​Frederick J. Zimmerman, PhD, is an affiliate at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and a professor of health policy and management in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. He also co-directs the UCLA Center for Health Advancement with Jonathan Fielding and is director of the departmental PhD and MS programs. In 2020, Zimmerman serves as president of the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Sciences. 

Research illuminating how economic structure — including poverty and inequality — influence population health has been the focus of Zimmerman’s career. His work has been distilled into the multi-level theory of population health. He has also published extensively on the effects of child media use on subsequent health and development. His recent research topics include simulated comparative effectiveness of public health policies through the Win-Win project, which he directs. In addition, he continues to research the effects of social and economic policy on population health through such economic contextual factors as income inequality, the minimum wage, food marketing, and housing policy. Recently, Zimmerman developed a robust measure of health equity that permits valid comparisons of health equity over time and across jurisdictions.

Zimmerman was a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, West Africa, and holds an MS and PhD in economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

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Population Health in America: Is Culture Stopping Us Dead in Our Tracks? (Health Affairs)
Journal Article
Journal Article

Population Health in America: Is Culture Stopping Us Dead in Our Tracks? (Health Affairs)

Summary: Researchers examine how American culture, characterized by individualism and consumerism, impedes public health efforts. They identify ten areas where cultural values contribute to negative health outcomes, including preference for specialty health care over preventive and primary care, underinvestment in public health, and punitive responses to addiction.

To address these challenges, the article suggests reframing public health measures to align with American values and promoting cultural change through effective messaging and storytelling. Researchers emphasize the need for public health to adopt a more community-focused scientific paradigm and play a leading role in convening stakeholders for policy change.

The ultimate goal is to shift American culture towards social solidarity and collective well-being, thereby creating an ecosystem that supports healthier lifestyles and population health. Despite acknowledging the complexity of cultural change, authors advocate for sustained efforts to rebalance cultural values in favor of public health and the common good.
 

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Association of Neighborhood Gentrification and Residential Moves with Hypertension and Diabetes Control in Los Angeles County, 2014–2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Health & Place)
Journal Article, Research Project
Journal Article Research Project

Association of Neighborhood Gentrification and Residential Moves with Hypertension and Diabetes Control in Los Angeles County, 2014–2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Health & Place)

Summary: This study examines the impact of gentrification exposure on hypertension and diabetes control. Using data from adults in low-socioeconomic status (SES) areas in 2014, the authors analyze the influence of gentrification occurring between 2015 and 2019 on disease control in 2019, while considering factors such as residential moves, race, ethnicity, and age. 

Findings: Results show that gentrification is associated with improved hypertension control, particularly for non-Hispanic whites and adults over 65. Gentrification is not associated with diabetes control overall, but control improved in the Hispanic subgroup. Disease control outcomes remain consistent across residential moves for the overall sample but vary by race and ethnicity. 

Gentrification may have a positive or neutral effect on cardiometabolic health, depending on the population subgroup. The study recommends collaboration between city leaders and health systems to ensure that neighborhood development aligns with the health needs of all residents and does not worsen health disparities.

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The Relationship Between Homeownership and Health by Race/Ethnicity Since the Foreclosure Crisis: California Health Interview Survey 2011-2018 (Journal of General Internal Medicine)
Journal Article
Journal Article

The Relationship Between Homeownership and Health by Race/Ethnicity Since the Foreclosure Crisis: California Health Interview Survey 2011-2018 (Journal of General Internal Medicine)

Summary: U.S. housing policy places a high priority on homeownership, providing large homeowner subsidies that are justified in part by homeownership’s purported health benefits. However, studies conducted before, during, and immediately after the 2007–2010 foreclosure crisis found that while homeownership is associated with better health-related outcomes for white households, that association is weaker or non-existent for African-American and Latinx households. It is not known whether those associations persist in the period since the foreclosure crisis changed the US homeownership landscape.

Authors examine the relationship between homeownership and health and whether that relationship differs by race/ethnicity in the period since the foreclosure crisis.

Authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 8 waves (2011–2018) of the California Health Interview Survey. They included all US citizen respondents ages 18 and older. The primary predictor variable was housing tenure (homeownership or renting). The primary outcomes were self-rated health, psychological distress, number of health conditions, and delays in receiving necessary medical care and/or medications.

Findings: Compared to renting, homeownership is associated with lower rates of reporting fair or poor health, fewer health conditions, and fewer delays in receiving medical care and medication for the overall study population. Overall, race/ethnicity was not a significant moderator of these associations in the post-crisis period.

Homeownership has the potential to provide significant health-related benefits to minoritized communities, but this potential may be threatened by practices of racial exclusion and predatory inclusion. Further study is needed to elucidate health-promoting mechanisms within homeownership as well as potential harms of specific homeownership-promoting policies to develop healthier, more equitable housing policy.

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Correction To: Unmet Medical Needs Among Adults Who Move Due to Unaffordable Housing: California Health Interview Survey, 2011–2017 (Journal of General Internal Medicine)
Journal Article
Journal Article

Correction To: Unmet Medical Needs Among Adults Who Move Due to Unaffordable Housing: California Health Interview Survey, 2011–2017 (Journal of General Internal Medicine)

Summary: Stable, affordable housing is an established determinant of health. As affordable housing shortages across the USA threaten to displace people from their homes, it is important to understand the implications of cost-related residential moves for health care access.

