Biplab Datta, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Health Management, Economics, and Policy Augusta University

  • Augusta GA

Dr. Datta’s research explores the niche areas in the junction of public health and economics.

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3 min

Annual Healthy Georgia Report looks at public health in the Peach State

The fourth edition of the “Healthy Georgia: Our State of Public Health” report has been released by the Institute of Public and Preventive Health in Augusta University’s School of Public Health. Within the 64 pages of the report is a snapshot of how healthy Georgians are compared to citizens across the 12 states that make up the Southeastern Region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) and the entire United States. The 2025 edition addresses 31 health topics and has been expanded this year to include multimorbidity; long COVID-19; HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis infection rates; opioid and methamphetamine drug use; suicides; and vaping. Biplab Datta, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Health Management, Economics, and Policy in SPH, heads up the team of IPPH faculty and staff who create the report each year. Datta credits Jen Jaremski, research associate, and Kit Wooten, public health analyst, with handling much of the work of bringing the report to life. Together, Jaremski and Wooten collected and organized all of the needed assets and organized the 64-page document, preparing it for print and the web. “Every year we strive to present data in a way that policymakers may find helpful in making policy choices,” Datta said. “There are several new topics that were added to this year’s report and some of those are concerning for the state of Georgia, particularly the communicable diseases like HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. High prevalence rates of these conditions in Georgia, compared to the rest of the U.S. and the Southeastern Region, warrant attention of the public health community.” Georgia has the second-highest rate of HIV infections in the U.S., fourth-highest rates of gonorrhea, sixth-highest for chlamydia and 13th for syphilis. Something that is also new in this year’s report is a comparison of numbers from 2019, or before the COVID-19 pandemic began, compared to after the pandemic for certain conditions. Also coming out of the pandemic, the report looks at how long COVID has affected Georgians, with the state ranking 24th in the nation for rates of long COVID. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, long COVID is defined as a chronic condition that occurs after COVID-19 infection and is present for at least three months. On top of looking at comparisons between Georgia and the Southeast and the nation, Datta noted a clearer picture is starting to emerge concerning the difference in urban and rural areas within the state. “For several chronic conditions, like hypertension, diabetes and multimorbidity, we clearly see a striking difference between rural and urban residents of Georgia,” Datta said. Hypertension affects 44.1% of adults in rural Georgia compared to 35% in urban areas, while diabetes affects 17.5% of adults in rural Georgia compared to 12.3% of those in urban areas. Hypertension and diabetes are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which affects 12.2% of adults in rural areas compared to 8.3% of adults in urban areas of Georgia. “Hypertension and diabetes are the major risk factors for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide, so these are some concerning numbers to see,” Datta said. Multimorbidity, which is when a person has multiple chronic conditions, including obesity, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, cancer, skin cancer and arthritis, affects 57.4% of adults in rural Georgia compared to 49% of adults in urban areas of the state. These rates are significantly lower than the rest of the Southeast but on par with the rest of the country. When comparing Georgia to the U.S. national average, adults in Georgia have lower rates of cancer and methamphetamine use but higher rates of childhood asthma and adult obesity. At the same time, rates of adult asthma and adult obesity among Georgians were comparable to the averages seen in the Southeast. Interestingly, while adult health insurance coverage was significantly lower than the U.S. national and Southeast Regional averages, the child health insurance coverage in Georgia was comparable to both national and regional averages. The Healthy Georgia Report is the only report of its kind in the state Looking to know more or connect with Biplab Datta, PhD? Then let us help. Dr. Datta is available to speak with media regarding this important topic. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Biplab Datta, PhD

2 min

Study shows long COVID is associated with food insecurity

Nearly five years after the onset of COVID-19, researchers are continuing to unravel the disease’s impact on the lives of those who suffered or continue to suffer symptoms lasting more than three months. Biplab Datta, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Public Health, recently completed a study on the effects of long COVID and the association with food insecurity among low-income families, defined as those with income of less than 200% of the federal poverty line. “Those experiencing long COVID were more likely to have food security concerns. The interesting finding is we did not see an impact of COVID infection in general on food insecurity. The association was only observed for those who experienced long COVID conditions,” said Datta. The study looked at two different groups of people – one that received public food assistance and one that did not. Datta said those who didn’t receive public assistance and suffered from long COVID were more likely to experience food insecurity, especially in terms of “anxiety over food sufficiency and shortage.” When looking at protection, treatment or prevention of COVID and food insecurity, Datta said while COVID is a public health issue, food insecurity is a public finance issue. However, he added that considering the two issues in tandem could lessen the overall burden and help better manage any future pandemics. “Knowing that long COVID may influence food insecurity creates opportunities for aiding patients with resources to improve their food access,” said Datta. “As such, targeted and tailored food assistance arrangements could be offered to low-income individuals diagnosed with long COVID.”

