
Religion and Civil Society

Can Catholic Colleges Block Free Condom Distribution?
If this issue were to be decided on the basis of public health benefits, the outcome would be clear: Condoms indisputably prevent both unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections, writes Chloe Bird.
Apr 23, 2013
Ms. Magazine
Preventive Health Care

Making Heart Disease a Women's Issue
When it comes to women's health, cancer gets a good deal of the attention; somehow, it hasn’t fully registered that so many of our mothers, sisters, friends and daughters are being affected by another, often silent killer, writes Chloe E. Bird.
Mar 22, 2013
Ms. Magazine
Affordable Care Act

California Improves on Affordable Care Act by Letting RNs Dispense Birth Control
As we look for ways to provide efficient, high-quality and cost-effective healthcare to more Americans, states may study California as a potential model for how to do more to deliver on what the Affordable Care Act has to offer women, while saving money at the same time, writes Chloe Bird.
Oct 9, 2012
Ms. Magazine
Diet and Eating Habits

Can Improving the Options Improve Our Choices and Outcomes?
Much of the talk has focused on how New York City's ban on sugary drinks, intended to curb obesity by improving dietary choices for consumers, will restrict individuals’ options. Of course, even after the ban, consumers can still buy a second soda. But they might want to take a moment to think about the consequences before doing so, writes Chloe Bird.
Sep 18, 2012
The RAND Blog
Women's Health

Supporting Comprehensive Health Care for Women Makes Dollars, and Sense
As we look for ways to provide efficient, high-quality, and cost-effective health care to more Americans, we can't afford to ignore women's health issues, including reproductive health care and the cost savings that contraceptive access provides, writes Chloe Bird.
Sep 5, 2012
The RAND Blog
Diet and Eating Habits

Bedside Manners: Obesity Is Not All Your Fault
We will be more successful at stemming the growing tide of obesity and improving our own health if everyone accepts their share of responsibility for the obesity epidemic, write Chloe E. Bird and Tamara Dubowitz.
Jul 26, 2012
Girl with Pen, Bedside Manners blog
Female Populations

Celebrating Birth Control on Mother's Day? Not as Counterintuitive as It Sounds
Reliable birth control contributed to economic development by reducing women's risk of dropping out of school associated with early childbearing and high fertility rates, contributing in turn to increases in women's labor force participation, the continuity of their careers, and the standard of living of women, children and families, writes Chloe Bird.
May 11, 2012
Ms. Magazine

Publications

Report
Societal Impact of Research Funding for Women's Health in Lung Cancer
The authors find that small investments are likely to yield large gains from increasing research funding in lung cancer; investing in women's health research yields benefits above investing in general research.
Nov 1, 2022
Draft
Research Funding for Women's Health: A Modeling Study of Societal Impact: Findings for Lung Cancer
Using microsimulation analyses, examines the societal cost impact of increasing research funding in lung cancer.
Nov 1, 2022
Draft
Research Funding for Women's Health: A Modeling Study of Societal Impact: Findings for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Using microsimulation analyses, the authors examined the societal cost impact of increasing research funding in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Jan 25, 2022
Report
Societal Impact of Research Funding for Women's Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis
The authors find that small investments are likely to yield large gains from increasing research funding in rheumatoid arthritis; investing in women's health research yields benefits above investing in general research.
Jan 25, 2022
Report
Research Funding for Women's Health: Modeling Societal Impact
Researchers examined the impact of increasing funding for women's health research, with a focus on the following three disease areas: brain health, immune and autoimmune disease, and cardiovascular disease.
Oct 11, 2021
Draft
Research Funding for Women's Health: A Modeling Study of Societal Impact: Findings for Coronary Artery Disease
Using microsimulation analyses, the authors examined the societal cost impact of increasing research funding in Coronary Artery Disease.
Oct 11, 2021
Report
Societal Impact of Research Funding for Women's Health in Coronary Artery Disease
The authors find that small investments are likely to yield large gains from increasing research funding in coronary artery disease; investing in women's health research yields benefits above investing in general research.
