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Faculty Experts
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Dornsife School of Public Health
Expertise:
epidemiology
public health
Contact:
amy.h.auchincloss@drexel.edu
267.359.6054
Auchincloss' research focuses on social and environmental determinants of chronic health conditions. Her work has examined restaurant nutritional labeling and its impact on healthier food choices; spatial risk factors within residential environments that influence health behaviors related to obesity and type 2 diabetes; the application of novel complex systems modeling that can be used to examine spatial and socio-economic patterning of health behaviors/outcomes; air pollution epidemiology including the contribution of atmospheric conditions (temperature and barometric pressure) and vehicular traffic to air pollution in relation to cardiovascular-related endpoints.
More information about Auchincloss
Philly’s Soda Tax Didn’t Lead to People Drinking Less Soda, Study Says
Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was quoted in a Feb. 27 Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW-TV (CBS-3) story about whether Philadelphia’s “soda tax” influenced the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages Philadelphians are drinking. The Inquirer coverage also appeared in the Seattle Times, The Buffalo News and other outlets.
Sweetened-beverage Sales Drop as a Result of Soda Tax, Penn Study Finds
Research by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, about the consumption effects of Philadelphia's sugary beverage tax was mentioned in a May 14 WHYY.org story.
Fast Food Versus Fast Casual — Which Has More Calories?
Research by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, about the relative nutritional value of fast food and fast-casual food, was cited in a Feb. 21 HealthDay story that was picked up by a number of media outlets, including U.S. News & World Report.
The West Coast Soda Wars Threaten to Engulf The Nation
A study about the consumption effects of Philadelphia's sugary beverage tax, which was conducted by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was referenced in a June 25 Salon story about soda companies attempting to pre-empt sugary beverage taxes with their own legislation.
Beverage Tax Might Be Philly's Biggest Win of All - Opinion
A study on the consumption effects of the Philadelphia's soda tax, which was conducted by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was referenced in a May 17 Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed in favor of the levy.
April-13-Auchincloss-Newsweek
A study by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, and doctoral researcher Yichen Zhong, were both quoted in an April 13 Newsweek story about their study on soda consumption habits in Philadelphia after the sugar-sweetened beverage tax was implemented. The study was also mentioned in a round-up of stories is Politico on April 16.
Philadelphians Drink Less Sugary Soda, More Water, After Tax
A study by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was covered by NPR’s “The Salt” April 13 in a story that quoted Auchincloss’ student (and the study’s first author) Yichen Zhong. The study was also covered in Philadelphia magazine April 13, and in a Seeker magazine story that quoted Auchincloss the same day.
Soda Tax May Cut Sugary Drink Consumption, New Study Finds
Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was quoted in an April 12 Sierra magazine article on her study on the effect Philadelphia’s sugary beverage tax had on soda consumption in the city. Stories in Consumer Reports (which was picked up by Yahoo! Finance) and ZME Science also quoted Auchincloss. Additionally, local television news affiliates across the country, including WTHR-IN (NBC-13 in Indianapolis), WPXI-PIT (NBC-11 in Pittsburgh) and WBRE- TV (NBC-11 in Scranton), covered the study, as did radio stations The Big 870 in New Orleans and WBBM-AM in Chicago.
Does Taxing Soda Actually Stop People from Drinking It?
Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was quoted in an April 12 Time magazine article on her study looking into the effect Philadelphia’s sugary beverage tax had on soda consumption in the city's residents. The study was also covered (Auchincloss and her student and fellow researcher Yichen Zhong were quoted) in an April 12 HealthDay story picked up by outlets like U.S. News & World Report and Health magazine. Additionally, the story was covered in PhillyVoice and featured on multiple broadcasts, including on KYW-TV (CBS-3), on public radio stations like WYPR-FM (Baltimore), and in a story that featured an interview with Auchincloss that aired on CBS-affiliated radio stations like KMOX-AM (St. Louis).
The Cost of Health
David Kern, PhD, an adjunct faculty member in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was quoted in a Feb. 6 Clean Eating magazine story on his study that showed keeping healthy food prices close to the prices of unhealthy food helps people make healthier choices. Amy Auchincloss, PhD, his co-author and an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was also mentioned.
Restaurant Bans Have Big Impact on Smoking Rates
Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was quoted in a Jan. 17 HealthDay story on her study that looks at the effectiveness of indoor smoking bans. The story was also picked up by Philly.com. One of her past studies on how cigarette pricing affects smoking was mentioned in a Jan. 17 story about state-by-state smoking costs that ran in a number of Connecticut newspapers including the New Haven Register, the Torrington Register Citizen and the Middletown Press.
