BOW STREET News and Ideas from the Harvard Center for Population and BULLETIN Development Studies www.hsph.harvard.edu/cpds • Spring/Summer 2009

Roger Revelle: A Centennial Celebration

oger Randall Revelle, the visionary biologists such as Paul Ehrlich, who had con - co-founder of the Harvard Center cluded that humans would breed themselves Rfor Population and Development into a catastrophe. According to Revelle’s Studies, was born a century ago this year. more rounded view, the population problem With a remarkable breadth of scientific and couldn’t be separated from the problems of cultural interests, Revelle set a tone of poverty and underdevelopment. He dis - engaged inquiry at the Pop Center: coolly cerned a broader agenda: feeding and caring dispassionate about the facts, intensely pas - for the growing numbers of humanity, espe - sionate about the ways research could lift cially those in the poorest regions of the human lives. In the 82 years before his death world. “When you educate and give people in 1991, Revelle foresaw many of today’s mobility and hope, you solve the problem — most urgent global problems. they’ll have fewer children.” Born in 1909 in , Revelle first At the time, it was a novel perspective. trained as an oceanographer, eventually Whereas population studies had traditionally directing the Scripps Institution of Oceanog - meant demography, Revelle’s work in Pakistan raphy and helping establish the University of and India made him sensitive to the impacts California, . His pioneering studies of human populations on ecology and of circulation in the earth’s the physical environment—and thereby on atmosphere, stated in a classic 1957 paper, quality of life. His training as a natural scien - sounded a clarion call about global warming. tist had equipped him for investigating In 1964, Revelle moved with his wife Roger Revelle was also deeply inter - interactions between people and their Ellen and four children to Cambridge, ested in the food and population dynamics environments—which became a focus of his launching what was then called the Center of the Indian subcontinent. In one of the continues on page 3 for Population Studies. As the Pop Center’s most acclaimed successes of the 1960s director for just over a decade, he aspired “Green Revolution,” his insights about to transcend hidebound academic thinking. improved planting and irrigation methods Through his teaching and organized reduced the salinization of Pakistan’s agri - INSIDE THIS ISSUE research efforts, he inspired both students cultural land. The work helped transform and colleagues. Among the undergraduates Pakistan from a grain-importing nation to 1 Roger Revelle who studied under him was , whose one with surplus grain to export. The suc - 2 Mahasin Mujahid mission to reverse global warming—as U.S. cess stimulated Revelle’s interest in the Vice-President and as a private citizen— problems of developing nations, and per - 3 Social Capital Symposium eventually earned him, along with the suaded him that he could make a 4 HCPDS Research Core U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate contribution to solving these problems. Change, the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Gore At the Pop Center, responding to what 5 Duncan Thomas credited Revelle for awakening his interest was then alarmingly dubbed the “population 6 Recent Faculty Publications in the topic. explosion,” Revelle refused to side with 8 Burkina Faso Census Workshop BOW STREET Mujahid Connects Neighborhoods and Health BULLETIN s a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar at the Harvard THE CENTER FOR APop Center, Mahasin Mujahid is POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES researching neighborhood influences on car -

