Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Our mission is to understand and intervene on the social determinants of health and health equity across the life-course.
677 Huntington Avenue, Kresge Building
Boston, MA 02115
News
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Why declaring racism a public health crisis matters
Since 2019, policymakers from more than 50 American municipalities and three states have formally highlighted racism as a public health crisis.
In the Media 
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An optimistic outlook may be a healthier one
In a population of U.S. Army active-duty soldiers, those who tested highest for optimism were less likely to develop hypertension than those who scored the lowest.
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Significant disparities in U.S. life expectancy found at census-tract level
Life expectancy in the U.S. varies widely when analyzed at the census-tract level providing a more detailed picture of health disparities.
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In India, population density a challenge as COVID-19 cases surge
In India, the sheer scale of the country and size of the population makes uniform execution of COVID-19 mitigation measures difficult.
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Targeted taxes and school lunch policies benefit low-income populations
Taxes on sugary drinks and strengthening nutritional standards for meals and beverages at schools may be effective tools for reducing child obesity.
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Black people more than three times as likely as white people to be killed during a police encounter
Black Americans are 3.23 times more likely than whites to be killed by police.
In the Media 
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‘500 years’ worth of history’
Nancy Krieger, professor of social epidemiology at Harvard Chan School, discusses how longstanding structural racism has both fueled the unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s death and, at the same time, has made COVID-19 particularly lethal for people of color.
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Pod-based e-cigarettes may foster greater nicotine dependence than other devices
Pod-based e-cigarettes may contain lower levels of harmful ingredients than conventional cigarettes, but no evidence they’re safe for youth.
