James H Buszkiewicz
· Research Assistant Professor, EpidemiologyVerifiedUniversity of Michigan · Epidemiology
Active 2015–2026
About
James H Buszkiewicz, PhD, MPH, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He is a social epidemiologist who applies epidemiologic and econometric methods to understand how policy can address key structural determinants of health, such as income inequity, structural racism, and the built environment. His work has examined the impact of raising state minimum wages on health and mental well-being, the influence of measures of the built environment and food environment on body weight trajectories, and the effects of policy changes in response to COVID-19 on diet quality and food insecurity. He is involved with the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health (CSEPH), the Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, and the Center for the Assessment of Tobacco and Health (CAsToR). His research explores how tobacco control policies, including couponing and flavoring in cigar products, may be used as tools to reduce racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in tobacco use behaviors and health. Dr. Buszkiewicz holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington, an MPH in Epidemiology from Boston University, and a BA in Biology from Boston University.
Research topics
- Demography
- Sociology
- Environmental health
- Medicine
- Gerontology
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Biology
- Internal medicine
- Food science
- Labour economics
- Psychology
- Geography
- Socioeconomics
- Physics
Selected publications
BMC Public Health · 2026-02-19
articleOpen accessBACKGROUND: Many adults with Long COVID experience adverse mental health outcomes, but the long-term persistence of these associations remains unclear. We examined the prospective associations of Long COVID with depressive and anxiety symptoms three years after initial infection. METHODS: We used a population-based cohort of Michigan adults with PCR-confirmed COVID-19, excluding respondents with baseline symptoms (resulting analytic samples: n = 2,431 for depressive symptoms; n = 2,301 for anxiety symptoms). Long COVID was defined as symptoms lasting ≥ 90 days after initial infection, assessed at baseline (median 4.4 months post-infection). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were evaluated 1.5 years (follow-up 1) and 3 years (follow-up 2) after infection. We used modified Poisson regression models to estimate risk ratios (RR) for each outcome and multinomial logistic regression models to examine Long COVID and mental health outcomes measured across two follow-up periods. RESULTS: Long COVID was associated with higher risks of depressive symptoms (aRR:1.86, 95% CI:1.34-2.57) and anxiety symptoms (aRR:1.60, 95% CI:1.18-2.16) after 3 years of follow-up. Adults with Long COVID, compared to adults without Long COVID, had a 2.64 times higher risk of depressive symptoms at follow-up 2 (95% CI:1.60-4.35) relative to no depressive symptoms at either follow-up and a 2.48 times higher risk of anxiety symptoms at both follow-ups (95% CI:1.38-4.47) relative to no anxiety symptoms at either follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our findings that Long COVID is associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms after 3 years of follow-up highlight the need to monitor the mental health of adults with Long COVID.
Tobacco Control · 2025-10-28 · 1 citations
articleOpen accessINTRODUCTION: Simulation models are helpful in anticipating future trends and developing effective tobacco control policies to reduce smoking-related inequities. However, few models have systematically analysed smoking trends by education group. METHODS: We developed four separate SimSmoke models by educational group: less than high school, high school, some college and college and above. Education status is based on the US Census estimates, and smoking prevalence is based on the Current Population Survey-Tobacco Use Supplement (CPS-TUS). Following a first-order Markov process, smoking prevalence evolves through yearly initiation, cessation and relapse, subject to tobacco control policies. The models begin in 2006 and incorporate the impact of tobacco control policies implemented through 2023. They are used to project trends in smoking prevalence and smoking-attributable deaths (SADs) and the impact of policies. The smoking prevalence estimates from the model have also been compared with the CPS-TUS in recent years. RESULTS: Adults with higher educational attainment had the lowest smoking prevalence with the greatest relative decline from 2006 to 2023. Per capita SADs were highest among adults with less education. Price increases, Tobacco 21 laws and smoke-free air laws were most effective in reducing long-term smoking prevalence. The models underestimate the reduction in smoking prevalence relative to CPS-TUS estimates in recent years, especially among youth. DISCUSSION: We found major differences in the initial levels and rates of decline in smoking prevalence by education, leading to widening health inequities. Further study is warranted on education-related policy impacts and the relationship of electronic nicotine delivery systems and other non-cigarette product use to cigarette use.
