Whitney Denary, MPH
she/her/hers
Postgraduate AssociateDownloadHi-Res Photo
About
Titles
Postgraduate Associate
Biography
Whitney (she/her/hers) is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department. She is training to be a mixed-methods social epidemiologist, conducting policy-relevant research on housing and health equality through the lens of two growing concerns: climate change and income inequalities.
She has conducted research with the Housing and Health Equity Lab since 2020, working on multiple projects in the lab, including Project ReSIDe, a mixed-methods, longitudinal R01 investigating the impacts of rental assistance and diabetes, and the COVID Eviction Project, a series of interviews investigating the impacts of rental moratoria during the pandemic.
She is committed to understanding how housing can impact mental and physical health equity. Her dissertation aims to identify how housing displacement due to extreme climate events and eviction impacts individual and community health.
Education & Training
- PhD
- Yale University, Public Health
- MPH
- Yale School of Public Health (2020)
- BS
- University of California, Davis, Psychology (2016)
- AS
- City College of San Francisco (2014)
Research
Overview
Public Health Interests
Qualitative Methods; Substance Use, Addiction; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; Health Policy; Mental Health
- View Lab Website
Housing and Health Equity Lab
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Whitney Denary's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Whitney Denary's research output by year.
Danya Keene, PhD
Penelope Schlesinger, MPH
Denise Esserman, PhD
Kasia Lipska, MD, MHS, BS
6Publications
103Citations
Publications
Featured Publications
Does rental assistance improve mental health? Insights from a longitudinal cohort study
Denary W, Fenelon A, Schlesinger P, Purtle J, Blankenship KM, Keene DE. Does rental assistance improve mental health? Insights from a longitudinal cohort study. Social Science & Medicine 2021, 282: 114100. PMID: 34144434, PMCID: PMC8299474, DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114100.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRental assistanceUnited StatesHousing costsLow-income individualsUrban developmentMental healthEligible householdsBudgetary constraintsAssistanceFixed-effects analysisPsychological distressHouseholdsFinancial strainLongitudinal dataLongitudinal cohort studyLow-income adultsNew HavenNon-significant decreaseCross-sectional analysisRentersHousingU.S. DepartmentCohort study
2024
Association Between Rental Assistance Programs and Undiagnosed Diabetes Among U.S
Gonzalez-Lopez C, Fenelon A, Lipska K, Denary W, Schlesinger P, Esserman D, Keene D. Association Between Rental Assistance Programs and Undiagnosed Diabetes Among U.S. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2024, 39: 1625-1631. PMID: 38351417, PMCID: PMC11255160, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-024-08673-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsOdds of undiagnosed diabetesRental assistance programsRental assistanceUndiagnosed diabetesAssistance programsHousing programsNational Health and Nutrition Examination SurveyHealth and Nutrition Examination SurveyRates of undiagnosed diabetesAssociated with lower oddsNutrition Examination SurveyAssociated with decreased oddsAssisted housingLogistic regression modelsHousing qualityHealthcare accessPoverty ratioExamination SurveyDiabetes screeningQuasi-experimental approachLower oddsHealth dataAssisted groupAssisted participantsEducation level
2023
"A Little Bit of a Security Blanket": Renter Experiences with COVID-19-Era Eviction Moratoriums.
Keene D, Denary W, Harper A, Kapolka A, Benfer E, Hepburn P. "A Little Bit of a Security Blanket": Renter Experiences with COVID-19-Era Eviction Moratoriums. Social Service Review 2023, 97: 423-455. PMID: 38742043, PMCID: PMC11090144, DOI: 10.1086/725320.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricRental assistance improves food security and nutrition: An analysis of National Survey Data
Denary W, Fenelon A, Whittaker S, Esserman D, Lipska K, Keene D. Rental assistance improves food security and nutrition: An analysis of National Survey Data. Preventive Medicine 2023, 169: 107453. PMID: 36813247, PMCID: PMC10037672, DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107453.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRental assistanceNational quasi-experimental studyFood securityHousing affordability crisisComparable control groupDaily fruitMore cupsProject‐based assistanceEligible individualsVegetable consumptionCurrent unmetControl groupQuasi-experimental studyNational survey dataAffordability crisisHousing accessLong waitlistsAdverse health implicationsHealth implicationsFood insecurityWaitlistAverage wait timeWait timeHealth necessitySurvey data
2022
Association Between Rental Assistance Programs and Hemoglobin A1c Levels Among US Adults
Fenelon A, Lipska KJ, Denary W, Blankenship KM, Schlesinger P, Esserman D, Keene DE. Association Between Rental Assistance Programs and Hemoglobin A1c Levels Among US Adults. JAMA Network Open 2022, 5: e2222385. PMID: 35857325, PMCID: PMC9301513, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.22385.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsUS adultsWaitlist groupCohort studyUncontrolled diabetesDiabetes outcomesMean blood glucose levelHemoglobin A1c levelsNutrition Examination SurveyImproved diabetes outcomesBlood glucose levelsOlder US adultsA1c levelsPrimary outcomeDiabetes controlExamination SurveyGlycated hemoglobinBlood glucoseNational HealthGlucose levelsMAIN OUTCOMEHealth StatisticsLogistic regressionCut pointsAdultsOutcomes
2021
LGBTQ state policies: A lever for reducing SGM youth substance use and bullying
Watson R, Fish J, Denary W, Caba A, Cunningham C, Eaton L. LGBTQ state policies: A lever for reducing SGM youth substance use and bullying. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2021, 221: 108659. PMID: 33676075, PMCID: PMC8026721, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108659.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsEquity lawsLikelihood of binge drinkingSubstance useLGBTQ National Teen SurveyBinge drinkingLikelihood of cigarette useSubstance use disparitiesGender minority youthAssociated with bullyingYouth substance useAlcohol useCigarette useHeterosexual peersExperience bullyingReduce bullyingLawMinority youthBullyingSGMYTeen SurveyLGBTQYouthDisparitiesCisgenderSubstances