Oct 11, 2021
Draft
Research Funding for Women's Health: A Modeling Study of Societal Impact: Findings for Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementia Model
Using microsimulation analyses, examines the societal cost impact of increasing research funding in Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease related disorders.
Apr 22, 2021
Report
Societal Impact of Research Funding for Women's Health in Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease–Related Dementias
The authors find that small investments can yield large gains from increasing research funding in Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease–related dementias; investing in women's health research yields benefits above investing in general research.
Apr 22, 2021
Journal Article
Mapping the Gaps: Gender Differences in Preventive Cardiovascular Care Among Managed Care Members in Four Metropolitan Areas
Using geospatial technology to generate maps for quality of care metrics and making the information accessible to key stakeholders provides the opportunity to better address disparities in CVD management for women.
Aug 24, 2018
Report
Establishing Gender-Neutral Physical Standards for Ground Combat Occupations: Volume 1. A Review of Best-Practice Methods
This report identifies and describes the best-practice methodologies for establishing valid, gender-neutral standards for physically demanding military jobs.
Jun 19, 2018
Journal Article
Impact of Incident Diabetes on Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease According to Statin Use History Among Postmenopausal Women
Regardless of statin use, postmenopausal women with new-onset diabetes had a significantly increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Oct 18, 2016
Journal Article
Individual and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and the Association Between Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease
Women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods may be more susceptible to air pollution-related health effects, but individual and neighborhood SES did not affect the positive association between long-term fine particulate matter and cardiovascular disease.
Sep 13, 2016
Journal Article
Aging Well: Observations from the Women's Health Initiative Study
The purpose of this article is to review contemporary theoretical and conceptual perspectives on aging well and describe indicators of aging well that reflect key concepts and perspectives as assessed in the Women's Health Initiative.
Feb 10, 2016
Journal Article
The Relationship of Cardiovascular Disease to Physical Functioning in Women Surviving to Age 80 and Above in the Women's Health Initiative
Women's Health Initiative participants aged 80 years or older at the time of self-reporting PF (RAND SF-36) were studied in relationship to CVD diagnosis, whether present at study baseline (1993-1998) or diagnosed during follow-up through 2012.
Feb 9, 2016
Journal Article
Military Generation and Its Relationship to Mortality in Women Veterans in the Women's Health Initiative
We examined all-cause and cause-specific mortality by Veteran status and military generation among older women.
Feb 9, 2016
Journal Article
Aging Well Among Women Veterans Compared with Non-Veterans in the Women's Health Initiative
To examine whether Veteran status influences (a) women's survival to age 80 years without disease and disability and (b) indicators of successful, effective, and optimal aging at ages 80 years and older.
Feb 1, 2016
Journal Article
Racial and Ethnic Variations in Lung Cancer Incidence and Mortality: Results from the Women's Health Initiative
This study aimed to evaluate racial/ethnic differences in lung cancer incidence and mortality in the Women's Health Initiative Study, a longitudinal prospective cohort evaluation of postmenopausal women recruited from 40 clinical centers.
Jan 21, 2016
Journal Article
Coffee and Caffeine Consumption and the Risk of Hypertension in Postmenopausal Women
We sought to assess longitudinal relations of caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and total caffeine intakes with mean blood pressure and incident hypertension in postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study.
Jan 14, 2016
Journal Article
Prospective Analysis of Health and Mortality Risk in Veteran and Non-Veteran Participants in the Women's Health Initiative
This large-scale study compares the long-term health outcomes and mortality risks among veteran and non-veteran participants of the Women's Health Initiative, a set of studies that looks for health risk associations in postmenopausal women.
2015
Report
Single parents and employment in Europe: Short Statistical Report No. 3
Many single-parent households are led my women which can have an effect on levels of employment. Differences exist between nations and age groups.
Oct 29, 2014
Infographic
A Step in the Right Direction: Exercising for Your Heart Health
Outlines the health benefits of increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time and offers suggestions on how to make physical activity part of a daily routine.
