Hands on an Orange Pen Researcher in Hyde Park Library Meeting in an office at NORC
Meeting in Hyde Park

Public Health Research

Public health officials are faced with many ongoing and emerging challenges: determining the
impact of health care reform, strengthening public health infrastructure, reducing health disparities, preparing for emergencies, monitoring chronic disease, and understanding the relationship between health and the environment. Public health decision makers need high-quality data and analyses to help them address these issues.  

NORC’s Public Health Research department offers a range of research capabilities, including quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. Our team includes prominent health policy experts, nationally recognized public health researchers, and leaders in the field of survey design and implementation. Our staff represents a broad, multidisciplinary spectrum spanning public health, epidemiology, statistics, policy, developmental psychology, economics, sociology, social work, and political science. 

Our staff is committed to NORC’s core mission of conducting research of the highest quality that serves the public interest. We build long-term relationships among our staff, partners and sponsors through collaboration, mutual respect, and a commitment to improving health and health care for all people.

Special Expertise

  • Human Development
    • Maternal and Child Health
  • Vaccines and Immunization
  • Influenza
  • Health Information Technology
  • Public Health Systems and Services Research 
  • Special Populations
    • Veterans
    • Healthcare Workers
  • Health Disparities
  • Rural Health
  • Disease Prevention Surveillance
  • Medicare and Medicaid

Representative Projects

Evaluation and Analytic Support for HHS Healthy Weight and Obesity Initiative. NORC is providing evaluation support to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), assisting the Department in tracking progress on reversing the obesity epidemic. More

Evaluation of Tribal Health Professions Opportunities Grants (HPOG). Sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families, NORC is conducting a multi-method evaluation of the Tribal HPOG program, designed to train Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income tribal members for employment in health professions. More

National Children's Study (NCS). The National Children’s Study will examine the effects of the environment, as broadly defined to include factors such as air, water, diet, sound, family dynamics, community and cultural influences, and genetics on the growth, development, and health of children across the United States, following them from before birth until age 21 years. More

National Immunization Survey. The NIS, administered by NORC since 2005, monitors childhood immunization coverage for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This household survey screens more than 6 million sampled telephone lines yearly. The NIS Provider Survey requests permission to contact eligible children’s medical providers, and sends these providers an Immunization History Questionnaire. Household and provider data are combined to produce timely estimates of children’s vaccination coverage rate for national, state and local areas. A companion survey, the NIS-Teen, monitors vaccination coverage among teenagers aged 13-17 years. More

Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Across the U.S. (REACH U.S.) Risk Factor Survey. The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Across the U.S. (REACH U.S.) program is the cornerstone of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. NORC conducts two projects related to CDC’s REACH U.S. program. NORC conducts an annual survey in 28 REACH U.S. grantee communities to provide quantitative data to measure progress toward eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities in several health priority areas. NORC also uses existing data and a literature review to assess the role of cultural tailoring and translation on grantees’ activities related to policy, system and environmental changes.  More