DIRECTOR diovascular disease risk, as well as the Lisa Berkman, Ph.D. Thomas D. Cabot Professor intersection between race and place from a of Public Policy, Epidemiology, and Population and International Health, Harvard School of neighborhood-level, lifecourse perspective. Public Health (HSPH) Drawing on data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, her recent analyses FACULTY STEERING COMMITTEE Lisa Berkman, Ph.D., Director, Harvard Center have shown that features of the physical envi - for Population and Development Studies and ronment are associated with body mass index the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy, Epidemiology, and Population and International and hypertension, independent of individual Health, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) factors. Mujahid has also found that features David Bloom, Ph.D., Chair, Department of of the social environment, such as social Global Health and Population, and the Clarence James Gamble Professor of Economics and cohesion, predict hypertension risk. And she Demography, HSPH has discovered that neighborhood effects on doctoral studies, she knew that she wanted Peter Bol, Ph.D., Charles H. Carswell Professor hypertension disappear when race is included to “bring faces to the numbers.” She ulti - of Eastern Asian Languages and Civilization, and Director of the Center for Geographical in statistical models—underscoring the com - mately decided to pursue a doctorate in Analysis, Harvard plex interplay between race, place and health. epidemiology at the University of Michigan, Amitabh Chandra, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of “As a researcher, I want to tell the story where she was awarded a Ph.D. in 2007. Public Policy, Kennedy School of Government of how features of neighborhood environ - There, under the guidance of Ana Diez David Cutler, Ph.D., Otto Eckstein Professor of ments in which individuals live, and the Roux, she began to study neighborhood Applied Economics, Dept of Economics, Harvard social realities they contend with, matter effects and their impact on health outcomes, Matthew Gillman, M.D., S.M., Professor of Ambulatory Care and Prevention , HMS for health,” Mujahid said. Though her an area of research that confirmed her own Claudia Goldin, Ph.D., Henry Lee Professor findings offer insights into precisely how early perceptions. of Economics, Harvard “place matters,” she acknowledges that Mujahid strives to provide rigorous Kenneth Hill, Ph.D., Professor of the Practice much remains to be learned. Her investi - empirical support for the experiences of of Public Health, Department of Global Health and Population, HSPH gations are made more challenging, she those suffering from social marginalization. Gary King, Ph.D., David Florence Professor noted, by the unique methodological puz - Answers to such questions as, “Do neigh - of Government, and Director of the Institute for zles in measuring upstream causes. By borhood environments contribute to people Quantitative Social Science, Harvard incorporating new data sources into her making unhealthy lifestyle choices?” may Rob Sampson, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Sociology and the Henry Ford II Professor of research, she hopes to discover how neigh - seem obvious to those who grow up in the Social Sciences, Harvard borhood processes differ by region and poverty—but not to policy makers and those Mark A. Schuster, MD, PhD, Chief, Division of between rural and urban settings. in the general population, who often take General Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Boston, and William Berenberg Professor of Pediatrics, Growing up in a predominately Black affluence for granted. For this reason, HMS American neighborhood in Detroit, Michi - Mujahid remains passionate about provid - SV Subramanian, Ph.D., Associate Professor of gan, she experienced firsthand the beneficial ing empirical evidence of the life and health Society, Human Development, and Health, HSPH social networks that often characterize ethnic challenges facing marginalized groups. Mary Waters, Ph.D., M.E. Zukerman Professor communities. She also witnessed the conspic - This fall, Mujahid will join the Univer - of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Harvard uous absence of educational, employment sity of California, Berkeley, where she plans Jorge Dominguez (ex officio), Ph.D., Antonio Madero Professor of Mexican and Latin American and economic opportunities. to continue “putting the pieces of the puzzle Politics and Economics in the Department of This perspective shifted during second - together.” Over the course of her career, she Government, Vice Provost for International Affairs in The Office of the Provost, Harvard ary school, when her family moved to the hopes to apply her research to community more racially diverse and affluent city of engagement activities and to interventions

BOW STREET BULLETIN EDITORIAL STAFF Ann Arbor, Michigan. While she benefitted and policies. “If we want people to adopt Editor / Writer: Madeline Drexler from the educational opportunities there, she healthy lifestyles,” she said, “then the neigh - Contributing Writer: Laura Price Contributing Writer: Emily M. O’Donnell also observed the negative effects of social borhoods they live in should have the Bow Street Bulletin welcomes suggestions. stratification by race and economic position. necessary resources to establish and maintain Please contact us at: These contrasting experiences set the stage such lifestyles.” The Harvard University Center for for her later professional inquiry. Population and Development Studies Mujahid earned an undergraduate —Emily M. O’Donnell 9 Bow Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 degree in mathematics and a masters degree [email protected]. Emily M. O’Donnell, MS, is the Harvard Pop Center’s www.hsph.harvard.edu/cpds in biostatistics. As she considered pursuing Program Coordinator.

