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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

  • The Role of Parental Language Acculturation in the Formation of Social Capital: Differential Effects on High-risk Children
  • Poor Sleep and Emotion Dysregulation Mediate the Association Between Depressive and Premenstrual Symptoms in Young Adult Women
  • Factor structure and validation of the mental health checklist (MHCL) for use in isolated, confined and extreme environments
  • Physiological Mechanisms Underlying Children's Circannual Growth Patterns and Their Contributions to the Obesity Epidemic in Elementary School Age Children
  • Sleep Fears, Sleep Disturbance, and PTSD Symptoms in Minority Youth Exposed to Hurricane Katrina

Latest News

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…
Portrait of Dr. Samina Salim on a staircase on UH campus
UH Professor’s Support of Syrian Refugee Communities Goes Global
Dr. Samina Salim wins her first Fulbright award, and she is proud to continue her research abroad…
UH Health Research Institute


Houston, TX 77204
(713) 743-7684

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