Neighborhoods and health disparities: old evidence and new directions

by Ana V. Diez-Roux, MD, PhD, MPH

Professor, Epidemiology,
Director, Center for Integrative Approaches to Health Disparities
Director, Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health
University of Michigan School of Public Health

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed an explosion of research on the ways in which neighborhood contexts may impact health and contribute to health disparities. However, firm conclusions regarding the impact of neighborhood context on health have remained elusive. This presentation will review existing evidence, highlight limitations, and outline some emerging directions. The talk will conclude by discussing the potential utility (as well as the challenges) of using systems approaches to study neighborhood health effects as well as health disparities generally.