2 • Bow Street Bulletin A Centennial Celebration continued from page 1 In Memoriam: Ellen Revelle It is with sorrow that we report the death of Ellen Revelle, widow of Pop Center founder Roger Revelle. Warm, hospitable and a devoted supporter of cultural and political causes, Mrs. Revelle touched countless lives over the years. Born in 1910, she was a graduate of the first class at Scripps College, which was named after its founder and Mrs. Revelle’s great aunt, Ellen Browning Scripps. Her philanthropic efforts focused on her most passionate interests: higher education, theater and music. Roger and Ellen Rev - elle’s four children—Mary Revelle Paci, Anne Revelle Shumway, Carolyn Revelle, and William Roger “Bill” Revelle—remem - Roger Revelle, center, with Harvey Fineberg, left, past Harvard University Provost and current ber their mother as a person deeply President of the Institute of Medicine, and Lincoln Chen, past Director of the Harvard Center for engaged in all aspects of life and family. Population and Development Studies and current President of the China Medical Board, at a Harvard Pop Center celebration in 1990. As son William explained to the Light: “Our mother was brought up own work and, in turn, of the Harvard Pop In 1991, Revelle was awarded the believing one should be a steward for Center’s research. National Medal of Science, for “his pio - future generations.” As Revelle once explained, “I was never neering work in the areas of carbon dioxide a demographer or a family planning expert. and climate modification, oceanographic I was concerned with resources.” Though exploration presaging plate tectonics, and collegiality are indelible. The intricate tap - Harvard’s Pop Center has long been known the biological effects of radiation in the estry he brought back from a South Asian for this synthesizing approach, not until the marine environment, and studies of popu - field trip still adorns the long conference 1990s did most scholars delve into the inter - lation growth and global food supplies.” room on Bow Street. Roger Revelle’s action between population, the environment His boundless curiosity, incisive intellect, legacy inspires the work of the Harvard and the quality of human life. interdisciplinary focus, and generous Pop Center to this day.

June Symposium to Explore Role of Social Capital Across Cultures

o address geographic and cultural health outcomes, such as mortality, cardio - boost longevity. Among the topics to be gaps in social capital research, and vascular disease, cancer, and infectious discussed: whether interpersonal trust (a Tto examine how social capital disease. While this research spans the globe, standard indicator of social capital in the varies across cultures, Professor Ichiro including studies in the , West) has the same meaning across cul - Kawachi, Chair of the Department of Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, tures, and whether social capital can serve Society, Human Development, and Health Denmark, Chile and Ecuador, the majority as a tool to explain variations in population at HSPH, is gathering a group of Japanese of this work has focused on industrialized health generally. and American economists, geographers, Western contexts. The first day of the symposium will sociologists, and epidemiologists for a two- According to Kawachi, “The major involve the Harvard community. The second day symposium in June. Social capital, a aim of the symposium is to explore new day will be a closed door meeting at which concept adapted from sociology, refers to kinds of approaches for measuring social participants share relevant datasets and connections within and between social net - capital, as well as novel study designs for define future cross-national comparative works, as well as connections between testing the causal links between social cap - research. After the symposium, invited par - individuals—ties that have been proven to ital and population health outcomes.” A ticipants will submit a proposal to the affect health. large contingent from Japan—a population journal Social Science and Medicine for an issue Numerous studies have explored the with a long life expectancy—will help dedicated to “Social Capital and Health: link between social capital and a variety of attendees explore how social capital may Cross-National Perspectives.”

www.hsph.harvard.edu/cpds • 3 Research Computing and Data Analysis Core: Making Life Easier for HCPDS

