Education

Ph.D.,  New York University
M.S.,   Columbia University
R.D.,   Registered Dietitian
H.BSc., University of Toronto

Research Interests

My research focuses broadly on the social determinants of health and dietary choices. I am interested in how attitudes and behaviours related to eating, cooking, food selection, body image and body weight status are shaped by socio-cultural and neighbourhood-level factors.  My research is shaped by my background as a registered dietitian and fuses methods and theory from nutrition education, public health, sociology and geography. 

Projects

Some of my recent and forthcoming research projects include:

• Examining the connections between the food environment inside and surrounding Vancouver schools with students' dietary practices, knowledge, skills and self-efficacy related to food, nutrition and food policy.
• Assessing the relations between neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status, demographic factors, land use and access to food in British Columbia.
• Examining trends and the social determinants of dietary choices, obesity and body image using national health surveys such as the Canadian Community Health Survey version 2.2.
• Mapping food access and opportunities and barriers to physical activity in New York City.
   

I am interested in supervising graduate students with strong interests in quantitative data analysis, preferably with a solid background in statistical applications (e.g. using Stata or SAS, or a willingness to learn) and/or interests in the application of GIS mapping for studying health.

Recent Teaching

• FNH 398  Research Methods in Human Nutrition
• LFS 350 Land, Food, and Community II
• FNH  Graduate Seminar
  (course website: http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/undergraduate/course-listings/FNH-grad-seminar )
   

Selected Publications

Black, J.L. and Day, M. 2012. "Availability of Limited Service Food Outlets Surrounding Schools in British Columbia." Can J Public Health 103(4): 255-259.

Black, J.L. and Veenstra, G. 2011. "A cross-cultural quantitative approach to intersectionality and health: Using intersections between gender, race, class and neighbourhood to predict self-rated health in Toronto and New York City". In: Health Inequities in Canada: Intersectional Frameworks and Practices.  Vancouver: UBC Press; p. 71-91.

Black, J.L., Carpiano, R.M., Fleming, S., Lauster, N. "Exploring the distribution of food stores in British Columbia: Associations with neighbourhood socio-demographic factors and urban form." Health Place. 2011;17(4):961-970.

Black, J.L. and Macinko, J. 2010. "The Changing Distribution and Determinants of Obesity in the Neighborhoods of New York City, 2003-2007." American Journal of Epidemiology 171(7):765-775.

Black, J.L., Macinko, J., Dixon, L. B., & Fryer, J. G. E. 2010. "Neighborhoods and obesity in New York City". Health & Place 16(3):489-99.

Black, J.L., Piñero, Domingo, Parekh Niyati. 2009. " Zinc and Cognitive Development in Children: Perspectives From International Studies." Topics in Clinical Nutrition 24(2):130-138.

Black, J.L., and James Macinko. 2008. "Neighborhoods and Obesity." Nutrition Reviews 66:2-20.

Sasson, L, Jennifer Black, and Sharron Dalton. 2007. "Lessons Learned About Food-Related Attitudes and Behaviors From an Italian Study Abroad Program." Topics in Clinical Nutrition 22:357-366.

Black, Jennifer, Lazarus, Paula., Lopresti, Frank, Winter, Ben.  2008.  “G.I.S Goes Green.” Connect Spring/Summer

Black, Jennifer. 2007. "Quantitative Research on Campus:  Data and Statistical Resources at NYU." Connect  Fall/Winter:24-25.

Black, Jennifer. 2007. “The Golden Gate Diet (Book Review).”  Journal of the National Medical Association  99:55-56.