Vanderbilt Cultural Contexts Of Health And Wellbeing Initiative

A new Vanderbilt University study challenges traditional views on childhood, emphasizing the role of cultural, social and historical factors in shaping policies on children’s health and well-being. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the “Rethinking Childhoods” study by the Vanderbilt Cultural Contexts of Health and Wellbeing Initiative proposes a more inclusive approach to health policy, incorporating global perspectives to redefine childhood beyond Western norms.  Read More

With colleagues from Meharry Medical College, Tuskegee University and the World Health Organization, T.S. Harvey and Ted Fischer will examine the manifold contributions of the cultural context of health to emerging and persistent health inequalities. Read More

Focusing on diet and exercise to curb childhood obesity may be counterproductive and lead to missing other root causes of becoming overweight, according to a newly released report from Vanderbilt University researchers. Read More

While populations’ access to health care is crucial to combating the spread of COVID-19, a team of Vanderbilt researchers has found that understanding the cultural context of health within a community is an equally significant factor—and can help leaders better prepare for future crises. Read More