Job discrimination, a social stressor, may lead to sleep health disparities among workers; yet, limited research has examined this relationship and specific sources of job discrimination. We used a US sample of working women (n = 26,085), participants in the Sister Study (2008–2016), to examine the associations of perceived job discrimination due to sex, race, age, health conditions, and/or sexual orientation with sleep health. Cross-sectionally, linear or logistic regression models…
NIEHS scientists join the fight against COVID-19
Across the institute, researchers are lending their expertise to the fight against the novel coronavirus. The April issue of the Environmental Factor featured several projects underway at NIEHS seeking to make headway against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. This month, we offer a roundup of the diverse projects our researchers are doing. Epidemiology of COVID-19 Dale Sandler, Ph.D., is partnering with a team at Harvard University on a COVID…
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Chelsea Creek Debt Calculator
How much do you owe the Chelsea Creek? This calculator, by JPB Fellow Sara Wylie and students at Northeastern University, tells you how much you owe to those communities. Take this quiz to determine how often you utilize services provided by the Chelsea Creek area. At the end, you will discover what your debt is to residents here. Use this as a framework for further research and exploration, but most…
New Article: Solid fuel use and early child development disparities in Ghana: analyses by gender and urbanicity
In Ghana, more than 77% of the population depends on biomass fuels for cooking. Previous studies show that solid fuel use (SFU) has adverse effects on pregnancy and child health outcomes. Yet, no previous study considered potential effects on early child development indicators (ECDI), nor how SFU effects may vary by gender, and rural and urban areas. We investigated the associations of SFU with ECDI measures, and whether these associations…
Fighting Energy Injustice and Coronavirus in African American Communities
On this week’s Political Climate, we look at how COVID-19 and climate change are affecting African American communities and how these issues can be tackled in tandem. African Americans are struggling with a disproportionate death toll from COVID-19 and severe financial strain from the economic downturn. This crisis has exposed preexisting racial disparities created by deep-seated social, economic and political factors. These same underlying issues make African Americans more vulnerable…
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Sleep health disparities research can be improved, experts say
A report coauthored by NIEHS epidemiologist Chandra Jackson could lead to better sleep health for disadvantaged groups. A report published Mar. 10 in the journal Sleep gathered recommendations from a 2018 workshop titled “The Role of Sleep in Health Disparities: Causes and Health Consequences.” Chandra Jackson, Ph.D., co-chaired the meeting and is the report’s first author. She studies sleep health disparities (SHDs) in the NIEHS Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Equity Group.…
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‘Take-Home’ Exposures Still Persist
Posted on March 23, 2020 by Senior JPB Fellow Diana Ceballos, PhD, MS, CIH, and Michael Flynn, MA Occupational health has evolved into a largely technical field dedicated to identifying and eliminating the physical, chemical, and biologic hazards found at the workplace (Peckham et al, 2017). Central to this approach has been the distinction between work-related and non-work-related exposures, injuries, and illnesses which has become a line of demarcation between occupational…
Latest Article: Adoption of Exposure Assessment Tools to Assist in Providing Respiratory Protection Recommendations
Selecting a proper respirator requires determining the ratio of an employee’s maximum use concentration (MUC) divided by the occupational exposure limit of a chemical. Current industrial hygiene practice often is to obtain a percentile estimate (e.g. 95th) of the measured exposure distribution to apply as the MUC. However, practitioners who are not yet familiar with statistical or mathematical approaches may choose the highest exposure data point as the MUC, a…
How the have-nots are coping with coronavirus
By Senior JPB Fellow Diana Hernandez. For a while, coronavirus was something happening on the other side of the world. As of this week, it’s a more imminent threat for many New Yorkers. And for those on the margins, it’s an especially serious threat. On Sunday, March 8, the first confirmed case hit the Bronx. Little is known about this individual, but as a local resident, I can say that…
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Senior Fellow selected to be a visiting scholar at the Russell Safe Foundation
The Russell Sage Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of 17 Visiting Scholars for the 2020-2021 academic year. While in residence at RSF in New York City, they will pursue research and writing projects that reflect the foundation’s commitment to strengthening the social sciences and conducting research to “improve social and living conditions in the United States.” Diana Hernandez, Senior JPB Fellow, was selected to join. Hernández will write a book…
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