GRAP 2017 – Cross-national Non Communicable Disease Gradients Study (02-Stokes)

Project Title: Cross-national Non Communicable Disease Gradients Study

Faculty / Researcher Mentor: Andrew Stokes

Description Statement: Although traditionally considered a burden common to high-income countries, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension and diabetes are growing health concerns in all regions of the world. The range of NCD prevalence among population sub-groups differ substantially across countries by income level. In high income countries, NCDs are more prevalent among individuals with low socio-economic status (SES), while in low income countries, a higher NCD prevalence is often seen among individuals with high SES.

This project is part of a new collaboration with Harvard University School of Public Health. Using nationally representative survey data from high- and low-income countries, we will conduct a cross-national NCD gradients study. The BUSPH team will take the lead on compiling and analyzing the data from the high- and middle-income countries including the United States, England, Scotland, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, South Africa, and Mexico.

Scope of Work: The student research assistants will be responsible for requesting access to data from high income countries as well as data cleaning, management, and analysis. Students will gain valuable experience working with large, national datasets including the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), and the South Africa National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES). Students may also be asked to assist in conducting literature reviews and preparing manuscripts.

Minimum skills desired: The student should have interest and experience in quantitative methods and data analysis and at least basic proficiency in R, Stata, or SAS.

Time / Date Expectations: 6-8 hours/week from January 2017 to May 2017 with an opportunity to extend

Any special application request: Writing sample

Number of Positions: One

Logistics & Support: Biweekly meetings with research team consisting of Dr. Andrew Stokes and two global health research fellows.