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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Louie Co-Authors Article on Anti-Black Racism and the Health of White Americans

CSDE Affiliate Dr. Patricia Louie (Sociology) released an article with her co-author Dr. Reed T. DeAngelis in Social Forces, titled “Fear of a Black Neighborhood: Anti-Black Racism and the Health of White Americans“, where authors explore whether anti-Black racism harms the health of White Americans. Using data from a community sample, this paper demonstrates that regardless of neighborhood crime rates or socioeconomic compositions, Whites report heightened perceptions of crime and danger in their neighborhoods as the proportion of Black residents increases, net of actual crime rates. Perceived neighborhood danger, in turn, predicts increased symptoms of distress. When stratified by socioeconomic status (SES), however, low-SES Whites also report perceptions of higher status when living near more Black neighbors, which entirely offsets their distress. This paper advances the current literature by showing how the positioning of Whites within racialized hierarchies can affect their health by exposing them to unique psychosocial stressors and resources stemming from neighborhood contexts. In addition, this paper pushes forward an important research agenda on the impact of whiteness on health and how anti-Black racism can ironically harm the health of White Americans.

Ornelas and Colleagues Evaluate School-based Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating Among American Indian Children

CSDE Affiliate Dr. India Ornelas (Health Systems and Population Health) co-authored new research in BMC Public Health, titled “Process evaluation of the Yéego! Program to increase healthy eating and gardening among American Indian elementary school children“. American Indian children are at increased risk for obesity and diabetes. School-based health promotion interventions are one approach to promoting healthy behaviors to reduce this risk, yet few studies have described their implementation and fidelity. Authors conducted a qualitative process evaluation of the Yéego! Healthy Eating and Gardening Program, a school-based intervention to promote healthy eating among Navajo elementary school children. The intervention included a yearlong integrated curriculum, as well as the construction and maintenance of a school-based garden.

EXTENDED DEADLINE: Applications Open for the Winter 2024 CSDE Lightning Talks and Poster Session! (Now due 2/2/24))

Calling all graduate students to submit abstracts for the Winter 2024 CSDE Lightning Talks and Poster Session! The Lightning Talks and Poster Session will be held Friday, March 8th from 12:30-1:30 and will include two sections, a lighting talk and poster session. This is an excellent, low-stakes opportunity to practice your presentation skills and grow your network. To apply, submit a brief abstract and information about yourself and your collaborators here by COB Friday, 2/2. This quarter’s event is organized by CSDE Trainee Aryaa Rajouria. Please feel free to email Aryaa at rajouria@uw.edu if you have any questions. Learn more details about this opportunity in the full story!

What is the purpose of the session?

This session is a unique opportunity to make new connections with faculty and students working in your area, and to improve your presentation and poster-making skills in advance of larger conferences. Many professional organizations and their associated conferences include space on their programs for posters or lightning talks (sometimes known as flash talks). This session is a great opportunity for:

  • anyone who is preparing a poster presentation for an end-of-the-quarter requirement for a class;
  • anyone who is preparing to present work at a conference;
  • students who just want to present a research idea and receive feedback. This session can be valuable!

Faculty attending the poster sessions find it to be one of the most rewarding experiences because it gives them an opportunity to meet students and talk about research. If you are selected, CSDE will work with CSSCR to get your poster printed for you (no fees, no hassle – you just have to send your poster and slides to me by the date below).

What will the session look like?

As of this moment, the lightning talks are scheduled to take place in person (i.e. there will be no hybrid/Zoom option this quarter). The session will be split into two sections: the Lightning Talks and the Poster Session.

Each participant will prepare 2 PowerPoint slides and one poster PDF to submit should they be selected. The 2 PowerPoint slides will be high-level summaries for the lightning talk portion, and the poster PDF will be a separate file so we can have it printed for you. Two previous winning posters are attached to this email for your perusal!

Each presenter will have 2-3 minutes for their lighting talk presentation, followed by each presenter being available at their poster while attendees circulate and engage with the posters’ content. There will also be light refreshments available to fuel great conversations!

Will there be judges?

Yes, there will be a faculty panel that will give all participants feedback on their slides and presentation and determine a winner. CSDE will recognize the best poster with an award and prize. Posters will be assessed based on the following criteria:

  • Relevance to demographic research or population health;
  • Innovative aspects of the research project;
  • Quality and appropriateness of research design and methodology;
  • Effectiveness in communicating key aspects of the project;
  • Overall design and quality of visuals, images and/or tables.

Is my research a fit for the CSDE Trainee lightning talks?

CSDE seeks to build bridges across disciplines and aims to highlight a broad array of research topics. If your research focuses on demographic measures and methods, population growth, population health, population and environment, mobility, migration, fertility, mortality, family composition, life course, neighborhood change, or other related topics, you should consider participating! Learn more about CSDE HERE.

How do I apply to participate?

To apply, you only need to submit a brief abstract and information about yourself and your collaborators on the project. Submit your application HERE. We will select up to 7 participants.

Dates and deadlines:

  • COB Friday, February 2: deadline to submit an abstract
  • by COB Friday, February 9: you will be notified if you have been selected
  • COB Friday, March 1: deadline to email presentation slides to Aryaa Rajouria (rajouria@uw.edu)
  • Friday, March 8: CSDE Lightning Talks and Poster Session from 12:30-1:30pm, Allen Library Research Commons Green Room A.

Please feel free to email Aryaa at rajouria@uw.edu if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing your submissions!

CSDE Alum Siobhán Mattison is Interviewed by CSSS

CSDE alum Dr. Siobhán Mattison was interviewed as part of CSSS’s Alumni Spotlight series. Mattison is an associate professor of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico and director of the Human Family and Evolutionary Demography Lab. In 2010, she graduated with a PhD in Anthropology from UW, where she was also a CSDE fellow. Her research interests include kinship, parenting, reproduction, social inequality, human behavioral ecology, demography, mixed methods, China, and Vanuatu (an island country in the South Pacific). In the CSSS interview, Mattison discusses aspects related to her professional trajectory, including her experience as CSSS, her role as a program director at the NSF, and advice for current graduate students. Read the full interview here! 

Seattle’s 2021 Heat Dome Associated with Excess Healthcare Utilization: New Research by Hess and Co-authors

CSDE Affiliate Dr. Jeremy Hess (Emergency Medicine, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Global Health) co-authored research in JACEP Open, titled “Impacts of the 2021 heat dome on emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and health system operations in three hospitals in Seattle, Washington.” Extreme heat events (EHEs) are associated with excess healthcare utilization but specific impacts on emergency department (ED) operations and throughput are unknown. In 2021, the Pacific Northwest experienced an unprecedented heat dome that resulted in substantial regional morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine its impact on ED utilization, unplanned hospitalization, and hospital operations in a large academic healthcare system. The researchers found an increase in demand for emergency care and unplanned hospitalizations. They also found that EDs were more crowded and patients had longer ED lengths of stay during the heat dome, all of which highlight the need for capacity management in future EHEs.