NSF Mid-Career Award Project
NSF Mid-Career Award Project
The U.S. has the shortest life expectancy among high-income countries (Lancet, 2024). Decades of research confirm that social determinants of health (SDOH)—such as food access, green space, and crime rates—directly shape life expectancy. However, the policies and mechanisms driving these relationships remain unclear, limiting effective public health interventions.
The U.S. has the shortest life expectancy among high-income countries (Lancet, 2024). Decades of research confirm that social determinants of health (SDOH)—such as food access, green space, and crime rates—directly shape life expectancy. However, the policies and mechanisms driving these relationships remain unclear, limiting effective public health interventions.
Despite billions in annual SDOH investments, policy inefficiencies persist, leading to preventable deaths. A recent review highlights a key challenge: SDOH indices vary widely in scope, measures, and geographic granularity, hindering analysis (Hinnant et al., 2022). To generate actionable insights, a standardized, theory- and evidence-driven framework is needed.
Despite billions in annual SDOH investments, policy inefficiencies persist, leading to preventable deaths. A recent review highlights a key challenge: SDOH indices vary widely in scope, measures, and geographic granularity, hindering analysis (Hinnant et al., 2022). To generate actionable insights, a standardized, theory- and evidence-driven framework is needed.
My Mid-Career Award (MCA) research team and I will systematically examine how SDOH are conceptualized and operationalized in the literature. We will compile evidence on the relationship between each measure in the literature and life expectancy, standardizing available measures at the U.S. County level. Using novel causal inference methods and multilevel modeling, we will assess the extent to which SDOH, and their interactions, explain variations in life expectancy. Lastly, we will apply policy surveillance methods to trace SDOH measures back to the policies and programs that shape them, laying the groundwork for a policy-linked analysis and a future research proposal to secure additional funding.
My Mid-Career Award (MCA) research team and I will systematically examine how SDOH are conceptualized and operationalized in the literature. We will compile evidence on the relationship between each measure in the literature and life expectancy, standardizing available measures at the U.S. County level. Using novel causal inference methods and multilevel modeling, we will assess the extent to which SDOH, and their interactions, explain variations in life expectancy. Lastly, we will apply policy surveillance methods to trace SDOH measures back to the policies and programs that shape them, laying the groundwork for a policy-linked analysis and a future research proposal to secure additional funding.