See all Public Health Research projects

Headlines

All News

Published Research "Structural Equation Modeling of the Inflammatory Response to Traffic Air Pollution.", Baja, E.S., Schwartz, J.D., Coull, B.A., Wellenuis, G.A., Vokonas, P.S. and Suh, H.H., 2013 More
Posted: 5.13.2013 9:52AM
Published Research "The Economic Burden of Vision Loss and Eye Disorders among the United States Population Younger than 40 Years.", Wittenborn, J.S., Zhang, X., Feagan, C.W., Crouse, W.L., Shrestha, S., Kemper, A.R., Hoerger, T.J. and Saaddine, J.B., 2013 (forthcoming) More
Posted: 5.6.2013 11:17AM
Published Research "Interest Groups and Health Care Reform across the United States.", Gray, V., Lowery, D. and Benz, J.K., 2013 More
Posted: 5.1.2013 9:45AM
Published Research "Attributes Associated with Eye Care Use in the United States: A Meta-Analysis." , Wagner, L.D. and Rein, D.B., 2013 (forthcoming) More
Posted: 3.27.2013 10:28AM
Published Research "Comparing Errors in Medicaid Reporting across Surveys: Evidence to Date.", Call, K.T., Davern, M.E., Klerman, J.A., Lynch, V., 2013 More
Posted: 3.25.2013 10:37AM
Published Research "An Assessment of the Sustainability and Impact of Community Coalitions once Federal Funding has Expired.", Bayne A.I., Benz, J.K., Oppenheimer, C.C., Scherer, H., Lamuda, P. and Langerman, H., 2012 More
Posted: 3.22.2013 9:17AM
Published Research "Association between Long-Term Exposure to Traffic Particles and Blood Pressure in the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study.", Schwartz, J., Alexeeff, S.E., Mordukhovich, I., Gryparis, A., Vokonas, P., Suh, H.H. and Coull, B.A., 2012 More
Posted: 3.11.2013 9:59AM
Published Research "Air Pollution and Markers of Coagulation, Inflammation, and Endothelial Function: Associations and Epigene-Environment Interactions in an Elderly Cohort.", Bind, M.A., Baccarelli, A., Zanobetti, A., Tarantini, L., Suh, H.H., Vokonas, P. and Schwartz, J., 2012 More
Posted: 3.6.2013 10:02AM
Published Research "Global and Regional Mortality from 235 Causes of Death for 20 Age Groups in 1990 and 2010: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.", Lozano, R., Naghavi, M., Foreman, K., Lim, S., Shibuya, K., Rein, D.B. et al., 2012 More
Posted: 2.19.2013 11:27AM
Published Research "Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) for 1160 Sequelae of 289 Diseases and Injuries 1990-2010: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.", Vos, T., Flaxman, A.D., Naghavi, M., Lozano, R., Michaud, C., Ezzati, M., Shibuya, K., Salomon, J.A., Rein, D.B. et al., 2012 More
Posted: 2.19.2013 11:25AM
Published Research "Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) for 291 Diseases and Injuries in 21 Regions, 1990-2010: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.", Murray, C.J.L., Vos, T., Lozano, R., Naghavi, M., Flaxman, A.D., Michaud, C., Ezzati, M., Shibuya, K., Salomon, J.A., Rein, D.B. et al., 2012 More
Posted: 2.19.2013 11:20AM
Published Research "The Healthy People Initiative: Understanding the User’s Perspective.", Benz, J.K., Blakey, C., Oppenheimer, C.C., Scherer, H. and Robinson, W.T., 2013 More
Posted: 2.4.2013 10:38AM
Published Research "Socioeconomic Status and Injury Mortality: Individual and Neighborhood Determinants.", Cubbin, C., LeClere, F.B., and Smith, G.S., 2000 More
Posted: 2.1.2013 11:42AM
Published Research "Going Upstream: Social Inequality and Children's Health.", Soobader, M-J. and LeClere, F.B., 2000 More
Posted: 2.1.2013 11:39AM
Published Research "Using Aggregate Geographic Data to Proxy Individual Socioeconomic Status: Does Size Matter?", Soobader, M-J., LeClere, F.B., Hadden, W. and Maury, B., 2001 More
Posted: 2.1.2013 11:33AM

News

News Funding the National Institutes of Health, and how it affects the National Children's Study More
Posted: 7.19.2012 9:39AM
News American energy habits, with insight from NORC's Jennifer Benz More
Posted: 6.8.2012 3:31PM
Press Release Larry L. Bye Appointed NORC Senior Fellow More
Posted: 4.11.2012 4:20PM
News "Senate Panel Questions NIH's 2013 Budget Plan" looks at potential impact on National Children's Study More
Posted: 3.29.2012 4:12PM
News NORC's David B. Rein looks at Hep C screenings More
Posted: 3.19.2012 4:23PM
News "Grant Panels as Prom Committees" by NORC Expert Felicia B. LeClere More
Posted: 2.28.2012 4:27PM
News Observations on infancy and mortality with data and findings from the National Children's Study More
Posted: 2.22.2012 4:37PM
News Considering the dangers of Hepatitis C, with research and findings from NORC Expert David Rein More
Posted: 2.21.2012 4:50PM
Press Release Birth Cohort Screening for Hepatitis C is Cost Effective More
Posted: 11.8.2011 10:42AM
News Researchers at NORC urge age-based tests for hepatitis C More
Posted: 11.7.2011 4:07PM
News More Transparency, Better Health Care More
Posted: 9.22.2011 11:50AM
Press Release Helen H. Suh Joins NORC as Program Area Director in Environmental Health More
Posted: 8.30.2011 7:48PM

