Ming Wen Associate Professor Director of Graduate Studies 428 BEH S 801-581-8041 ming.wen@soc.utah.edu VITAE

Ph.D. The University of Chicago, 2003
M.S. The University of Chicago, 1999
M.A. The University of Chicago, 1996
B.S. Peking University, 1989

I joined the sociology faculty in July 2003. My research interests center around how multilevel social environmental factors affect health-related outcomes throughout the life course.

I am currently working on a series of projects funded by the National Cancer Institute to examine how neighborhood social and built environments are contextually associated with individual level energy-balance-related outcomes such as physical activity and obesity. In this research, we are also interested in disparities in these outcomes by various socio-demographic factors as age, gender, race, ethnicity, and immigrant status. Using the 2000 census and a set of GIS-based data sets, we are constructing a rich data set at both the census tract level and the county level capturing socio-demographic contexts and built environment attributes in the United States. We will merge this place data set to several survey data to conduct multi-level analyses of neighborhood effects on energy-balance-related outcomes.

In addition, I am working on several studies examining social determinants of health and well-being in China. In particular, I am interested in three specific topics in this research: 1) the relationship between individual-and community-level socioeconomic status and health across the life course; 2) air pollution and its impacts on health of older adults; 3) health and well-being of rural-to-urban migrants and their families including the development of left-behind children in rural areas. I have used publically accessible survey data and conducted primary data collection to examine these research questions.

Wen M, & Gu D. Forthcoming." Air pollution shortens life expectancy and health expectancies at old ages: The case of China" Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences

Wen M & Kowaleski-Jones L. Forthcoming. "Gender and ethnic differences in validity of self-reported adult height, weight and body mass index" Ethnicity & Disease

Wen M & Lin D. Forthcoming. "Child well-being in rural China: Children left behind by their migrant parents and children of non-migrant families" Child Development

Wen M & Gu D. 2011. "The effects of childhood, adulthood, and community socioeconomic status on healthy longevity among older people in China" Demography 48:153-181.

Wen M & Maloney T. 2011. "Latino residential isolation and risk of obesity in Utah: The role of neighborhood socioeconomic, built-environmental, and cultural context" Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 13:1134-1141.

Wen M, Fan J, Jin L & Wang G. 2010. "Neighborhood effects on self-rated health, chronic conditions, and mental well being among migrants and native residents in Shanghai, China" Health & Place: 16: 452-460.

Wen M, & Kandula N & Lauderdale DS. 2009. “The ethnic neighborhoods in multi-ethnic America, 1990--2000: Ethnoburbs and A resurgence of ethnicity?” Social Forces: 88 (1):425-460.

Wen M, & Zhang XY. 2009.“The contextual effects of the built and the social environment of urban neighborhoods on physical activity:  A multilevel study in Chicago” American Journal of Health Promotion:23(4):247-254.

Wen M, VanDuker H. & Olson L. 2009. "Social contexts of regular smoking in adolescence: Toward a multidimensional ecological model" Journal of "Adolescence 32:671-692

Wen M, 2008. “The effect of family structure on children’s health and well-being: Evidence from the 1999 National Survey of America’s Families” Journal of Family Issues: 29(11):1492-1519.

Wen M, Browning CR & Cagney K. 2007. “A multi-level study of neighborhood environment and its relationship to physical activity in adulthood” Urban Studies:44(13): 1-18.

Wen M & Zhang XY. 2009 "The contextual effects of the built and the social environment of urban neighborhoods on physical activity: A multilevel study in Chicago" American Journal of Health Promotion 23(4):247-254.

Wen M. 2008 "The effect of family structure on children's health and well-being: Evidence from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families" Journal of Family Issues 29(11; November): 1492-1519.

Wen M, 2007. “Racial and ethnic differences in general health status and limiting health conditions among American children: Parental reports in the 1999 National Survey of America’s Families” Ethnicity and Health:12(5):401-422.

Wen M. Kandula N & Lauderdale DS. 2007. "Leisure-time walking in a multiethnic population: What difference does the neighborhoodmake?" Journal of General Internal Medicine 22(12): 1674-80

Wen M. 2007. "Racial and ethnic differences in general health status and limiting health conditions among American children: Parental reports in the 1999 National Survey of America's Families" Ethnicity & Health 12(5): 401-422.