ithout data, a population center applicable to the entire database. The RC marital, racial, and geographic diversity. is like a donu t— with a big hole therefore aims to acquire and maintain The Survey of Health, Aging, and Retire - Win the middle. Developing an large and complex databases, providing ment in Europe (SHARE) and The English archive of frequently-used data sets is there - enhanced documentation based on schol - Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) sup - fore critical to the Pop Center’s work. The ars’ experience while building harmonized plement the HRS, providing a more global mission of the Pop Center’s Research Com - data sets for research use. picture of the economic, social, psychologi - puting and Data Analysis Core (RC )— a Among the key data sets that the RC is cal, and health elements of the aging process crack five-member team of self-proclaimed managing are the Demographic Health in the Western context. “geeks”— is filling that data hole. Surveys (DHS), an ongoing series of inter - In addition to filling the donut hole, the Housed in the newly-renovated building national health, population and nutrition Research Core provides programming and at 22 Plympton Street, in Cambridg e— studies, each with a sample size of 5,000- statistical support to HCPDS members. It formerly known as “The Bunker,” but now 30,000 households. The DHS dat a— some sponsors user groups, where individual dubbed “Plympton” — the RC’s facilities going back to 198 4— are comprised of sur - researchers drawing on the same data can talk were designed with openness and collabora - veys, and HIV and GPS data sets from more about common methodological problems. tion in mind. The new space houses both the than 75 countries. These data are an invalu - The Center will also offer “cloud com - RC staff as well as fellows and visiting schol - able resource for studies of social and puting,” an emerging technology where both ars from various programs. In the months environmental determinants of health, and software and data reside on a network of since its opening, Plympton has developed of migration and immigration. servers. Through virtual network software, a vibrant atmosphere of collegiality. Another data set, the Health and the user will be able to log in to the system Typically, individual researchers strug - Retirement Study (HRS), is an ongoing anywhere in the world, with a simple inter - gle to understand and work with large, biennial survey of older Americans’ health, net connection. complex, multi-file databases, creating a wealth, social support, disability, and retire - vast duplication of effort. Many such data ment, starting in 1992. With more than —Martha Fay sets come with arcane documentation and 20,000 participants, these data are represen - Martha Fay, MPH, is director of the Harvard Pop little, or relatively cryptic, documentation tative of nationwide socioeconomic, health, Center’s Research Computing and Data Analysis Core.

LASI India Photo Diary

his spring, Program Coordinator Kay Fabella traveled to the Inter - Tnational Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) in Mumbai, India, to assist in work on the Longitudinal Aging Survey of India (LASI) project. LASI is a collabo - ration between the Harvard School of Public Health, the RAND Corporation and IIPS. Currently in its pilot phase, the project aims to capture data on health, social sup - port and economic security in India’s growing elderly population. Here is a glance at Kay’s photo diary:

4 • Bow Street Bulletin Duncan Thomas: A Life Studying Families, Communities and Health

hen a massive tsunami struck clusions based on simplistic observation.” As the Indonesian archipelago in an undergraduate at Bristol University, in W December, 200 4— killing more England, “I read literature on population than 130,000 residents and displacing another and development, and I thought this was 500,00 0— researcher Duncan Thomas was breathtakingly interesting. It’s not just what’s uniquely prepared to assess the human toll. going on in Zimbabw e— it’s a much broader Professor in the Economics Department at set of questions. The role of families and Duke University, and an esteemed population how complicated they are. Displacement scientist, Thomas had since 1993 helped lead under certain conditions. Families being split the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS), a because of different opportunities. comprehensive study of the nation’s social, “I thought: Goodness gracious, there are economic and demographic changes. so many important scientific questions here. Invited by the Pop Center to give a special And they’re of the da y— they’re salient. Learn - lecture to scholars on April 6, Thomas dis - ing something about these has the potential to cussed data that has served as a critical help us understand why certain people are not baseline for gauging the tsunami’s catastrophic doing terribly well in their lives.” effects. His five-year follow-up investigatio n— Thomas’ work in Indonesia and else - the Study of the Tsunami Aftermath and where has borne out this early realization.

