Objective: Not all individuals self-identify with race categories on birth certificates, selecting "Other" and writing in identities. Our hypothesis was that curating write-in responses in the "Other" race category would contribute to understanding preterm birth inequities.Methods…

Amid a persistent maternal mortality crisis in the United States, substance use is one of the most pronounced issues facing those who have recently given birth and other caregivers in Pennsylvania.Interviews PolicyLab conducted with key stakeholders and caregivers in recovery across…

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare outpatient behavioral health scheduling for children in Spanish-speaking families in Pennsylvania with that for children in families who speak English.Study design: We made paired English and Spanish telephone calls to outpatient…

To access the commentary, click here.The U.S. is confronting a perinatal mental health crisis rooted in policies and endemic racism that have significant negative impact on perinatal women and people, especially those from racial-ethnic minoritized backgrounds. This…

Since 2016, enactment of more punitive immigration policies resulted in more people avoiding health care and other public services in the U.S. Passage of policies such as the 2019 “public charge” rule change, which expanded the rules by which immigrants could be denied access to…

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexual and reproductive health (SRH) as a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in all functions and processes related to sexuality and the reproductive system (1). While SRH is critical to general health, well-being,…

During the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown, adolescents spent a great deal of time using social media. There have always been a host of positives and negatives associated with social media use. The negatives are more notable with heavier use. Once restrictions lifted and normalcy…

At PolicyLab, our care for children and families drives our research, informing practice and policy to improve child health. Read more about our research, process, resources, partnerships, and team in our brochure. 

A person's health and well-being throughout their life are profoundly impacted by their early years, and the family context in which a child develops is a critical influencing factor. Pediatric primary care serves as the cornerstone of a family's interaction with the health care system…

Background: Adolescents and young adults account for over 21% of new HIV infections in the U.S. with most new cases among young men. As an important information source for this group, social media can uniquely reveal the perspectives and communicative patterns of this key population…