January NORC Spotlight: Jesse Jones-Smith
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health at the University of Washington. I am an epidemiologist who studies social, environmental and economic causes and correlates of chronic diseases, focusing primarily on obesity prevention. Specifically, my research focuses on investigating distal drivers of nutrition-related health inequities and follows three main lines:
1) Investigating community and individual economic resources as causal factors in obesity-related health status;
2) Evaluating the obesity-related impacts of health and social policies; and
3) Documenting disparities in nutrition-related diseases based on socioeconomic factors and race/ethnicity, across the lifespan and in numerous populations.
I completed my B.S. in Nutrition from Loyola University Chicago, my MPH from the University of California, Berkeley and my PhD in Nutrition Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
My research group is currently focused on assessing the impacts of health and nutrition policies on obesity, diet and economic outcomes. We have been co-leading an evaluation of Seattle’s Sweetened Beverage Tax. We have additionally investigated the impacts of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act on children’s diet quality, finding that this high-reach policy was associated with substantial positive changes in children’s diet quality with the largest impacts observed among lower income children. We are currently assessing the impact of a policy that enables schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all children, regardless of income, on obesity and food security.
I have received free consultation services from the UW NORC Biostatistics Subcore on grant proposals and analysis on projects.
To learn more about Dr. Jones-Smith’s research publications, Click here