A call to engage: considering the role of gentrification in public health research

As interest in incorporating gentrification into public health research grows, so too does the need for developing conceptual models and methods for understanding the role of dynamic processes such as gentrification in assessing neighborhood effects on health. This requires public health researchers to engage in ongoing active debates within the social sciences on the definition, causes and consequences of gentrification, going beyond the simple application of measurements borrowed or adapted from the social sciences. Having a stance on gentrification informs measurement, the research question, study design and the role of gentrification in quantitative models employed by public health researchers.