Understanding the health paradox: The factors influencing white men’s well-being
While social and economic factors are often viewed as primary drivers of health, a new Penn Nursing analysis suggests that the relationship between societal position and physical well-being is more complex than previously understood.
2 min. read
A new essay co-authored by Derek M. Griffith, the Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Population Health and Health Equity University Professor in Penn Nursing and Penn Medicine, and director of the Program for Research on Men’s Health, examines why non-Hispanic white men do not consistently experience the highest health outcomes in the U.S. despite high levels of representation in leadership and economic sectors. In 2022, the life expectancy for white men was 75.1 years, falling behind that of Hispanic men and Asian men.
The study notes that white men account for approximately 68% of suicide deaths in the U.S., with a rate significantly higher than the national average. Data indicate that this group has the highest rates of alcohol use and is more likely to misuse certain prescription medications compared to other demographics. Additionally, the researchers explore how traditional norms of self-reliance and emotional reserve may create barriers to seeking medical or mental health support.
“We have to better understand the heterogeneity among white men and how they define their identities, aspirations, and goals to create effective and sustainable interventions to address their high rates of depression, alcohol use, and suicide,” says Griffith.
When the Schuylkill swallowed the city: Lessons from Hurricane Ida’s historic flood
New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn’t a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk.
The Fed explained: What it does and why it matters
Former Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and financial historian Peter Conti-Brown, both Wharton professors, unpack the central bank’s origins, its unusual structure, and the quiet ways it shapes the economy
How population changes are impacting primary education worldwide
Research from Penn sociologist Emily Hannum and colleagues reveals regional trends in whether school-age populations are increasing, plateauing, or decreasing—and shows how different countries are responding.
A bioengineered bean gum from the lab of Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell is found to reduce the levels of three microbes associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer to almost zero, without affecting the beneficial bacteria normally found in the mouth.
Fighting oral cancer with bioengineered chewing gum
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell shows that antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce the levels of three microbes linked to worse outcomes in oral cancers, paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.