Addiction · 2025-12-04
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingBACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the United States (US), Tobacco 21 (T21) laws set the minimum legal sale age for all tobacco products to 21 years. This study aimed to examine whether e-cigarette-inclusive T21 laws were associated with e-cigarette use behaviors and related disparities among US adolescents. DESIGN: We used nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional Monitoring the Future data to compare self-reported current e-cigarette use (2014-2022) and first e-cigarette initiation (2015-2022) among adolescents in counties with 100% ('full') versus <100% ('partial or no') e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage using modified Poisson regression, examining differences by sex, race and ethnicity, parental educational attainment and college educational expectations through interactions. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: 8th, 10th and 12th graders. MEASUREMENTS: County-level e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage was determined using Tobacco 21 Population Coverage Database and US Census Bureau population data. Current e-cigarette use was defined as any past 30-day use among the entire sample. First e-cigarette initiation was defined as first use in the current grade among adolescents who had not initiated use prior to the current grade. FINDINGS: Compared with 8th, 10th and 12th graders in counties with partial or no e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law coverage, 8th [marginal effect (ME) = -1.8%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -3.1% to -0.6%], 10th (ME = -2.6%, 95% CI = -4.6% to -0.6%) and 12th graders (ME = -2.7%, 95% CI = -5.2% to -0.1%) in counties with full coverage had a lower current e-cigarette use prevalence. For current e-cigarette use, we also observed statistically significant interactions by sociodemographic factors. Across all grades, full [8th: predicted prevalence (PP) = 5.9%, 95% CI = 4.7%-7.1%; 10th: PP = 11.8%, 95% CI = 10.2%-13.4%; 12th: 18.1%, 95% CI = 15.6%-20.6%] versus partial or no coverage (8th: PP = 7.5%, 95% CI = 6.2%-8.8%; 10th: PP = 16.3%, 95% CI = 15.0%-17.6%; 12th: 23.4%, 95% CI = 21.9%-24.8%) was associated with lower current e-cigarette use among males but not females. By race and ethnicity, associations were statistically significant across all grades, but the magnitude and direction of these associations varied by subgroup and grade. Among 12th graders, full (PP = 16.1%, 95% CI = 13.9%-18.3%) versus partial or no coverage (PP = 20.5%, 95% CI = 19.0%-22.1%) was associated with lower current e-cigarette use among those who said they 'probably will' graduate from a four-year college but not among those with other educational expectations. We did not find sufficient evidence to support an association between e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law coverage and first e-cigarette initiation overall or across sociodemographic subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette-inclusive Tobacco 21 laws appear to be associated with lower current e-cigarette use among US adolescents. However, we lacked sufficient evidence to support an association with first e-cigarette use initiation. We also observed sociodemographic differences in these associations for current e-cigarette use.
PLoS ONE · 2025-05-14 · 1 citations
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingBACKGROUND: Research on COVID-19's impact on food insecurity has primarily relied on cross-sectional data or long recall periods, with limited investigations into longitudinal patterns or the role of food assistance. METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal data from 703 respondents participating in at least three Washington State Food Security Survey waves between June 18, 2020, and January 7, 2023. We assessed food security using the United States Department of Agriculture's six-item module, categorizing respondents' trajectories as persistently food secure, persistently food insecure, or experiencing one or more food insecurity transitions. We categorized food assistance use as never used, used before COVID-19 but not at baseline, did not use before COVID-19 but used at baseline, or always used. We descriptively examined sociodemographic factors linked to each food security trajectory and food assistance use pattern. We assessed associations between food assistance use and food security trajectories using modified Poisson regression. RESULTS: We found that 20.2% of respondents were persistently food insecure, and 22.5% experienced one or more food insecurity transitions. Both patterns were more common among respondents who were aged 35 to 64, had a gender identity other than man or woman, were non-Hispanic Black, were single or divorced, had children, had some college education or less, reported $35,000 or less in household income, or were unemployed. In fully adjusted models, respondents who were newly using food assistance early in the COVID-19 pandemic had a higher probability of being persistently food insecure (marginal effect [ME] = 0.320, 95% CI = 0.204, 0.436) or experiencing one or more food insecurity transitions (ME = 0.216, 95% CI = 0.069, 0.363), than those who never used assistance. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the importance of examining food security trajectories and food assistance use patterns and implementing policies that help households new to food assistance programs navigate these systems.
