Demography | Penn Today

Sidewalk entrance for Philadelphia Municipal Court with plaque at gate.

City planning students gain critical perspective on the carceral state

The Carceral State, a course offered through Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships, explores the issue of mass incarceration in Pennsylvania.

Person sitting at a laptop on a table taking notes having a telehealth appointment.

Racial gap in doctor visits disappeared in 2020 as telemedicine adopted

Penn Medicine study finds the rate of completed primary care visits for Black patients rose to the same level of non-Black patients, as COVID-19 necessitated the wider adoption of telemedicine.

A person walking through a park pushing a stroller.

Making a game of it: Contests help new moms increase their steps

A Penn Medicine study used wearable tech to foster activity in high-risk, diverse populations, specifically postpartum women to reduce their cardiovascular risk.

Black women have the highest eviction rates in the U.S.

Akira Drake Rodriguez of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design says Black women are evicted more than any other group in the U.S., and housing insecurity is becoming a growing crisis.

Black patient receiving an injection in the arm by a medical professional.

Higher rates of chemical sedation among Black psychiatric patients points to inequities

Penn Medicine researchers also find that white patients are more likely to be chemically sedated in emergency departments at hospitals that treat high proportion Black patients, suggesting that hospital demographics can impact practice patterns.

Person’s hand using a mouse and a keyboard at a computer.

Bridging Wikipedia’s gender gap, one article at a time

Wikipedia has a major gender inequity problem. In a new study, Annenberg researchers evaluate how feminist interventions are closing the gap, and how they could improve.

Emilio Parrado in a classroom gesturing as he speaks to the class. Two people are blurred behind in the background.

Improving college access for Philadelphia’s Latinx community

A collaboration between Penn and the nonprofit Centro de Cultura Arte Trabajo y Educación aims to enhance a thriving post-secondary success program, create mentoring opportunities, and more.

Back of a person's head overlooking a city horizon.

Predicting depression and PTSD risk after trauma

A first-of-its-kind study has assessed the performance of two predictive PTSD screeners to determine their performance in a population heavily impacted by traumatic injury—urban Black men in the United States.

Silhouette of a person sitting against a wall on the side of the image, legs pulled up close to her chest.

Why are alcohol- and drug-related deaths rising in the U.S. and not elsewhere?

With insights from anthropology and neuroscience, Penn researchers Michael Platt and Peter Sterling find that, in comparison, 16 other wealthy nations offer communal assistance at every life stage, support that protects individuals and families long term.

Group of people wearing masks outside a building in Malawi.

It takes a village, especially during a global pandemic

A Penn LDI and Penn Population Aging Research Center team tracks behavior and attitudes in Malawi during COVID-19’s first wave.

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