Penn Psych Study Shows Twitter Can Predict Rates of Heart Disease

In a new study published in the journal Psychological Science, Penn researchers demonstrate that Twitter can capture more information about heart disease risk than can traditional risk markers. They found that expressions of negative emotions in a given U.S. county’s tweets were associated with higher heart disease risk, while positive emotions were associated with lower risk. The study was led by Department of Psychology doctoral candidate Johannes Eichstaedt.

Researchers have assumed that the psychological well being of communities is important for physical health. The new study suggests that Twitter may provide a window into a community’s collective mental state, proving useful for epidemiological purposes and public-health interventions.

Read the full story here.

Arts & Sciences News

1 / 2
Hanming Fang Named Inaugural Norman C. Grosman Professor of Economics

An applied microeconomist who integrates rigorous modeling with data analysis, Fang’s research within the field of public economics focuses on health insurance and healthcare markets.

View Article >
Xi Song Named Inaugural Schiffman Family Presidential Associate Professor of Sociology

Song’s research interests include social mobility, occupations, Asian Americans, population studies, and quantitative methodology.

View Article >
Julie Nelson Davis Named Paul F. Miller, Jr. and E. Warren Shafer Miller Professor of History of Art

Davis specializes in the arts and material cultures of 18th- and 19th-century Japan, with a focus on prints, paintings, and illustrated books.

View Article >
Justin Khoury Named Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Khoury’s research interests lie at the intersection of particle physics and cosmology.

View Article >
University of Pennsylvania, Neubauer Family Foundation, and Philadelphia Police Department Partner to Support Police Leadership Education

The first-of-its-kind graduate degree in the U.S. for police leaders launches this fall at the School of Arts & Sciences.

View Article >
Professor of Biology Philip Rea Wins Neal Award for Scientific Journalism

Rea won for the award for Best Technical/Scientific Content for his article “Gliflozins for Diabetes: From Bark to Bench to Bedside,” published in American Scientist.

View Article >