Journal of Adolescent Health · 2025-12-06
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingPURPOSE: We examined whether workplace and hospitality vape-free air law (VAL) population coverage was associated with adolescent e-cigarette use and related disparities in the United States. METHODS: We analyzed associations between county-level workplace and hospitality VAL coverage (100% vs. <100%) and current e-cigarette use (2014-2022) and first e-cigarette initiation (2015-2022) among US 8th, 10th, and 12th graders using nationally representative, cross-sectional Monitoring the Future data. We implemented weighted, grade-stratified, modified Poisson regression models, adjusted for individual-, county-, and state-level confounding factors, examining disparities by sex, race and ethnicity, parental education, and college educational expectations through two-way interactions. RESULTS: Workplace and hospitality VAL coverage was not associated with adolescent e-cigarette use or initiation overall. However, we did find that VAL coverage was associated with lower current e-cigarette use in some sociodemographic subgroups. Full (100%) hospitality VAL coverage was linked to lower e-cigarette use among male 8th and 12th graders, 12th graders with parents without a bachelor's degree, Hispanic 8th and 12th graders, and 8th and 12th graders of other races and ethnicities than their peers living in partially covered (<100%) counties. Full hospitality VAL coverage was linked to higher e-cigarette use among non-Hispanic Black 8th graders and non-Hispanic White 12th graders than their peers living in partially covered counties. DISCUSSION: Though not linked to adolescent e-cigarette use behaviors overall, we found that male adolescents and adolescents from low socioeconomic status backgrounds were more responsive to VAL with associations by race and ethnicity depending on grade and subgroup.
JNCI Monographs · 2025-08-01 · 2 citations
articleOpen accessINTRODUCTION: Policy interventions to reduce racial/ethnic cigarette smoking and related health disparities are needed to improve health equity. Simulation models can be useful in gauging the impact of tobacco control policies on trends in smoking-related outcomes, but few have systematically analyzed the impact of tobacco control policies across racial/ethnic groups. METHODS: We developed 3 separate SimSmoke models for the non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and Hispanic populations. Following a first-order Markov process, population projections evolve through net immigration and death rates, and smoking prevalence evolves through initiation, cessation, and relapse. The models incorporate policies implemented from 2011 to 2023 and are used to consider trends in NHW, NHB, and Hispanic smoking prevalence and smoking-attributable death and the impact of policies on those trends. RESULTS: The models indicate major differences in smoking trends and smoking-attributable deaths (SADs) among NHW, NHB, and Hispanic adults, with NHB males experiencing the smallest smoking decline through 2023 and having the highest 2023 smoking prevalence. The models predict major differences in the impact of tobacco control policies, especially the greater effect of cigarette taxes on NHB and Hispanic adults than NHW adults and the reduced impact of T21 laws on NHB compared to NHW and Hispanic adults. DISCUSSION: The models predict large differences in levels and rates of decline in NHW, NHB, and Hispanic smoking prevalence, leading to widening health disparities between racial/ethnic groups. Further study is needed on differential race/ethnicity impacts of tobacco control policies and the role of cigars, e-cigarettes, and other product use.
Tobacco Control · 2025-04-16 · 3 citations
articleOpen accessOBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of cigarette taxes on youth smoking in counties with and without workplace and hospitality smoke-free laws. METHODS: Using a nationally representative sample of 8th, 10th and 12th graders from the 2001-2021 Monitoring the Future study, we investigated the interaction of taxes and smoke-free policies on cigarette smoking participation, initiation and intention, examining differences by sociodemographic factors (sex, race and ethnicity, parental education, college educational expectations). We stratified models by grade, estimating the average marginal effects (AMEs) using modified Poisson regression with a sandwich variance estimator. RESULTS: Among 12th graders, higher taxes were associated with lower past 30-day smoking, and the relationship was stronger in populations covered by either hospitality or workplace smoke-free laws compared with 12th graders not covered (workplace: AME=-0.009, 95% CI=-0.016 to -0.001; hospitality: AME=-0.010, 95% CI=-0.017 to -0.003). We also examined three-way interactions between taxes, smoke-free policies, and sociodemographic subgroups. We found interactions for taxes with hospitality smoke-free laws and parental education for daily smoking initiation, such that higher taxes were effective in areas with smoke-free laws among 8th graders regardless of parental education, but in areas without smoke-free laws, only among 8th graders whose parents had a college education or more. We found no other statistically significant interactions. CONCLUSION: We found some evidence that taxes and smoke-free laws may work jointly to reduce cigarette smoking in certain youth populations. Policymakers should consider the complex tobacco control landscape and its effects on subpopulations when introducing laws.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence · 2025-10-01
