Demography

Person wearing a wraparound back brace stands facing a doctor who is pointing out the vertebrae on a model of spine

Better prescribing for bad backs

A recent study finds that finds that patients with new low back pain are receiving opioids less frequently, although prescription rates remain uneven across the country.

Old Genealogy Family History Photographs and Documents

Do DIY DNA kits revive a harmful perceived link between genetics and race?

Research from sociologist Wendy Roth reveals that on average, these tests don’t reinforce the idea of essentialism, but how much participants know about genetics going in matters.

Closeup of hands on a person's chest performing chest compressions outdoors

Bystander CPR less likely for people living in Hispanic neighborhoods

A Penn study shows residents of Hispanic neighborhoods also have a lower chance of survival following cardiac arrest compared to those living in non-Hispanic neighborhoods.

Open, overturned prescription drug bottle with pills spilling out on dark table.

Drug epidemic likely ‘killing more Americans than we think’

Research from Penn and Georgetown shows that the estimated number of drug-associated deaths in the U.S. in 2016 was approximately double the number of deaths attributed to drugs.

Doctore checks someone's blood pressure in an office with windows and city in background

Living in poor communities, dying from heart disease

A new study, led by Penn Medicine, found counties that experienced the most economic distress from 2010 to 2015 had the highest cardiovascular mortality rates.

Concept of inequality rendering: 11 ladders reaching towards the sky with people in business attire climbing each ladder, one considerably higher with a large pencil marking the growing height of the ladder.

Socioeconomic status in the U.S. harder to change than any time in past 150 years

Research from Penn sociologist Xi Song and colleagues shows that mobility declined substantially during this period, particularly for those born in the 1940s and later.

Several adolescents stand under a giant American flag like a parachute aloft at an immigration reform rally.

Demographic shifts, voter fears, and presidential voting

New research shows Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign didn’t benefit from voters’ fears of immigrants in communities experiencing greater demographic change.

A young child wearing a doctor coat and stethoscope listens to the belly of a pregnant woman smiling down at the child.

If you’re black and pregnant, heart disease diagnosis may come too late

A Penn study finds black women are diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy significantly later than white women, which likely explains disparities in outcomes.

Kill stomach cancer risk by attacking this common bacteria

Penn researchers are the first to assess Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer risk among certain demographics and ethnic groups.

For Rent sign on front gate of a brick apartment building

Social interactions in the housing market

Doctoral candidate in sociology Doron Shiffer-Sebba’s prize-winning research paper examines the interpersonal dynamics of landlords and tenants.

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