This is the second part of a glossary on indicators of socioeconomic position used in health research (the first part was published in the January issue of the journal).

Key Words home, neighborhood, habitat, direct and indirect determinantss Abstract This review considers the broad area of housing and public health, one of the traditional and core areas of public health research and intervention. The review takes into account the range of factors, acting at different levels, directly and indirectly, through which housing affects health. In public health terms, housing affects health in a myriad of relatively minor ways, in total forming one of the key social determinants of health. The paper closes by considering how the improvement of housing and neighborhoods has been a core activity of public health and a central component in tackling poverty. Investment in housing can be more than an investment in bricks and mortar: It can also form a foundation for the future health and well-being of the population. Addressing poor-quality housing and detrimental neighborhoods, in the broadest sense, is thus a task that should be grasped with vigor and determination by all those involved in public health.

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Objectives: To examine trends in primary and revision joint (hip and knee) replacement in England between 1991 and 2000. Methods: Analysis of hospital episodes statistics between 1 April 1991 and 30 March 2001 for total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR). Descriptive statistics and regression modelling were used to summarise patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and to explore variations in joint surgery rates by age, sex, and deprivation. Results: Between 1991 and 2000, the incidence of primary THR increased by 18%, while the incidence of revision THR more than doubled. The incidence of primary TKR doubled, with revision TKR increasing by 300%. Over the 10 year period, the proportion of THR episodes that involved revision operations rose from 8% to 20%. Substantial variations in operation rates by socioeconomic status were seen, with the most deprived fifth of the population experiencing significantly lower rates. Projections estimate that primary THR numbers could rise by up to 22% by the year 2010, with primary TKR numbers rising by up to 63%. Conclusions: Provision of joint replacement surgery in English NHS hospitals has increased substantially over the past decade. Revision operations in particular have increased markedly. The growth in primary operations has mostly occurred among those aged 60 years and over; rates among young people have changed very little. There is a significant deprivation based gradient in rates. If current trends continue there would be almost 47 000 primary hip and 54 000 primary knee operations annually by 2010.

Genomics is not only essential for students to understand biology but also provides unprecedented opportunities for undergraduate research. The goal of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), a collaboration between a growing number of colleges and universities around the country and the Department of Biology and Genome Center of Washington University in St. Louis, is to provide such research opportunities. Using a versatile curriculum that has been adapted to many different class settings, GEP undergraduates undertake projects to bring draft-quality genomic sequence up to high quality and/or participate in the annotation of these sequences. GEP undergraduates have improved more than 2 million bases of draft genomic sequence from several species of Drosophila and have produced hundreds of gene models using evidence-based manual annotation. Students appreciate their ability to make a contribution to ongoing research, and report increased independence and a more active learning approach after participation in GEP projects. They show knowledge gains on pre- and postcourse quizzes about genes and genomes and in bioinformatic analysis. Participating faculty also report professional gains, increased access to genomics-related technology, and an overall positive experience. We have found that using a genomics research project as the core of a laboratory course is rewarding for both faculty and students.