Duncan Thomas, with Pop Center Director Lisa I read literature on population and development, Berkman, at the April 6 seminar. and I thought this was breathtakingly interesting . . . I thought: Goodness gracious, there are so many quality, broad-purpose, scientific longitudinal important scientific questions here. And they’re of surveys in developing countries is absolutely the da y— they’re salient. Learning something about necessary is because of crises like this.” To these has the potential to help us understand why ensure success, Thomas intensively trained local interviewers on the need for quality certain people are not doing terribly well in their lives. data and dedicated follow-up. “I worked — Duncan Thomas with the teams to get them excited.” It paid of f— especially after the tsunami. Among Thomas’ preliminary findings: Despite high levels of posttraumatic stress Recovery (STAR )— has drawn a nuanced Before the tsunami, he had studied the sprawl - reactivity in residents of heavily damaged portrait of how communities and individuals ing and diverse natio n— initially on the verge locales, Indonesians’ overall resilience is cope after a natural catastrophe. of middle-income statu s—through a crippling high. “It’s not that the scars of the tsunami But it was more than 6,000 miles economic crisis and political upheaval. Among have disappeare d— the scars will stay with awa y— in the African nation of Zimbabwe, his research questions: How do families work? these people forever. But the ability to then known as Rhodesi a— that Thomas was How do mothers and fathers allocate scarce reconstruct their lives is stunning. There’s inspired to embark on his wide-ranging resources among themselves and their family been a huge amount of rebuilding in every career path. Once, living in a remote area, he members? What are the best ways to measure dimension. Rebuilding of families through met a young black boy who explained that his well-being and poverty? What are the most marriage. Increased fertility. Rebuilding of parents had been “sleeping” for three days. important biomarkers in assessing health? roads and homes.” Ostracized from their community, they had Perhaps most important: What is the All of which corroborates Thomas’ ini - in fact died of hunger. best way to improve the quality of longitu - tial passion for entering the field. As he “I thought there was something funda - dinal studies in developing nation s— where recalls, “There was this incredibly exciting mentally wrong with a society that allows technological and economic shifts, not to intellectual endeavor. At the same time it had this to happen,” he said. “I understood what mention catastrophes such as the tsunami, both feet on the ground, it was real and it role there was for information, for policy, for leave massive population changes? “One was important. I thought: How lucky can a scienc e— and why you just can’t draw con - of the reasons I believe that serious, high- person be?”

www.hsph.harvard.edu/cpds • 5 RECENT PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS AND OTHER NEWS

Recent Publications Fink, G. (with Andreas Bergh). “Elite Mexican Universal Health Insurance of Pop Center Members Institutions and Inequality.” European Program,’’ The Lancet. 2009 April, Vol.373, Economic Review. 2009 April, 53. 376-384. no.9673, pp.1447-1454. Avendano, M., Glymour, M., Banks, J., and Mackenbach, J. “Health Disadvantage Finlay, J. “Fertility Response to Natural King, G., Schlozman, K., Nie, N. eds. in US Adults Aged 50 to 74 Years: A Disasters: The Case of Three High Mor - The Future of Political Science: 100 Perspectives, Comparison of the Health of Rich and tality Earthquakes.” World Bank Policy New York: Routledge Press, 2009. Poor Americans With That of Europeans.” Research Working Paper series. 2009, American Journal of Public Health. 2009 WPS4883. McLaughlin, K., Hatzenbuehler, M. March, Vol 99, No. 3. “Mechanisms linking stressful life events Gruskin, S., Firestone, R., MacCarthy, and mental health problems in a pros- Berkman, L. “Social Epidemiology: S., Ferguson, L. “HIV and Pregnancy pective, community-based sample of Social Determinants of Health in the Intentions: Do Services Adequately adolescents.” Journal of Adolescent Health. United States: Are We Losing Ground?” Respond to Women’s Needs?” American 2009 February, vol./is. 44/2(153-160). Annu. Rev. Public Health. 2009. 30:27-41. Journal of Public Health. 2008 October, vol. 98, no. 10, pp. 1746-1750. Hatzenbuehler, M., McLaughlin, K., Bärnighausen, T., Bloom, D., Canning, Nolen-Hoeksema, S. “Emotion regulation D., O’Brien, J., “Accounting for the full Chigwedere, P., Seage, III G., Gruskin, and the development of internalizing benefits of childhood vaccination in South S., Lee, T., Essex, M. “Estimating the Lost symptoms in a longitudinal study of LGB Africa.” South African Medical Journal. 2008, Benefits of Antiretroviral Drug Use in adolescents and their heterosexual peers.” Vol. 98(11), pp 242-246. South Africa.” JAIDS. 2008 December, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. vol. 49, no. 4, pp. 410-415. 2008 Dec: 49(12):1270-8. Mahal, A., Canning, D., Odumosu, K., and Okonkwo, P. “Assessing the Economic Nunn, A., Fonseca, E., Gruskin, S. Schuster M., Chung, P., Elliott, M., Impact of HIV/AIDS on Nigerian “Changing Global Essential Medicines Garfield, C., Vestal, K., Klein, D. “Per - Households: a Propensity Score Matching Norms to Improve Access to AIDS Treat - ceived effects of leave from work and Approach.” AIDS. 2008, Vol. 22(S1), ment: Lessons from Brazil,” Global Public the role of paid leave among parents of pp. 95-101. Health. 2009 March, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. children with special health care needs.” 131-149. Am J Public Health. 2009, 99:698-705. Bloom, D., Canning, D. “Global Demographic Change: Dimensions and Adanu, R., Hill, A., Seffah, J., Darko, R., Schuster M., Chung P., Elliott, M., Economic Significance.” Population and Anarfi, J., Duda, R. “Sexually transmitted Garfield, C., Vestal, K., Klein, D. “Aware - Development Review. 2008, Vol. 34 (S), infections and health seeking behaviour ness and use of California’s paid family pp. 17-51. among Ghanaian women in Accra.” leave insurance among parents of chroni - African Journal of Reproductive Health. 2008, cally ill children.” JAMA. 2008, Bloom D., Canning, D., Fink G., 12(3):151-159. 300:1047-1055. “Urbanization and the Wealth of Nations.” Science. 2008, Vol. 319, pp. 772 - 775. Clark, C., Hill, A., Jabbar, K., Silverman, Szilagyi, P., Schuster, M., Cheng, T. J. “Violence During Pregnancy in Jordan: “The scientific evidence for child health Bloom, D., Canning, D., Finlay, J. its Prevalence and Associated Risk and insurance.” Acad Pediatr. 2009, 9;4-6. “Population Aging and Economic Growth in Protective Factors.” Violence Against Women. Asia.” NBER-EASE. 2009, Volume 19, The 2009 March. Subramanian, S., Selvaraj, S. “Social Demographic Transition in the Pacific Rim. analysis of sex imbalance in India: before Hill, K., Queiroz, B., Wong, L., Plata, J., and after the implementation of the Pre- Baicker, K., and Chandra, A. “Myths Del Popolo, F., Rosales, J., Stanton, C. Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act.” and Misconceptions about Health Insur - “Estimating pregnancy-related mortality Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. ance.” Health Affairs. 2008 September/ from census data: experience in Latin 2009, 63, 3: 245-252. October, 27.6. America.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2009, Vol.87 No. 4: 288-295. Subramanian, S., Jones, K., Kaddour, Chandra, A. “Who You Are and Where A., Krieger, N. “Revisiting Robinson: the You Live: Race and the Geography of King, G., et al “Public Policy for the perils of individualistic and ecologic fallacy.” Healthcare.” Medical Care. 2009 February. Poor? A Randomised Assessment of the International Journal of Epidemiology. 2009, 38, 2: 342-360.