Oct 17, 2014
Journal Article
A Test of Biological and Behavioral Explanations for Gender Differences in Telomere Length: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
The purpose of this study was to examine biological and behavioral explanations for gender differences in leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biomarker of cell aging that has been hypothesized to contribute to women's greater longevity.
Oct 1, 2014
Research Brief
Mapping Gender Gaps in Health Care
Mapping regional rates of cholesterol screening among patients with cardiovascular disease and diabetes reveals significant gender gaps: Women are often less likely to receive screenings.
Jun 11, 2014
Journal Article
Gender-based Analysis Is Essential to Improving Women's Health and Health Care
Gender-based analysis can lay the groundwork to develop more effective decision tools and interventions, and in turn improve both women's and men's health and health care.
Mar 1, 2014
Multimedia
Women's Heart Health: Research That Matters
RAND senior sociologist Chloe Bird and cardiologists Tamara Horwich and Karol Watson explain cardiovascular disease (CVD) within the context of women's health.
Jan 31, 2014
Report
Mapping Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Care: A Pilot Assessment of LDL Cholesterol Testing Rates in a California Health Plan
The care women receive for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes -- and their health outcomes -- lag behind those of men, even for routine care. This pilot project maps gender differences in CVD and diabetes care using data from a large health plan.
Jan 16, 2014
Journal Article
Will Extending the Women's Health Initiative Lead to Better Research and Policy?
In this commentary, the author makes the case for the benefits of extending the Women's Health Initiative.
2014
Journal Article
All-cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality Rates in Postmenopausal White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian Women with and Without Diabetes in the United States: The Women's Health Initiative, 1993-2009
Because of the amplifying effect of diabetes prevalence, efforts to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in the rate of death from diabetes should focus on prevention of diabetes.
Nov 1, 2013
Journal Article
The Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Coronary Heart Disease in Women
Studies have reported relationships between urban sprawl, physical activity, and obesity, but – to date – no studies have considered the relationship between sprawl and coronary heart disease (CHD) endpoints.
Mar 1, 2013
Journal Article
Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Coronary Heart Disease Risk Prediction in a Nationally Representative Sample
NSES is significantly associated with CHD risk, and the relationship varies by gender and race/ethnicity.
Oct 1, 2012
Journal Article
Comprehensive Healthcare: Why Is the Inclusion of Reproductive Health Controversial for Women but Not Men?
Comprehensive care for women that broadly includes reproductive care is not yet the standard of care, despite recognition of the gaps and the many consequences for women's health.
Jul 1, 2012
Journal Article
The Women's Health Initiative: The Food Environment, Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status, BMI, and Blood Pressure
Post menopausal women living in neighborhoods with higher socioeconomic status and more supermarkets have lower body mass and lower blood pressure.
Apr 1, 2012
Journal Article
Determinants of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Incidence of Diabetes in Postmenopausal Women in the U.S. The Women's Health Initiative 1993–2009
The majority of diabetes cases are preventable, and risk reduction strategies can be effectively applied to all racial/ethnic groups.
2012
Journal Article
Contextual Predictors of Cumulative Biological Risk: Segregation and Allostatic Load
In this study, we build on prior research by Massey (2004) to investigate the relationships between two distinct dimensions of segregation and allostatic load.
Dec 1, 2011
Research Brief
Preventing Obesity and Its Consequences: Highlights of RAND Health Research
Summarizes key RAND studies on the causes of obesity, its economic and health consequences, and potential strategies for prevention, including work on health care costs, junk food, food deserts, school meals, and proximity of parks.
Aug 3, 2011
Journal Article
Racial/ethnic Differences in US Health Behaviors: A Decomposition Analysis
Racial/ethnic differences influence the way that neighborhood socioeconomic status affects health behaviors.
May 1, 2011
Journal Article
Ambient Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Venous Thromboembolism in the Women's Health Initiative Hormone Therapy Trials
There is little evidence of an association between short- or long-term exposure to particulate matter air pollution and venous thromboembolism; and no evidence that hormone therapy is modifing such a link.