Drexel Study: For College Grads, Smoking Ban in Restaurants Helps Curb the Habit
Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was mentioned in a Jan. 13 PhillyVoice story on her study that found restaurant and bar smoking bans were particularly effective in reducing the smoking risk of those with college degrees.
Increase Cigarette Tax to Save Lives
The Montgomery Advertiser created a video summarizing research by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, which found older smokers are more likely to quit when cigarettes cost more. The video was used by papers in the USA Today network including in the Courier Post (South Jersey) on Jan. 1.
Smoking: A Pediatric Disease
A study by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, on how raising cigarette prices by a dollar can reduce smoking in older people by 20 percent, was referenced in a Spectrum (Cedar City, Utah) story Nov. 8.
Study: Raising the Price of Cigarettes by $1 Could Help Smokers Quit
Research by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, which looked into how raising cigarette prices by a dollar can affect smoking rates, was featured in an Aug. 20 story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and in Aug. 21 stories in the Deccan Chronicle (Indian English-language paper), the Daily Star and The Sun.
Smokers More Likely to Quit When Cigarette Prices Increase
Research by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, that looked into how raising cigarette prices by a dollar can cut into smoking, was picked up on Aug. 18 by UPI and Business Standard, on Aug. 19 in Philly Voice, and on Aug. 21 by Politico New York, NewsMax Health and Money-ish.
More Places to Buy Booze Means More Violence in Neighborhoods
A study from researchers in the Dornsife School of Public Health was profiled in a Jan. 27 Fast Company story. The study, led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the school, looked into the correlation between places where alcohol can be purchased and violence levels in Philadelphia.
More Often, Calorie Counts are on the Menu
Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Public Health, was quoted in an Orlando Sentinel article on April 8 about restaurants posting calorie counts on their menus. The article was also picked up by Bloomberg Business.
Why Bike Lanes and Soda Bans Actually Work
Stephanie Mayne, a doctoral student in the School of Public Health, and Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Public Health, were quoted in a Men’s Journal article on April 2 about their research on which policy and built environment interventions may affect obesity.
Trying to lose weight? Drexel researchers review the best way cities can help
Stephanie Mayne, a doctoral student in the School of Public Health, was interviewed for a story on WHYY-FM/Newsworks.org on March 25 about research she led reviewing which types of policy and built environment changes have an impact on obesity. Amy Auchincloss, PhD, and Yvonne Michael, ScD, associate professors in the School of Public Health, co-authored the study.
Why the Fast-Food Ban Failed in South L.A.
An article in The Atlantic on March 24 mentioned a study of public policy and built environment changes that can affect obesity, led by School of Public Health doctoral student Stephanie Mayne, with Amy Aunchincloss, PhD, and Yvonne Michael, ScD, associate professors in the School of Public Health. The article was also syndicated on Yahoo! News.
Bikes lanes or soda bans? Study reveals which public policies really fight obesity
Research from the School of Public Health about the impact of policy and built environment changes on population-level obesity, led by doctoral student Stephanie Mayne with Amy Auchincloss, PhD, and Yvonne Michael, ScD, both associate professors in the School of Public Health, was featured in a story on RawStory.com on March 22.
Menu Calorie Counts: ‘Personal Responsibility’ or Public Health Measure?
A study led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, about the effect of menu labeling laws on public health, was mentioned in a Civil Eats article on Dec. 17.
Walking, biking and taking public transportation tied to lower weight
Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, was quoted in a Reuters story about a study showing that commuting by walking, biking or public transit is associated with lower weight. It was syndicated to numerous national outlets including FOXNews.com.
Should We Charge More For Coveted Parking Spaces?
Research on the cost of parking in cities led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, was discussed in an article on FastCompany’s Co.Exist site on July 25.
Parking meter rates may be driving more people to the CTA
An article on the Chicago Sun-Times “Voices” blog on May 15 featured research on the cost of parking in cities led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health.
An App For Selling Access To A Street Parking Space You Do Not Own
Research led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, was cited in a FastCompany story on May 14 about controlling parking costs in cities.
How We Think About Parking Spaces Is Ruining Our Cities
Research led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, on the cost of parking in cities, was featured in a Fast Company article on April 22.
3 Enormous Benefits to Charging the Right Price for Parking
Research led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, was featured in an article in The Atlantic Cities on April 2 about the price of parking.
ObamaCare menu mandate creates headache for restaurants
Research led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, was cited in a FoxNews.com story and FOX Business segment on Feb. 25.
Save Over 1,000 Calories With These 5 Simple Portion Swaps
Research led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, about the nutritional value of meals in full-service restaurants, was mentioned in a Jan. 21 Huffington Post article.
