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  1. Home
  2. Social Determinants of Health Behavior
  3. Environmental Predictors

Environmental Predictors

We analyze and monitor environmental risk factors that contribute to health disparities. Whether the issue is access to clean water, outdoor air quality, toxic substances in housing or poor waste management, we strive to identify these risk factors in certain communities and determine the best elimination approach. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, globally, 23 percent of all deaths and 26 percent of deaths among children under age five are due to preventable environmental factors. Not only do we examine risk factors, but we study environmental factors that improve health such as the number of sidewalks, bike trails and playground in neighborhoods which promote physical activity.

Environmental Predictors
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Featured Publications

  • Risk and Protective Factors for Early Substance Use Initiation: A Longitudinal Study of Mexican-Origin Youth
  • The development of externalizing symptoms from late childhood through adolescence: A longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth.
  • Rural–urban differences in personality traits and well-being in adulthood
  • Are Trajectories of Personality and Socioeconomic Factors Prospectively Associated with Midlife Cognitive Function? Findings from a 12-year Longitudinal Study of Mexican-origin Adults
  • The Role of Parental Language Acculturation in the Formation of Social Capital: Differential Effects on High-risk Children

Latest News

Birds fly by the Houston skyline as the sun sets on Monday, March 6, 2023. A new study finds urban residents are less anxious than their counterparts.
Rural residents are more depressed and anxious than those in urban areas, UH study finds
While people might associate remote settings with peaceful landscapes and quiet lifestyles, rural…
Photo by Josh Hild
Monkeypox Outbreak: How Concerned Should College Students be about Monkeypox?
Q & A with Houston Health Department’s Dr. David Persse
Image of red confetti on a black background with text in a condensed, bold typeface (in all caps) that reads, "Four Pilot Grants Awarded to HEALTH-RCMI Researchers and Early-Stage Investigators"
Four Pilot Grants Awarded to HEALTH-RCMI Researchers and Early-Stage Investigators
To nurture the research paths of early-stage investigators, pilot project grants are tailored to…
Portrait of an African American man, woman and baby sitting on a church pew at Boynton Chapel United Methodist Church. The man is leaning forward, with hands in prayer position. The woman sits beside him, looking towards the man, while the baby in her arms looks into the camera.
Breakthrough infections have become normal, challenging some Houstonians’ trust in COVID vaccine
In Houston’s communities of color, where COVID has been disproportionately fatal, breakthrough…
Image of smoke in the shape of human lungs, on a black background with gray and white smoke.
Empowering Smokers to Quit: UH researcher’s MASP App now in development to help African American smokers
Crushing the craving to smoke is no easy feat—perhaps a herculean task for many who have key…
UH Health Research Institute


Houston, TX 77204
(713) 743-7684

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