Mar 2, 2011
Journal Article
Neighborhood Archetypes for Population Health Research: Is There No Place Like Home?
Latent class analysis. A new approach to studying the role of place in population health, can be used in both research and practice.
2011
Journal Article
Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Cognitive Function in Women
Neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) is associated with cognitive functioning in older US women. Future research is needed on the longitudinal relationships between NSES, cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline.
2011
Draft
Technical Detail and Appendices for a Study of Neighborhood Archetypes for Population Health Research
Demonstrates a new approach that employs neighborhood measures such as social environment, built environment, commuting and migration, and demographics and household composition to classify neighborhoods into archetypes.
Nov 9, 2010
Journal Article
Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Status and Biological 'Wear and Tear' in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Adults
Living in a lower SES neighborhood is associated with greater biological wear and tear.
Oct 1, 2010
Journal Article
Changing Gendered Patterns of Morbidity and Mortality
Drawing together cutting-edge research on gender and healthcare, this essential guide provides a critical overview of core debates as well as practical guidance on how to bring gender perspectives to the heart of international health policy, practice and research.
Aug 1, 2010
Multimedia
A Prototype Interactive Mapping Tool to Target Low Health Literacy in Missouri
Describes a web-based mapping tool to help healthcare decisionmakers identify neighborhood-level ''hotspots'' of suboptimal health or healthcare that may be due to low health literacy.
Apr 29, 2010
Journal Article
The Application of Biomarker Data to the Study of Social Determinants of Health
The authors adress the possibilities of including biomarkers in sociological research to map physiological pathways over the life course.
2010
Journal Article
Understanding Gender and Health: Old Patterns, New Trends, and Future Directions
The authors examine the patterns and trends in gender differences in health and consider how social and biologic factors interact to produce paradoxical differences in men's and women's health.
2010
Draft
Estimating and Mapping Health Literacy in the State of Missouri
Using predictive models and information about the demographic makeup of census areas, this paper generates estimates of health literacy for each geographic area and maps the results to identify 'hot spots' of low health literacy across Missouri.
2010
Journal Article
Neighborhood Effects on Health: Concentrated Advantage and Disadvantage
Individuals with more education benefit from living in highly educated neighborhoods to a greater degree than individuals with lower levels of education.
2010
Draft
How Are Residency Programs Preparing Our 21st Century Internists? A Review of Internal Medicine Residency Programs' Teaching on Selected Topics
Presents the results of interviews with internal medicine program directors about how they are preparing physicians-in-training to practice within the current health care delivery system.
Aug 3, 2009
Journal Article
Does Mental Health History Explain Gender Disparities in Insomnia Symptoms Among Young Adults?
Women are more likely than men to suffer from insomnia symptoms. This article investigates the role that mental health history plays in explaining the gender disparity in insomnia symptoms.
2009
Journal Article
Developing Predictive Models of Health Literacy
The authors developed two models to estimate health literacy.
2009
Journal Article
Neighborhoods and Cumulative Biological Risk Profiles by Race/Ethnicity in a National Sample of U.S. Adults: NHANES III
Examines race/ethnic-specific patterns of association between neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) and a cumulative biological risk index in a nationally representative population.
2009
Research Brief
The Societal Promise of Improving Care for Depression: Nine Years Out
This research highlight updates the cumulative effects of a study of a collaborative care-based quality-improvement treatment program for depression after nine years.
Nov 19, 2008
Research Brief
Do Neighborhood Economic Conditions Influence the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables?
This fact sheet summarizes a study examining the variation of the intake of fruits and vegetables for blacks, whites, and Mexican Americans, in addition to the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic status and this intake.
Aug 11, 2008
Journal Article
Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Whites, Blacks, and Mexican Americans in the United States
Neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) is positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake. Neighborhood SES partially explains black-white intake disparity and is differentially associated with white, black, and Mexican American intake.
Jun 1, 2008
Research Brief
Constrained Choice: Why Are Some Women and Men Able To Create and Maintain Healthy Lifestyles, While Others Are Not?
