OVERVIEW
The New Jersey Population Health Cohort Study was launched in 2022 to improve understanding of how life events and stress affect health, particularly within historically disadvantaged groups, multigenerational families, and immigrant groups. The overarching goal of the study is to offer practical, actionable information for improving population health, well-being & health equity in New Jersey and beyond.
BACKGROUND
New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the nation and nearly a quarter of its residents are immigrants. While the state also ranks among the wealthiest, there are significant and persistent health disparities. We also know that there are other social factors that impact health and well-being.
We need more data, collected over time, to better understand the factors that contribute to these disparities and the impacts on health and well-being. The New Jersey Population Health Cohort Study, led by the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, aims to collect these data to gain insights and help improve the health and lives of all New Jersey residents.
RESEARCH
The study will enroll up to 10,000 participants from across New Jersey, with an emphasis on historically disadvantaged groups, multi-generational families, and immigrant groups, including: Asian Indian, Chinese, Dominican, Filipino, Haitian, Jamaican, Korean, Mexican, Nigerian, and/or refugees/asylees. Researchers will combine information from participant surveys and other sources such as lab tests and activity measures to help understand factors that drive better health and wellbeing. The study is led by Joel C. Cantor, ScD, director of the Institute for Health’s Center for State Health Policy.
ACTION
The New Jersey Population Health Cohort Study is being conducted with the active involvement of community representatives and stakeholders – from study design to communicating results and lessons. To get involved or for more information, call 888-676-0555, email NJCohort@ifh.rutgers.edu or visit Cohort.Rutgers.edu.
Support for this study was provided in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
Kyriakos Markides, PhD
University of Texas
Longitudinal Study of Mexican American Elderly Health
Julien Teitler, PhD
Columbia University
Robin Hood Poverty Tracker Study (Columbia)
Fragile Families Study (Princeton U)
Linda Waite, PhD
University of Chicago
National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP)
Renee Storandt, PhD
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
Jessica Faul, PhD
University of Michigan
Health and Retirement Study (HRS)
Sandra Brown, PhD
University of California San Diego
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD)
Gilbert Gee, PhD
University of California Los Angeles
Philippine Emigrants Study (HoPES)
Steven Wallace, PhD
University of California Los Angeles
California Health Interview Survey (CHIS)
Ayse Akincigil, PhD
Associate Professor
Rutgers School of Social Work
Sarah Allred, PhD
Faculty Director
Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs
Associate Professor, Psychology
Rutgers University-Camden
Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD
Chief of Cancer Epidemiology & Health Outcomes
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Steven Cohen, PhD, MS
Vice President, Division for Statistical and Data Sciences
RTI International
Peter Guarnaccia, PhD
Professor
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Shawna Hudson, PhD
Professor & Research Division Chief
Research Division, Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Anita Kinney, PhD
Professor
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Director
Center for Cancer Health Equity, Rutgers School of Public Health
Associate Director for Population Science and Community Outreach Director
ScreenNJ, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Larry Kleinman, MD
Professor and Vice Chair for Academic Development
Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Ashley Koning, PhD
Director
Rutgers Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling
Robert Laumbach, MD, MPH, CIH
Associate Professor
Rutgers School of Public Health
Sharon Manne, PhD
Associate Director
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Dawne Mouzon, PhD
Associate Professor
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Lenna Nepomnyaschy, PhD
Associate Professor
Rutgers School of Social Work
Jag Sunderram, MD ATSF
Professor of Medicine and Associate Director
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Michael Yedidia, PhD
Professor
Rutgers Center for State Health Policy