Connecting the social and built environment to health and health inequalities
Kimberly Rollings
Research Investigator, Social Environment and Health Program
Trained in environmental psychology and architecture, Dr. Rollings’ research examines effects of the built, natural, and social environments on physical and mental health, particularly among vulnerable populations (e.g., low-income, children, older adults, unstably housed) within housing and neighborhood settings. Current work focuses on housing design and quality, neighborhood disadvantage, disability, and developing measures of federally-assisted housing relevant to health with the National Neighborhood Data Archive (NaNDA). She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Human Behavior and Design from Cornell University’s Department of Design and Environmental Analysis (now Human-Centered Design), health services research training from the University of Michigan Medical School and Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, and B. Architecture from the University of Notre Dame.
Research Projects
Housing, Health, and Disability: The Role of Housing Assistance and Housing Insecurity among Older Adults of Low-Income
Housing insecurity is a pressing public health problem that affects one-third of U.S. older adults. The goal of this project is to identify how housing assistance, housing insecurity, and housing quality experiences during adulthood shape health and disability trajectories among midlife and older adults, especially those with low incomes. Study findings will generate critical insights concerning for whom, how, and when housing assistance and housing insecurity matter most for older adults’ health and disability and inform future housing assistance programs and interventions to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.
Access, Accessibility, and Aging in Place in Rural Subsidized Housing and Neighborhoods
Rental housing in rural communities presents unique challenges spanning affordability, shortages, overcrowding, age, and quality. Rural communities are also more socially isolated with limited access to public transportation, healthcare, and other services. These challenges are exacerbated for the 20% of U.S. seniors residing in rural areas, affecting quality of life, health, independence, and ability to age in place and in their communities. Shortages of affordable and accessible housing in rural communities place socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults and individuals with mobility disabilities at greater risk of worse outcomes. Federal housing subsidy programs are often the only source of adequate and affordable rental housing in rural U.S. communities. Although housing subsidies mandate affordability and compliance with accessibility guidelines, detailed rural subsidized housing data on access and accessibility needed for aging in place research are absent from publicly available datasets. The proposed project addresses these data gaps with secondary social science data and novel application of rapidly developing engineering technology.
A National Neighborhood Data Resource to Understand Inequities in the Health and Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 in the United States
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have been unequally felt by individuals and communities across the United States. To understand these patterns, we will create, integrate, and share data on neighborhood characteristics, both before and since the pandemic, that can be readily linked to existing survey or cohort studies at various levels of geography. This national neighborhood data resource will support the scientific community in understanding the mechanisms that may convey risk and resilience, particularly in underserved and vulnerable populations, and will allow us to more effectively prepare for the next public health emergency.
Implications of residential location in midlife disability and cognitive functioning among the poor vs. rich: within the US and cross-country comparisons
Despite that the US spends much more on healthcare than other high-income countries, the health and life expectancy of US working-age adults has declined, losing ground further to their peers in other countries. Identifying those most at risk for worsening health and determining the key factors contributing to the widening health disparities in the US population is critically important and timely. The overarching goal of this project is to clarify the multi-level factors in determining US midlife health, focusing on disability and cognitive functioning outcomes.
Publications
Myers, H. & Rollings, K.A. (2024). Perceived effects of residential design on mental well-being: A quasi-experimental study of the University of Michigan’s Munger Graduate Residences. Journal of Environmental Psychology. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102408
Rollings, K.A., Rubens, H., Belhaj, M., Asfaw, E., Koeman, J.L., & Mehdipanah, R. (2025). Michigan housing initiatives involving health systems: A narrative review. Wellbeing, Space, and Society. doi: 10.1016/j.wss.2025.100323
Bollo, C.S. & Rollings, K.A. (2025). “It’s like I’m on the balcony even though I’m not.” Resident perceptions of state-required private outdoor spaces in Michigan’s permanent supportive housing. Housing & Society. doi: 10.1080/08882746.2025.2505837
Rollings, K.A., Noppert, G., Griggs, J.J., Ibrahim, A.M., Clarke, P.J. (2024). Comparing deprivation vs vulnerability index performance using Medicare beneficiary surgical outcomes. JAMA Surgery. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2024.4195
Rollings K.A., Dannenberg AL, Frumkin H, Jackson RJ. Built environment and public health: more than 20 years of progress. Am J Public Health. 2024;114(1):27-33. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2023.307451
Myers, H, Rollings, K.A. (2024). Perceived effects of residential design on mental well-being: A quasi-experimental study of the University of Michigan’s Munger Graduate Residences. Journal of Environmental Psychology. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102408
Rollings, K.A., Noppert G, Griggs JJ, Ibrahim, AM, Clarke, PJ. (2024). Comparing Deprivation vs Vulnerability Index Performance Using Medicare Beneficiary Surgical Outcomes. JAMA Surgery. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2024.4195