Authors examine the relationship between cost-related moves and unmet medical needs. Authors studied respondents ages 18 and older and used data from 2011–2017 California Health Interview Surveys (CHIS).

The primary predictor variable was residential move history in the past 5 years (cost-related move, non-cost-related move, or no move). The primary outcome was unmet medical needs in the past year (necessary medications and/or medical care that were delayed or not received).

Findings: The sample included 146,417 adults (42–47% response rate), representing a weighted population of 28,518,590. Overall, 20.3% of the sample reported unmet medical needs in the past year, and 4.9% reported a cost-related move in the past 5 years. In multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted risk of unmet medical needs increased for adults with both cost-related moves and non-cost-related moves compared to those with no moves. Among people who had moved, those with cost-related moves were more likely to report unmet medical needs compared to people with non-cost-related moves.

People who have moved due to unaffordable housing represent a population at increased risk for unmet medical needs. Policymakers seeking to improve population health should consider strategies to limit cost-related moves and to mitigate their adverse effects on health care access.

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Association of Neighborhood Gentrification and Residential Moves with Hypertension and Diabetes Control in Los Angeles County, 2014–2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Health & Place)
Journal Article, Research Project
Journal Article Research Project

Association of Neighborhood Gentrification and Residential Moves with Hypertension and Diabetes Control in Los Angeles County, 2014–2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Health & Place)

Summary: This study examines the impact of gentrification exposure on hypertension and diabetes control. Using data from adults in low-socioeconomic status (SES) areas in 2014, the authors analyze the influence of gentrification occurring between 2015 and 2019 on disease control in 2019, while considering factors such as residential moves, race, ethnicity, and age. 

Findings: Results show that gentrification is associated with improved hypertension control, particularly for non-Hispanic whites and adults over 65. Gentrification is not associated with diabetes control overall, but control improved in the Hispanic subgroup. Disease control outcomes remain consistent across residential moves for the overall sample but vary by race and ethnicity. 

Gentrification may have a positive or neutral effect on cardiometabolic health, depending on the population subgroup. The study recommends collaboration between city leaders and health systems to ensure that neighborhood development aligns with the health needs of all residents and does not worsen health disparities.

Read the Publication

 

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The Relationship Between Homeownership and Health by Race/Ethnicity Since the Foreclosure Crisis: California Health Interview Survey 2011-2018 (Journal of General Internal Medicine)
Journal Article
Journal Article

The Relationship Between Homeownership and Health by Race/Ethnicity Since the Foreclosure Crisis: California Health Interview Survey 2011-2018 (Journal of General Internal Medicine)

Summary: U.S. housing policy places a high priority on homeownership, providing large homeowner subsidies that are justified in part by homeownership’s purported health benefits. However, studies conducted before, during, and immediately after the 2007–2010 foreclosure crisis found that while homeownership is associated with better health-related outcomes for white households, that association is weaker or non-existent for African-American and Latinx households. It is not known whether those associations persist in the period since the foreclosure crisis changed the US homeownership landscape.

Authors examine the relationship between homeownership and health and whether that relationship differs by race/ethnicity in the period since the foreclosure crisis.

Authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 8 waves (2011–2018) of the California Health Interview Survey. They included all US citizen respondents ages 18 and older. The primary predictor variable was housing tenure (homeownership or renting). The primary outcomes were self-rated health, psychological distress, number of health conditions, and delays in receiving necessary medical care and/or medications.

Findings: Compared to renting, homeownership is associated with lower rates of reporting fair or poor health, fewer health conditions, and fewer delays in receiving medical care and medication for the overall study population. Overall, race/ethnicity was not a significant moderator of these associations in the post-crisis period.

Homeownership has the potential to provide significant health-related benefits to minoritized communities, but this potential may be threatened by practices of racial exclusion and predatory inclusion. Further study is needed to elucidate health-promoting mechanisms within homeownership as well as potential harms of specific homeownership-promoting policies to develop healthier, more equitable housing policy.

Read the Publication:

Population Health in America: Is Culture Stopping Us Dead in Our Tracks? (Health Affairs)
Journal Article
Journal Article

Population Health in America: Is Culture Stopping Us Dead in Our Tracks? (Health Affairs)

Summary: Researchers examine how American culture, characterized by individualism and consumerism, impedes public health efforts. They identify ten areas where cultural values contribute to negative health outcomes, including preference for specialty health care over preventive and primary care, underinvestment in public health, and punitive responses to addiction.

To address these challenges, the article suggests reframing public health measures to align with American values and promoting cultural change through effective messaging and storytelling. Researchers emphasize the need for public health to adopt a more community-focused scientific paradigm and play a leading role in convening stakeholders for policy change.

The ultimate goal is to shift American culture towards social solidarity and collective well-being, thereby creating an ecosystem that supports healthier lifestyles and population health. Despite acknowledging the complexity of cultural change, authors advocate for sustained efforts to rebalance cultural values in favor of public health and the common good.
 

Read the Publication

Center in the News

The positive and negative ways ‘American Culture’ affects public health

Interview with Frederick J. Zimmerman, PhD, faculty associate at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and a professor of health policy management in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Based on a Health Affairs article Zimmerman co-wrote in 2022, “Population Health In America: Is Culture Stopping Us Dead In Our Tracks?”

News https://www.wuky.org/podcast/dr-greg-davis-on-medicine

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