Biplab Datta, PhD

3 min

Estimating Adults Living with Intellectual Disabilities in America - Our Experts Look at the Numbers

A new study conducted by faculty researchers at the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University shows the prevalence of intellectual disability (ID) in adults. But looking at childhood survey data of those with ID, conclusions can be drawn on how many adults have intellectual disability. The study was conducted by Teal Benevides, PhD, assistant professor in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University, Biplab Datta, PhD, assistant professor in IPPH and the Department of Health Management, Economics and Policy, Jennifer Jaremski, research associate in IPPH, and Michael McKee, PhD, associate professor at the University of Michigan. The study estimates the number of adults living with ID is .95% or 9.5 per 1,000 adults between the ages of 21 and 41. “Intellectual disability is diagnosed in childhood,” said Benevides. “It needs to be diagnosed early. It’s not something that just happens in adulthood. So relying on the estimate that’s from childhood surveys is a good start. It’s just aging estimates up based off the current population of the U.S. So I do feel pretty confident that we can base future projections off in the absence of better epidemiological evaluations of prevalence.” She added it’s important to realize a lot of people with ID are now out of high school and age out of educational services to support them at the age of 21. They may fall through the cracks during the transition to adulthood and may not be receiving the services they need. “Many adults with ID are going to require services and support. They’re likely going to require housing support, employment support and many of them are food insecure,” Benevides said. “I think policymakers at both the state and federal level need to know about this because regardless of whether or not our policymakers support Medicaid expansion, many people with ID are also going to need adequate healthcare coverage because the vast majority of people with intellectual disability are not employed.” Not just that, many of those with ID are more likely to experience disparities in housing, employment, education, poverty and more. Biplab Datta and Teal Benevides In Georgia, Benevides said there is a waitlist of 7,000 people looking for Medicaid services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and there’s just not enough resources available to assist those with ID. Another concern is that people with ID have the same life span and those who may prove care, such as parents or guardians, don’t know what will happen to their older children with ID when they aren’t around or are unable to assist them. “What alarms me is we don’t have sufficient services and supports for adults. We just don’t have them,” she said. “When people ask for services, support and resources, there’s no place to point them to unless they are children.” Biplab Datta, PhD,  is an assistant professor in Institute of Public and Preventive Health and in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Augusta University. Teal Benevides, PhD, OTR/L is an associate professor and the  Director of Faculty Development, Institute of Public and Preventive Health Both experts are available to speak about this important research simply click on either expert's icon to arrange an interview and time to talk today.

Biplab Datta, PhDTeal Benevides, PhD, OTR/L
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Biography

Dr. Biplab Datta is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Management, Economics, and Policy within AU's School of Public Health. He also has a joint appointment in the Hull College of Business. Prior to joining Augusta University he served as a Prevention Effectiveness Fellow Economist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dr. Datta’s research explores the niche areas in the junction of public health and economics. His works broadly cover the socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral determinants and risk factors of non-communicable diseases (NCDs); the socioeconomic burden of NCD health conditions and associated treatment costs; access and affordability of NCD-related healthcare; and health system preparedness for managing NCDs.

He has a particular interest in investigating the impacts of certain disease conditions on individual/household’s economic decision-making. His research generates evidence on how NCD treatment costs are associated with household resource allocation, consumption displacements, poverty and impoverishment. His works also examine disparities in health risks such as tobacco use and the heterogeneous impact of health policies across socioeconomic groups. He has a special interest in investigating the role of psychosocial factors such as household environment and life course events such as adolescent childbearing in hypertension and other disease outcomes. The far-reaching goals of his research are to facilitate strategic interventions for NCD prevention and control, and strengthening the health systems for effective management of both infectious and non-infectious diseases.

Areas of Expertise

Global Health
Health Economics
Non-Communicable Diseases
Healthcare Financing
Socioeconomic Determinants of Health
Health Disparity

Accomplishments

Student Fellow of the Public Choice Society

2016

E.D. (Jack) Dunn Fellowship, Georgia State University

2016

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Fellowship

2015, 2016

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Education

Georgia State University

Ph.D.

Economics

2017

Simon Fraser University

M.A

Economics

2011

University of Dhaka

M.S.S.

Economics

2009

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Media Appearances

A new report checks the health of Georgians and shows room for improvement

Yahoo! News  online

2024-02-25

The annual Healthy Georgia report is out. The publication comes from the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University. It looks at rates of obesity, diabetes, cancer and other issues. Watch our interview with Dr. Biplab Datta, and find out how Georgia compares to other parts of the country. You’ll also find out how we can all lead healthier lives. Enjoy this interview and be sure to join us for The Means Report. We are on Monday afternoon at 12:30 on NewsChannel 6.

