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A closer look at the impact of social networks on well-being among an aging South African population

Two South African women wearing colorful clothes

A recent study based on data from the project “Health and Aging in Africa: a Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa” (HAALSI) suggests that social capital theory (the concept that the higher socioeconomic status of your contacts can have positive health impacts as they are a type of interpersonal resource) applies not only in higher-income settings, but in a more resource-limited, rural setting in South Africa as…

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Multiple episodes of depressive symptoms over time linked to higher risk of stroke

Graph from journal publication

This study published in the journal Stroke aims to build upon (and refine) existing evidence linking depression to higher risk of stroke by assessing the relationship between depressive symptoms and stroke risk over time, “given the remitting-relapsing nature of depressive symptoms.” Authors include HCPDS Director Lisa Berkman, and faculty members Ichiro Kawachi and Laura Kubzansky.

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Lisa Berkman on the “rectangularization” of the demographic pyramid in The Harvard Gazette

Lisa Berkman sitting in Harvard Yard with colorful chairs

With more people living longer and healthier lives, along with a simultaneous decline in fertility rates, societies are facing a challenge to adapt to this “rectangularization” of the demographic pyramid. In this piece on the increase in life expectancy and “health span” in The Harvard Gazette, Harvard Pop Center Director Lisa Berkman explains how this trend could improve our work force, and how it may be contributing to our national…

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Retiring at a later age may require a boost in healthy life expectancy

Person walking with a cane

Working longer and later in the lifespan is more possible if it is paired with the “compression of morbidity” — a delayed onset of disability or illness. Center Director Lisa Berkman and her colleague John Rowe have published an article in Nature Aging in which they review recent findings that suggest that while life expectancy may be increasing, the period of life in which functional impairments and disabilities are experienced…

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How does eviction during childhood impact cognitive development?

Children play a board game in the middle of moving

The urban children in this study published in Social Science & Medicine were evaluated at age 9 using four cognitive assessments. Those students who experienced eviction during middle childhood exhibited lower scores (as much as equal to a full year of schooling) than students who did not go through eviction. Authors of the study that examine the under-explored association between childhood eviction and cognitive development include Harvard Pop Center Director…

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AJPH salutes “Workplace Redesign for the 21st Century” in this webinar featuring Lisa Berkman

American Journal of Public Health logo

The October issue of the American Journal of Public Health included the publication “Work Redesign for the 21st Century: Promising Strategies for Enhancing Worker Well-Being,” which coincided with the launch of a companion website and employer toolkit. Tune in to this cast, hosted AJPH and inspired by the “Work Redesign” publication, that features Lisa Berkman talking about work as a key modifiable social determinant of health, especially in light of…

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Medicaid home care services found to benefit more than just the patient

Illustration of abstract people interconnected in multiple colors

Caring for family members with physical and cognitive health issues has been associated with increased health risks for the caregivers. This longitudinal study published in JAMA Health Forum reveals that the self-rated mental health of family caregivers improved markedly after Medicaid home care services were utilized by the family member in need of care. Authors of the study include doctoral student Emily S. Unger, BA, David C. Grabowski, PhD, Jarvis…

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“Work Design for Health” framework & toolkit developed by researchers offers employers effective alternative to employee wellness programs

Work Design for Health logo

Harvard Pop Center Director Lisa Berkman, PhD, Research Program Director Meg Lovejoy, PhD, and their colleagues at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, have developed and released a public-facing website that features a toolkit that employers can use to invest in the health and happiness of their workforce. The launch of the site, which features the Work Design for Health approach…

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Social epidemiologist Lisa Berkman named president-elect of the Population Association of America

Head shot of Professor Lisa Berkman

Lisa Berkman, PhD, director of Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, and the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy, Epidemiology, and Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has been named president-elect of the Population Association of America (PAA). Berkman will begin her term as president-elect of the non-profit, professional organization dedicated to supporting high-quality population research on January, 1, 2022, followed by one year…

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