This fact sheet describes a model of constrained choice that explains how policy decisions at the family, work, community, and government levels can have unintended consequences that ultimately produce differences in men's and women's health.
Apr 10, 2008
Commercial Book
Gender and Health: The Effects of Constrained Choices and Social Policies
The first book to examine how men's and women's lives and their physiology contribute to differences in their health. The authors demonstrate that modern societies' health problems involve a combination of policies, personal behavior, and choice.
Mar 9, 2008
Journal Article
Age and Gender Differences in Medicare Expenditures and Service Utilization at the End of Life for Lung Cancer Decedents
Gender disparities in expenditures are generally small at the end of life for lung cancer decedents. The bigger observed differences are by age. Higher expenditures for women on social-supportive services may reflect fewer informal supports.
2008
Journal Article
Biomarkers of Psychological Stress in Health Disparities Research
A number of biomarkers have been shown to be affected by psychological stress, including allostatic load. Biomarkers can help characterize and quantify the biological impact of psychological stress on the etiology of health disparities.
2008
Journal Article
Challenges for Multilevel Health Disparities Research in a Transdisciplinary Environment
This paper reports on health disparities research as a multilevel research domain from the perspective of a large national initiative.
2008
Journal Article
Does Place Explain Racial Health Disparities? Quantifying the Contribution of Residential Context to the Black/white Health Gap in the United States
Estimates place effects on racial health disparities. Controlling for a single point-in-time measure of residential context results in a 15-76% reduction of black/white disparities in self-rated health not accounted for by individual-level controls.
2008
Journal Article
How a Therapy-Based Quality Improvement Intervention for Depression Affected Life Events and Psychological Well-Being Over Time: A 9-Year Longitudinal Analysis
Short-term quality improvement (QI) interventions for depression can improve long-term mental health but mechanisms are unknown.
2008
Research Brief
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues Among People with HIV: Lessons from HCSUS
This research brief describes findings from HIV Costs and Services Utilization Study surveys on the prevalence of mental health and substance abuse problems for persons with HIV, access to appropriate care, and ability to adhere to treatment.
Dec 8, 2007
Journal Article
Neighborhood Context and Ethnicity Differences in Body Mass Index: A Multilevel Analysis Using the NHANES III Survey (1988-1994)
The authors provide both a theoretical and empirical analysis of the relation between administrative and survey data.
Jul 1, 2007
Journal Article
Age and Gender Differences in Medicare Expenditures at the End of Life for Colorectal Cancer Decedents
The authors examined age and gender differences in Medicare expenditures for colorectal cancer decedents in the last year of life (LYOL).
2007
Journal Article
The Associations of Gender, Sexual Identity and Competing Needs with Healthcare Utilization Among People with HIV/AIDS
Studies report gender differences in medical service utilization among persons with HIV, although most compare women to heterogeneous groups of men.
2007
Journal Article
Differential Diffusion of HIV Technologies by Gender: The Case of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
The authors sought to examine whether diffusion of new HIV technologies differed by gender in the United States.
2007
Journal Article
Does Quality of Care for Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Differ by Gender for Enrollees in Managed Care Plans?
PURPOSE: To assess gender differences in the quality of care for cardiovascular disease and diabetes for enrollees in managed care plans.
2007
Journal Article
Patterns and Correlates of Deliberate Abstinence Among Men and Women with HIV/AIDS
The authors examined correlates of deliberate sexual abstinence among gay/bisexual men, heterosexual men, and women in a sample of adults with HIV.
2006
Journal Article
Does Patient-Provider Gender Concordance Affect Mental Health Care Received by Primary Care Patients with Major Depression?
Detection and care of mental health and substance use problems for patients with depression is not influenced by patient-provider gender concordance.
2006
Journal Article
The Association of Partner Abuse With Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Women and Men With HIV/AIDS
Secondary HIV prevention interventions must take into account potentially abusive contexts in which sexual activity may occur for both men and women.