When It Comes To Nutrition, Chain Restaurant Meals Still Leave A Lot To Be Desired
Research led by Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, about the nutritional value of restaurant meals, was featured in stories in the Huffington Post, Philadelphia Metro, PhillyMag.com and the Daily Mail on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10.
Eating out: Fast food vs restaurants
Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, was interviewed on WABC-TV (New York) in a story on Jan. 8 about her study showing that restaurant meals typically have values of saturated fat, calories and sodium as high as the recommended limits for an entire day. The study was also covered by TIME and Everyday Health.
Sodium in 1 restaurant meal tops recommended daily intake
Amy Auchincloss, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, was quoted in a CBC (Canada) online story on Jan. 8 about her research on the nutritional value of meals in restaurants. The story was picked up by outlets including Yahoo! and MSN, and was also covered by numerous CBS and ABC radio stations including WCBS and WINS (New York), WTOP (Washington, D.C.) and WBBM (Chicago). The news syndicate HealthDay also ran a brief about the study.
One Year Into ‘Soda Tax,’ Drexel Researchers Find Law Did Not Affect Consumption of Sweetened Beverages
One year into Philadelphia’s 1.5-cents-per-ounce “soda tax,” new findings show that the law had minimal to no influence on what Philadelphians are drinking. The results were published this month in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health from researchers at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health.
After Tax, Philadelphians 40 Percent Less Likely to Drink Soda Every Day
The first study to look at what Philadelphians actually drank instead of sales at local stores since the city's "Soda Tax" came into play, the study found that residents stopped drinking soda every day at a significant rate.
Restaurant, Bar Smoking Bans Impact Smoking Behaviors, Especially for the Highly Educated
Smoking bans in restaurants and bars are especially effective among those with college degrees, but also were associated with higher quit attempts by people with low incomes, according to a new Drexel University study.
When Vegetables Are Closer in Price to Chips, People Eat Healthier, Drexel Study Finds
A new study determined that the difference in price of healthy foods compared to unhealthy foods plays a significant role in whether people have a healthy diet.
Smokers 20 Percent More Likely to Quit When Cigarettes Cost $1 More
Smokers were found to be 20 percent more likely to quit smoking when packs of cigarettes cost just one dollar more, according to a new public health study out of Drexel University.
In Philly, the More Places to Buy Alcohol, the More Violence
Violence increases in areas where there are high densities of stores where alcoholic beverages can be purchased and carried out, according to a new study by Drexel University researchers partnered with the City of Philadelphia.
Soft Drink, Soft Price: Soda Prices Found Significantly Lower Than Healthy Alternative Milk
Drexel University researchers found a huge disparity between the price of soda, which is linked to the prevalence of health issues like diabetes, and milk — a difference in price that could be narrowed by taxes like the one on sugary drinks recently approved in Philadelphia.
Which Natural Experiments Reduce Obesity?
Drexel public health researchers published a review of the state of the science on which policy and infrastructure changes have a real impact on obesity prevention.
Drexel Research Team Connects Urban Design to Public Health
Faculty in design and public health at Drexel are working together with community-based projects in West Philadelphia. Their projects test the idea that aspects of natural systems can be woven into urban design to improve health.
Is Parking Too Cheap in Some American Cities?
The low cost of parking in many American cities may contribute to urban development that relies on automobile use and undercuts planners’ efforts to increase public transport, according to a new study led by the Drexel University School of Public Health.
Diners Beware: Drexel Study Finds Average Sit-Down Restaurant Meal is Far From Healthy
Consumers tend to think of sit-down restaurants as offering healthier options than fast-food venues but there is little evidence to support that idea. In a new study of nutritional values for menu items at sit-down chain restaurants in the Philadelphia region, Drexel researchers determined the healthfulness of food in various menu categories, including the restaurants’ “healthy choice” offerings. They report that an average restaurant meal is not very healthy at all.
Drexel Study: Diners Order Fewer Calories When the Menu Has Nutritional Labeling
An evaluation team led by the Drexel University School of Public Health has published a new study demonstrating that customers of full-service restaurants use nutritional labeling on menus to make healthier food choices. The customers who reported they used labels purchased 400 fewer calories (representing a relative difference of 20 percent), 370 milligrams less sodium and 10 grams less saturated fat than the overall average.
Neighborhood Features Could Prevent Obesity
Living in a neighborhood that supports a healthy lifestyle can make a measurable difference in preventing obesity, according to a longitudinal study recently published in the journal Obesity. The multi-city, multi-ethnic study was led by Dr. Amy Auchincloss in the Drexel University School of Public Health.