6 • Bow Street Bulletin Subramanian, S., Jones K., Kaddour Research Conference on Population, A., Krieger, N. “The value of a historically Reproductive Health and Economic Devel - ANNOUNCEMENTS informed multilevel analysis of Robinson’s opment, Dublin, Ireland. Amitabh Chandra was promoted data.” International Journal of Epidemiology. to full professor and awarded tenure 2009, 38, 2: 370-373. Gunther Fink. “Social Security, Institu - at the Harvard Kennedy School of tional Settings and Labor Supply.” January Government in April 2009. He is a Subramanian, S. , Jun, H., Kawachi, I., 2009. Allied Social Sciences Association Professor of Public Policy at KSG and Wright, R. “Contribution of Race/Ethnic - meeting. San Francisco, CA. is a Research Fellow at the IZA Insti - ity and Country of Origin to Variations in tute in Bonn, Germany, and at the Lifetime Reported Asthma: Evidence for Allan G. Hill, Kenneth Hill, and Livia National Bureau of Economic Research a Nativity Advantage.” American Journal of Montana. “Modeling Spatial Inequalities (NBER) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Public Health. 2009, 99, 4: 690-697. in Health in Cities of Developing Countries: His current research focuses on pro - The Case of Accra, Ghana.” Population ductivity and expenditure growth in Subramanian, S., Ackerson, L., Smith, Association of America, Detroit MI, 29 healthcare, racial disparities in health - D., Neetu, J. “Association of maternal April –2 May 2009, Session 157: Spatial care and the economics of neonatal height with child mortality, anthropometric Demography and Health. With John R. health and cardiovascular care. Dr. failure and anemia in India.” JAMA. 2009, Weeks, San Diego State University; Arthur Chandra serves on the HCPDS’s faculty 301, 16:1691-1701. Getis, San Diego State University; Mark R. steering committee. Montgomery, Population Council. Waters, M. “Social Science and Ethnic The HCPDS’s student program assis - Options.” Ethnicities. 2009 March, vol. 9 Mary Waters. “The Second Generation tant, Haili Muse, has been granted no. 1. pp. 130-135. Advantage: Findings from the New York a Summer Undergraduate Research Second Generation Study.” December Fellowship (SURF) through the Har - Waters, M. “Counting and Classifying 2008. Conference on the Second Genera - vard Initiative for Global Health. Ms. by Race: The American Debate.” tion in Europe and North America, the Muse, a second-year economics con - The Tocqueville Review-La Revue Tocqueville. University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. centrator, will work at the Center under 2008, Vol XXIX, no 1, pp. 1-21. the direct mentorship of Mauricio George Zeidenstein. “Family Planning Avendano, Lisa Berkman and Ari and Reproductive Health in Global Con - Nandi. This 10-week research experi - Special Presentations text.” Conceiving the Pill: Modern Contra- ence provides an opportunity for her and Lectures ception in Historical Perspective, a sympo - to garner research skills and explore sium presented by the Center for the History David Canning. “Population growth and the interface between population health, of Medicine, Harvard Medical School on changing age structure: Implications for the economics and public policy. March 26, 2009 Countway Library. achievement of the Millennium Develop - ment Goals.” March 30th, 2009. Keynote Address to the 42nd Session of the United Recent Awards Nations Commission on Population and For a comprehensive listing of Mark Schuster: 2009 Academic Pediatric Development, New York. publications, presentations, awards, Association Research Award Recipient, and news, please refer to our web presented at their annual meeting in Amitabh Chandra. “Testimony to the site at www.hsph.harvard.edu/cpds. US Senate Finance Committee on Health Baltimore on May 4, 2009. Care Reform.” November 2008. Mary Waters: Inheriting the City: The Chil - Amitabh Chandra. “Expenditure and dren of Immigrants Come of Age (co-authored Productivity Growth in Healthcare.” April with Philip Kasinitz, John Mollenkopf and 2009. Pharmaceutical Policy Economics Jennifer Holdaway) Harvard University Conference (Paris). Press, 2008, was awarded the Mirra Komorovsky Award for the best book pub - Gunther Fink. “Reproductive and Over - lished in 2008, by the Eastern Sociological all Health Outcomes and Their Economic Society at the Annual Meeting in Baltimore Consequences for Households in Accra, in March 2009. Ghana.” January 2009. 3rd Annual