2005
Report
The Association of Partner Abuse with Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Women and Men with HIV/AIDS
Assesses whether women, heterosexual men, and gay/bisexual men with HIV who experienced or perpetrated abuse within a close relationship were likely to engage in unprotected intercourse with that same partner.
2005
Journal Article
Rethinking Gender Differences in Health: Why We Need to Integrate Social and Biological Perspectives
The authors goals in this analytic essay are to make the case that gender differences in health matter and that understanding these differences requires an explanation of why rational people are not effective in making health a priority in their everyday lives.
2005
Journal Article
Use of Geocoding in Managed Care Settings to Identify Quality Disparities
Tracking quality-of-care measures is essential for improving care, particularly for vulnerable populations.
2005
Report
Differences in Medicare Expenditures During the Last 3 Years of Life
While health care spending on minorities, poor people, and men is oftenlower than spending on whites, higher-income people, and women, the spendinggap narrows or disappears in the last year of life for Medicare patients.
2004
Report
Do the Effects of Quality Improvement for Depression Care Differ for Men and Women?
To affect both quality and outcomes of care for men and women while reducing gender differences, QI programs may need to facilitate access to both medication management and effective psychotherapy for depression.
2004
Journal Article
Improving Women's Quality of Care for Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes: The Feasibility and Desirability of Stratified Reporting of Objective Performance Measures
Potential benefits of and barriers to routine reporting of objective measures of the quality of care, such as HEDIS measures, by health plans.
2003
Journal Article
Social Context and Adolescent Health Behavior: Does School-Level Smoking Prevalence Affect Students' Subsequent Smoking Behavior?
Paper examines the links between individual adolescent smoking behavior and actual and perceived smoking behavior in the individual's school cohort.
2003
Journal Article
Career Paths in Diagnostic Radiology: Scope and Effect of Part-Time Work
The motivation for working part-time differed significantly according to gender and age.
2002
Journal Article
Age and Gender Differences in Health Care Utilization and Spending for Medicare Beneficiaries in Their Last Years of Life
Men's and women's health care experiences differ as they age.
2002
Journal Article
Integrating Social and Biological Research to Improve Men's and Women's Health
The authors comment on two reports that address the gender health paradox.
2002
Journal Article
Organization Supports for and Barriers to Part-Time Work Arrangements for Professionals: The Case of Radiology
The authors conducted structured interviews with 69 practice administrators and 13 self-employed or retired radiologists.
2002
Journal Article
Predictors of Contact with Public Service Sectors Among Homeless Adults with and Without Alcohol and Other Drug Disorders
These disorders may be masking need or otherwise acting as a barrier to accessing treatment and support.
2002
Journal Article
Sex Differences in Disease Presentation in the Emergency Department
In the Emergency Department, understanding sex differences in disease presentation is especially critical to treatment outcomes.
2002
Journal Article
Integrating Sociological and Biological Models: An Editorial
Social and biological assumptions about health shape research and affect the development and application of knowledge.
2001
Journal Article
Mammography-related Anxiety: Effect of Preprocedural Patient Education
To determine the effect of preprocedural education on mammography-related anxiety.
2001
Journal Article
Medical Sociology at the Millennium
This book represents the status of medical sociology at the millennium.
2000
Journal Article
Social and Psychological Factors, Physiological Processes, and Physical Health
Authors consider evidence from a variety of other disciplines about one possible pathway-physiological links between psychosocial processes and health
2000
Journal Article
Sociological Explanations of Gender Differences in Mental and Physical Health
This book represents the status of medical sociology at the millennium.
2000
Journal Article
Gender, Household Labor, and Psychological Distress: The Impact of the Amount and Division of Housework
Assesses the impact of the amount of household labor performed and its division within the household on men's and women's depression levels.
1999
Journal Article
Gender Matters: An Integrated Model for Understanding Men's and Women's Health
Health research has failed to adequately explore the combination of social and biological sources of differences it men's and women's health.
1999
Journal Article
Gender, Time Use, and Health
When gender differences in social roles are controlled, being male is associated with poorer health than being female. If gender roles were more equal, women would experience better health than men, more consistent with their greater longevity.
1991