Events

Publications

"Structural Equation Modeling of the Inflammatory Response to Traffic Air Pollution." Baja, E.S., Schwartz, J.D., Coull, B.A., Wellenuis, G.A., Vokonas, P.S. and Suh, H.H., 2013 More
Posted: 5.13.2013 9:52AM
"The Economic Burden of Vision Loss and Eye Disorders among the United States Population Younger than 40 Years." Wittenborn, J.S., Zhang, X., Feagan, C.W., Crouse, W.L., Shrestha, S., Kemper, A.R., Hoerger, T.J. and Saaddine, J.B., 2013 (forthcoming) More
Posted: 5.6.2013 11:17AM
"Interest Groups and Health Care Reform across the United States." Gray, V., Lowery, D. and Benz, J.K., 2013 More
Posted: 5.1.2013 9:45AM
"Attributes Associated with Eye Care Use in the United States: A Meta-Analysis." Wagner, L.D. and Rein, D.B., 2013 (forthcoming) More
Posted: 3.27.2013 10:28AM
"Comparing Errors in Medicaid Reporting across Surveys: Evidence to Date." Call, K.T., Davern, M.E., Klerman, J.A., Lynch, V., 2013 More
Posted: 3.25.2013 10:37AM
"An Assessment of the Sustainability and Impact of Community Coalitions once Federal Funding has Expired." Bayne A.I., Benz, J.K., Oppenheimer, C.C., Scherer, H., Lamuda, P. and Langerman, H., 2012 More
Posted: 3.22.2013 9:17AM
"Association between Long-Term Exposure to Traffic Particles and Blood Pressure in the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study." Schwartz, J., Alexeeff, S.E., Mordukhovich, I., Gryparis, A., Vokonas, P., Suh, H.H. and Coull, B.A., 2012 More
Posted: 3.11.2013 9:59AM
"Air Pollution and Markers of Coagulation, Inflammation, and Endothelial Function: Associations and Epigene-Environment Interactions in an Elderly Cohort." Bind, M.A., Baccarelli, A., Zanobetti, A., Tarantini, L., Suh, H.H., Vokonas, P. and Schwartz, J., 2012 More
Posted: 3.6.2013 10:02AM
"Global and Regional Mortality from 235 Causes of Death for 20 Age Groups in 1990 and 2010: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010." Lozano, R., Naghavi, M., Foreman, K., Lim, S., Shibuya, K., Rein, D.B. et al., 2012 More
Posted: 2.19.2013 11:27AM
"Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) for 1160 Sequelae of 289 Diseases and Injuries 1990-2010: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010." Vos, T., Flaxman, A.D., Naghavi, M., Lozano, R., Michaud, C., Ezzati, M., Shibuya, K., Salomon, J.A., Rein, D.B. et al., 2012 More
Posted: 2.19.2013 11:25AM
"Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) for 291 Diseases and Injuries in 21 Regions, 1990-2010: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010." Murray, C.J.L., Vos, T., Lozano, R., Naghavi, M., Flaxman, A.D., Michaud, C., Ezzati, M., Shibuya, K., Salomon, J.A., Rein, D.B. et al., 2012 More
Posted: 2.19.2013 11:20AM
"The Healthy People Initiative: Understanding the User’s Perspective." Benz, J.K., Blakey, C., Oppenheimer, C.C., Scherer, H. and Robinson, W.T., 2013 More
Posted: 2.4.2013 10:38AM
"Socioeconomic Status and Injury Mortality: Individual and Neighborhood Determinants." Cubbin, C., LeClere, F.B., and Smith, G.S., 2000 More
Posted: 2.1.2013 11:42AM
"Going Upstream: Social Inequality and Children's Health." Soobader, M-J. and LeClere, F.B., 2000 More
Posted: 2.1.2013 11:39AM
"Using Aggregate Geographic Data to Proxy Individual Socioeconomic Status: Does Size Matter?" Soobader, M-J., LeClere, F.B., Hadden, W. and Maury, B., 2001 More
Posted: 2.1.2013 11:33AM

Job Postings

Research Analyst - Public Health Research More
Posted: 1.8.2013 4:58PM
Research Assistant - Public Health Research More
Posted: 1.8.2013 4:56PM
Research Scientist/Senior Research Scientist - Public Health More
Posted: 7.20.2012 11:04AM