Center for Health Equity

George Mason University’s Dr. Michelle Williams shares program evaluation results determining the feasibility of offering free, same-day cancer screening and health education to reduce disparities. The program examined how access to free screenings affects participants’ knowledge about cancer, self-efficacy for obtaining healthcare, and intentions to change health behaviors. The program had a positive effect on participant’s knowledge of cancer screenings and self-efficacy for seeking regular check-ups.

It’s Time for a Whole-of-Government Approach to Address Period Poverty in the U.S.

The longitudinal study is an important effort seeking to improve the health of young adults.

How do environmental factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollution, chemical exposures, social, genetic, and neighborhood exposures influence obesity and asthma rates? The College is exploring this question as it collaborates in the ECHO program, a seven-year initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health.

New research led by George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services faculty Dr. Michelle Williams assessed African American breast cancer survivors’ risk factors and knowledge about cardiovascular disease in the Deep South. They found that although African American breast cancer survivors have a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors, their knowledge about CVD is low.

A study led by Dr. Kenneth Griffin of George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services and researchers at National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) finds that the Cadet Healthy Personal Skills (CHiPS) program shows promise in reducing unwanted sexual contact in military academies. The intervention, which was rigorously tested with more than 800 cadets during their first year at the academy, addresses a critical gap in evidence-based interventions.

New George Mason University study is first to examine unmet basic menstrual health needs, (often called ‘period poverty’) and associations with depression among college students. More than 14% of participants reported lack of access to menstrual products in the past year, and 10% reported period poverty every month. Women who experienced period poverty were more likely to report symptoms suggestive of moderate or severe depression.

Dr. Gimm, associate professor of health administration and policy, has research experience in disability and aging, program evaluations, and health care payment reforms. Currently, Dr. Gimm serves as a co-investigator on a 5-year Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to examine rural-urban disparities in access to services among adults with disabilities. Dr. Gimm is the Director of the Health Services Research PhD program.

Jhumka Gupta, ScD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Global and Community Health within the College of Public Health. Her research program applies a social epidemiology framework toward advancing the science of gender-based violence against women and girls (e.g. intimate partner violence, sex trafficking).