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AU report rates Georgians’ health compared to other states

WRDW  tv

2024-02-13

Where does Georgia stand when it comes to good health? A new study from Augusta University is shedding some light on the matter.

The annual Healthy Georgia Report, released by AU’s Institute of Public and Preventive Health, gives a snapshot of how Georgians stack up against not only neighboring states but also the country.

The report is the only one of its kind in the state and has been delivered to state lawmakers.

One area where the state has fallen behind is obesity rates, Assistant Professor Bipab Datta said.

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FOX54 Mornings: Augusta University releases Healthy Georgia Report

WFXG  tv

2024-02-07

Augusta University released its annual Healthy Georgia report. It is a one-of-a-kind report in the state and it shows how Georgia ranks in the southeast and the entire United States when it comes to health issues.

The report looks at health related issues. The report will end up in the hands of state legislators to help them potentially direct funding and resources to certain areas.

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Answers

When it comes to cancer, Georgia has a low prevalence rate, but other data shows higher incidence rates, what needs to be done next? 
Biplab Datta, PhD

“I think we need more investigation into this particular issue. Why are we seeing such low numbers of cancer prevalence when we know that cancer incidence rates are very high in Georgia?”

Obesity rate in Georgia is the 14th highest in all of the U.S. and it's on the rise. Also, the number of younger people with obesity is increasing, why is this concerning? 
Biplab Datta, PhD

“That is problematic because if someone is developing some cardiometabolic conditions in this age group, they will be at a high risk for adverse cardiovascular events at an older age. So we need to focus on food habits, physical exercise and other health promoting behaviors to prevent and control obesity."

Why is the Healthy Georgia Report important and what impact do you hope it has on policy and lawmakers?
Biplab Datta, PhD

“They have a good appetite for data-driven policy changes. I think this report actually helps them in that direction. We tried to present data in a way that policymakers may find helpful in deciding on appropriate policy choices.”

Articles

Long COVID and the higher risk of food insecurity among participants and non-participants of food assistance programs in the United States

Science Direct

Biplab Datta, Serena Phillips

2024-08-01

Background
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 public health emergency, it is important to understand the extent of socioeconomic burdens of long COVID, defined as continuation of symptoms after initial infection, including food insecurity.

Objective
This study aimed to assess the association between long COVID and family food insecurity among low-income individuals (or any of their family members living with them) who were participants and non-participants of public food assistance programs (SNAP, WIC, and NSLP) in the United States.

Design
The study used an observational cross-sectional design.

Participants/setting
Data on 7,151 adults (aged 18+ years), with family income of

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Health disparity at the intersection of religion and caste: Evidence from India

Science Direct

Biplab Kumar Datta, Shriya Thakkar

2024-07-26

The provisions and recognition of Schedule Castes (SCs), the constitutional term for the Dalits in India, have been exclusively extended to Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs (HBS). Omission of Dalit Muslims and Christians (MC) from the SC category stripped them of the affirmative action benefits tied with the SC status. This study aimed to explore how such differential treatment might play a role in differential health outcomes in Dalit women in India.

Methods
Drawing data on 177,346 Dalit women, aged 20 to 49 years, from two successive nationally representative surveys, we assessed the differential likelihood of hypertension and diabetes, between MC- and HBS- Dalit women. Accounting for birth cohort-, survey wave-, and state of residence- fixed effects, along with socioeconomic conditions and cardiometabolic risk factors, we obtained adjusted odds of having hypertension and diabetes in MC women. To check the validity of our results, we conducted similar analyses using data on 170,889 Scheduled Tribe (ST) women, another marginalized group, whose ST-status recognition were not tied to religion.

Results
We found that Dalit MC women were 1.13 (95% CI: 1.03–1.25) and 1.19 (95% CI: 1.05–1.36) times more likely to have hypertension and diabetes, respectively, compared to Dalit HBS women. Conversely, no statistically significant differential likelihood of these conditions was observed between MC and HBS women in the ST sample.

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Religious minority status and risk of hypertension in women: Evidence from Bangladesh

Heliyon

Biplab Kumar Datta, Sanjoy Kumar Chowdhury

2024-06-22

Discrimination based on religion and communal violence against religious minorities have been on the rise worldwide. Despite growing incidences of violence against religious minorities, little is known on the relationship between minority status and population health outcomes in the low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). This study intends fill this gap by assessing the prevalence of hypertension among religious minority women in Bangladesh, a South Asian country with high levels of social hostilities involving religion. Using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017-18, we examined whether religious minority women had a differential risk of having hypertension. We estimated logistic regression models to obtain the odds in favor of being hypertensive among women aged 18 to 49 years and compared the odds for religious minority women with that of their non-minority counterparts. We then estimated linear regression models to examine how average systolic- and diastolic- blood pressure measures differ across minority and non-minority women.

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