UNNATURAL CAUSES is the acclaimed documentary series broadcast by PBS which tackles the root causes of our alarming socio-economic and racial inequities in health.
The four-hour series crisscrosses the nation uncovering startling new findings that suggest there is much more to our health than bad habits, health care, or unlucky genes. The social circumstances in which we are born, live, and work can actually get under our skin and disrupt our physiology as much as germs and viruses.
Transcripts (pdf) for these videos — in English and Spanish — are available on the unnatural causes website.
In Sickness and In Wealth (56 min.) How does the distribution of power, wealth and resources shape opportunities for health?
When the Bough Breaks (29 min.) Can racism become embedded in the body and affect birth outcomes?
Becoming American (29 min.) Latino immigrants arrive healthy, so why don’t they stay that way?
Bad Sugar (29 min.) What are the connections between diabetes, oppression, and empowerment in two Native American communities?
Place Matters (29 min.) Why is your street address such a strong predictor of your health?
Collateral Damage (29 min.) How do Marshall Islanders pay for globalization and U.S. military policy with their health?
Not Just a Paycheck (30 min.) Why do layoffs take such a huge toll in Michigan but cause hardly a ripple in Sweden?
Series mp3 Audio Interviews
Anthony Iton Interview (mp3) Director of the Alameda City Department of Public Health, talks about the extraordinary health of recent Latino immigrants and what we can all learn from them. How does the distribution of power, wealth and resources shape opportunities for health?
Camara Jones Interview (mp3) Dr. Jones, research director on the social determinants of health at the CDC in Atlanta, discusses her work on measuring racism and health.
Jack Shonkoff Interview (mp3) Dr. Shonkoff, Center director at Harvard University, discusses the importance of early childhood experiences on life-long health.
Nancy Krieger Interview (mp3) Krieger of the Harvard School of Public Health talks about the political economy of health.
Sir Michael Marmot Interview (mp3) Sir Marmot of University College, London, discusses the social gradient in health, his pioneering Whitehall Studies and why he's optimistic about improving health outcomes.