Population Dynamics and Health – PDAH
NOTE: Starts with the October 2026 Council round submission dates (Cycle I due dates). This study section was evaluated as part of CSR’s ENQUIRE process to align study sections with advances in science. Learn more about ENQUIRE.
Population Dynamics and Health (PDAH) reviews applications that seek to understand the relationship between measurable population-level social and economic factors and physical health, morbidity, and mortality. Studies use large-scale population-level data to conduct cross-national, national, or state-level analyses to understand patterns and trends in social, economic, and demographic phenomena and their relationship with physical health across the life course. Research approaches may include cross sectional, longitudinal, and cohort comparison designs; experimental and quasi-experimental designs; data collection and harmonization efforts; and both quantitative and qualitative methods. Studies focusing on outcomes related to health behavior, psychological well-being, or biological processes are reviewed elsewhere.
Review Dates
Topics
- Studies that examine patterns and trends in demographic processes (fertility, mortality, and migration), life course transitions, and family/household structures.
- Lifecourse studies examining the intersecting influences of social, economic, geographic, environmental, and institutional factors on morbidity, mortality, and physical health outcomes (e.g., CVD, stroke, cancer, maternal health, etc.).
- Studies that measure, model, or identify social and economic risk factors for health across broad population settings (e.g., rural and urban areas, older adult populations, etc.).
- Studies that focus on the mechanisms by which economic and social policies (e.g., childcare, housing), and/or social context (e.g., food access, geographic location) at the state, national, or cross-national level result in differing physical health outcomes (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular health) across population groups.
- Large-scale comparative and prospective studies within the context of understanding population dynamics and health.
Shared Interests and Overlaps
There are shared interests in social and economic influences on population health with Social Determinants of Behavioral, Cognitive, and Psychological Health (SBCP). Studies that focus on the impact of these influences on physical health outcomes, morbidity, and mortality are reviewed in PDAH. Studies that focus on the impact of these influences on behavioral, cognitive, or psychological health are reviewed in SBCP. For applications with a mix of outcomes, the application’s primary emphasis will determine the study section of best fit.
There are shared interests in how social and environmental factors influence physical health outcomes with Social and Environmental Determinants of Health (SEDH). Applications focused on social exposures and broad environmental exposures (e.g., climate concerns, natural disasters, neighborhood context, etc.) and their associations with general physical health outcomes, morbidity, and mortality are reviewed in PDAH. Applications that examine more complex or mechanistic environmental exposures such as heavy metals, chemical mixtures, or components of air pollution and/or effects of broad social and environment factors on biological, biomedical or biobehavioral processes and disease-specific outcomes are reviewed in SEDH. For applications with a mix of exposures, the application’s primary emphasis will determine the study section of best fit.
There are shared interests in the study of space- and place-based influences on health with Community and Place-Based Determinants of Health (CPDH). Applications involving large-scale population studies of space- and place-based factors or large-scale policies on population-level outcomes are reviewed in PDAH. Applications that focus on the health effects of space, place and policy at a smaller scale (e.g., within individual communities, neighborhoods or households) are reviewed in CPDH.
There are shared interests in the study of contextual and cultural influences on health with Psychosocial Influences on Healthy Development (PIHD) and Social and Interpersonal Processes of Health Disparities (SIPH). Applications that emphasize broad economic conditions and other social factors and their impact on physical health are reviewed in PDAH. Applications that focus on individual-level, psycho-social, or relationship dynamics to better understand developmental processes or mechanisms are reviewed in PIHD (if reflecting normative development) or SIPH (if reflecting influences that may contribute to health disparities).
There are shared interests in social and economic influences of population-level health outcomes with study sections in the Health Services and Systems (HSS) review branch (ODHS, HSQE, etc.). Applications that examine these factors outside of the health care system, whose focus is on physical health, morbidity, and mortality, are reviewed in PDAH. Applications that examine these factors at the health systems level and how they impact health care access, delivery, and utilization are reviewed in a HSS study section.
There are shared interests in determinants and outcomes of health and disease at the population level with study sections in the Epidemiology and Population Health review branch (CHD, LHB, RPPH, and others). Applications that focus on social and economic determinants of demographic phenomena and broad physical health outcomes (e.g., disease presence/absence, morbidity, mortality) are reviewed in PDAH. Applications that emphasize epidemiological assessment of biological, behavioral and clinical determinants of biomedical health outcomes are reviewed within the EPH branch.
