Environmental health outcomes
Our environment - the world around us - affects our health. Here are datasets on health outcomes that people experience that may be linked to the environment.
Some of these have clear links to the environment, like lead poisoning. Others have some uncertain links, and are still being investigated and understood.
But while specific health outcomes may have stronger or weaker links to the environment, the environment’s overall effect on our health is clear - we know that one of the strongest predictors of health is where you’re born. For example, significant disparities in premature mortality closely align with neighborhoods that were redlined nearly 100 years ago - showing the effect that disinvesment, racism, and inequality have on public health.
Real-time heat-related illness
Raising the minimum wage would save lives
2025 NYC Heat-Related Mortality Report
Annual analysis of heat related deaths, contributing factors, and neighborhood impacts.
Young and middle-aged adults (ages 15 to 44) do not typically die from the natural causes that kill older adults. Injuries, both intentional — violence or suicide — and unintentional, dominate as causes of death. These …
Lead is a harmful metal that can cause serious health issues. When lead poisoning makes headlines, the focus is usually on children’s health: Kids are at higher risk for lead exposure, which can cause developmental, learning …
Imagine your child has asthma. One summer night, a powerful storm rolls in and knocks the power out. Your child starts to have trouble breathing. Usually, you’d use a home nebulizer, an electric machine that turns liquid …
Using public health to prevent violence Experiencing violence affects people in many ways. It not only causes physical injury or death, but being exposed to it can also cause emotional and psychological trauma. Violence …
For health, place matters What determines whether or not you’re healthy? You may think about what you eat, whether you exercise, whether you smoke and your family medical history. But you may not think about how your home …
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The COVID-19 public health emergency has changed New York City in many ways—including how we get around the city. As the city continues to adapt to COVID-19, New Yorkers will look for ways to get around that feel …
Hot weather is dangerous. In New York City and across the country, more people on average die from extreme heat each year than from all other natural disasters. Heat stress happens when your body’s temperature increases …
Violence has profound effects. An assault, a shooting, a homicide, or any use of force affects people in many deep ways. Violence causes physical and emotional harm. It can inflict fear, a constant sense of unease. It can …
Poverty affects health in many ways. In New York City, the story of asthma clearly illustrates this connection. To understand the connection between poverty and asthma, take a look at this map of poverty rates in New York …