The research on population health and health disparities examines the relationship between social structural and environmental factors and health and health disparities, focusing on obesity, and the potential mediating processes at both the family and neighborhood levels.

Research Areas and Examples

Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Obesity:

This research centers on social structural and environmental influences on obesity and health in general.  Obesity has become a major public health problem in the United States and is a risk factor for a range of chronic health conditions over time, including adult obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, osteoarthritis, several types of cancer, and mental health.

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Related work includes an analysis of the 2014 Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics longitudinal study to examine obesity among Latina/o children and adolescents. This study showed that ethnic/racial inequalities in child obesity persist.

Learn more:
H. D. Davies, H. E. Fitzgerald, & K.J. Silk (2018). Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence, vol. 2, pp. 203-227.

Adult Obesity:

Using the 2020 National Health Interview Survey, this research addresses ethnic/racial, gender, and SES disparities in adult obesity in the United States. Findings in this study showed that Mexicans, other Latinos, and African Americans have higher rates of obesity than whites, whereas the obesity for Asians were significantly lower than those of whites.

Learn more:
Jean Kayitsinga. (Spring 2023). The Social Context of Adult Obesity in the United States. NEXO. East Lansing, MI.

Self-Rated Health:

This research focused on self-rated health and consistently found that Mexicans and African Americans consistently reported excellent health at significantly lower levels than whites and that the odds of reporting excellent health are significantly higher for Asians than they are for whites. The odds of excellent health increase as SES increases both in terms of education and family income.

Learn more:
Jean Kayitsinga. (Fall 2022). Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Health. NEXO. East Lansing, MI.

Social Structural Inequalities and COVID-19:

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the already existing social, structural, and spatial inequalities in the country and their implications on health disparities. Findings show that county-level social structural characteristics, including concentrated disadvantage, income inequality, ethnic/racial composition, and immigrant concentration were associated with higher levels of COVID-19 cases and deaths. These findings highlight the importance of social and structural determinants of health and health inequalities.

Learn more:
Jean Kayitsinga and Rubén O. Martinez. (Fall 2020). Social and Structural Inequalities and COVID-19 in the United States. NEXO. East Lansing, MI.