www.hsph.harvard.edu/cpds • 7 Pop Center Organizes Burkina Faso Workshop on Population Census Data

aternal mortality is the primary indicator for monitoring progress Mtowards the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goal 5: the improvement of maternal health. Yet most developing countries lack appropriate data to measure maternal death rates, and there is no clearly established “best” approach for such countries to adopt. To help remedy this problem, the Har - vard Pop Center co-sponsored a March, 2009 workshop in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to train country representatives in methods for data evaluation. HCPDS asso - ciate Kenneth Hill led most of the technical sessions of the workshop. Attendees included a Ministry of Health official and a Bureau of Statistics official from each of 11 French- and Portuguese-speaking nations. Trainers and participants from the data enrichment workshop. Organizers were inspired to convene the workshop in response to the 2007 UN Prin - additional questions concerning deaths of 1996 and 2006 Burkina Faso population cen - ciples and Recommendations for Population women of reproductive age, and whether the suses. Collateral material s— such as a detailed and Housing Censuses. The report recom - deaths occurred during pregnancy or within manual and spreadsheet applications of the mended that countries lacking accurate civil six weeks of the end of pregnanc y— all indi - evaluation method s— are currently being pre - registration data on deaths should include cators of maternal mortality. pared for wide distribution to countries that questions on recent household deaths in The “hands-on” workshop enabled par - will be asking detailed questions about mater - the 2010 census round. It also suggested ticipants to work directly with data from the nal mortality in their next censuses.

Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies Harvard School of Public Health 9 Bow Street Cambridge, MA 02138