article1st authorCorrespondingScholar Commons (University of South Carolina) · 2025-01-01
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingBackground and aims: In the United States (US), Tobacco 21 (T21) laws set the minimum legal sale age for all tobacco products to 21 years. This study aimed to examine whether e-cigarette-inclusive T21 laws were associated with e-cigarette use behaviors and related disparities among US adolescents. Design: We used nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional Monitoring the Future data to compare self-reported current e-cigarette use (2014–2022) and first e-cigarette initiation (2015–2022) among adolescents in counties with 100% ('full') versus < 100% ('partial or no') e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage using modified Poisson regression, examining differences by sex, race and ethnicity, parental educational attainment and college educational expectations through interactions. Setting: United States. Participants: 8th, 10th and 12th graders. Measurements: County-level e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage was determined using Tobacco 21 Population Coverage Database and US Census Bureau population data. Current e-cigarette use was defined as any past 30-day use among the entire sample. First e-cigarette initiation was defined as first use in the current grade among adolescents who had not initiated use prior to the current grade. Findings: Compared with 8th, 10th and 12th graders in counties with partial or no e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law coverage, 8th [marginal effect (ME) = −1.8%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −3.1% to −0.6%], 10th (ME = −2.6%, 95% CI = −4.6% to −0.6%) and 12th graders (ME = −2.7%, 95% CI = −5.2% to −0.1%) in counties with full coverage had a lower current e-cigarette use prevalence. For current e-cigarette use, we also observed statistically significant interactions by sociodemographic factors. Across all grades, full [8th: predicted prevalence (PP) = 5.9%, 95% CI = 4.7%–7.1%; 10th: PP = 11.8%, 95% CI = 10.2%–13.4%; 12th: 18.1%, 95% CI = 15.6%–20.6%] versus partial or no coverage (8th: PP = 7.5%, 95% CI = 6.2%–8.8%; 10th: PP = 16.3%, 95% CI = 15.0%–17.6%; 12th: 23.4%, 95% CI = 21.9%–24.8%) was associated with lower current e-cigarette use among males but not females. By race and ethnicity, associations were statistically significant across all grades, but the magnitude and direction of these associations varied by subgroup and grade. Among 12th graders, full (PP = 16.1%, 95% CI = 13.9%–18.3%) versus partial or no coverage (PP = 20.5%, 95% CI = 19.0%–22.1%) was associated with lower current e-cigarette use among those who said they ‘probably will’ graduate from a four-year college but not among those with other educational expectations. We did not find sufficient evidence to support an association between e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law coverage and first e-cigarette initiation overall or across sociodemographic subgroups. Conclusions: E-cigarette-inclusive Tobacco 21 laws appear to be associated with lower current e-cigarette use among US adolescents. However, we lacked sufficient evidence to support an association with first e-cigarette use initiation. We also observed sociodemographic differences in these associations for current e-cigarette use.
Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World · 2024-01-01 · 2 citations
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingPrevious work has documented the rise of educational expectations amongst US adolescents and the change in its ability to predict future educational attainment. However, studies have yet to examine these longitudinal changes across generational birth cohorts defined by ever-shifting social norms, cultural contexts, and social policies. Using Monitoring the Future study panel data, we conducted cohort-stratified modified Poisson regression models to estimate the probability of bachelor's degree completion by educational expectations overall and by gender, race and ethnicity, and parental educational attainment. We found that despite high educational expectations, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and first-generation students had a low likelihood of bachelor's degree completion. These relationships persisted across generational cohorts. These findings suggest that social and economic resources remain salient factors that structure educational opportunities for students from minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds and first-generation students.
Frequent coauthors
- 16 shared
Jennifer J. Otten
University of Washington
- 15 shared
Adam Drewnowski
University of Washington
- 14 shared
Chelsea M. Rose
- 12 shared
Andrea J. Cook
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
- 10 shared
Nancy L. Fleischer
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
- 10 shared
Linda K. Ko
- 8 shared
Anju Aggarwal
University College of Medical Sciences
- 7 shared
Anne Vernez Moudon
University of Washington
Education
- 2020
Doctor of Philosophy, Epidemiology
University of Washington School of Public Health
- 2012
Master of Public Health, Epidemiology
Boston University School of Public Health
- 2010
Bachelor of Arts, Biology
Boston University
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