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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

States’ Covid-19 Restrictions Were Associated With Increases In Drug Overdose Deaths In 2020, Douglas A. Wolf, Shannon M. Monnat, Jennifer Karas Montez, Emily E. Wiemers, Elyse Grossman May 2024

States’ Covid-19 Restrictions Were Associated With Increases In Drug Overdose Deaths In 2020, Douglas A. Wolf, Shannon M. Monnat, Jennifer Karas Montez, Emily E. Wiemers, Elyse Grossman

Population Health Research Brief Series

Drug overdoses surged in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health experts raised concerns in the pandemic’s early months about how the pandemic and the policies enacted to stem it might increase overdose risk. This brief summarizes the findings of a paper that used national data to identify how states’ COVID-19 policies affected drug overdose rates among U.S. adults ages 25-64 during the first year of the pandemic. Results show that counties located in states that adopted more aggressive in-person activity restrictions experienced larger increases in 2020 than counties located in states with fewer limitations. State economic support policies …


Adopting The Standard Medical Deduction Increased State Snap Enrollment And Benefits, Yuwei Zhang, Jun Li, Dongmei Zhu, Colleen Heflin Apr 2024

Adopting The Standard Medical Deduction Increased State Snap Enrollment And Benefits, Yuwei Zhang, Jun Li, Dongmei Zhu, Colleen Heflin

Population Health Research Brief Series

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a critical safety net program that helps reduce food insecurity among low-income households in the United States. However, many eligible households do not participate in SNAP due to burdensome administrative requirements. To make it easier for more older adults and people with disabilities to participate in SNAP, many states have adopted the Standard Medical Deduction (SMD) to simplify administrative requirements. This brief summarizes findings from a study that examined the associations between state SMD adoption and SNAP participation and benefits from 2004 to 2019.


Waiving Snap Interviews During The Covid-19 Pandemic Increased Snap Caseloads, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin, Leonard M. Lopoo, Siobhan O'Keefe Mar 2024

Waiving Snap Interviews During The Covid-19 Pandemic Increased Snap Caseloads, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin, Leonard M. Lopoo, Siobhan O'Keefe

Population Health Research Brief Series

Food insecurity in the United States reached historically high rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus substantially increasing demand for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). To facilitate access to SNAP during the pandemic, the federal government granted state SNAP offices the option to waive the interview requirement – an administrative burden associated with the SNAP certification process. This brief summarizes findings from a recent study that used data from SNAP offices across 10 states to examine the impact of SNAP interview waivers on SNAP caseloads from January 5th to April 30th of 2021. Findings reveal that counties that implemented the …


Behavioral Science Interventions Could Increase Snap Comprehension And Awareness Among Military Families, Colleen Heflin, Hannah Patnaik, Leonard M. Lopoo, Siobhan O'Keefe Nov 2023

Behavioral Science Interventions Could Increase Snap Comprehension And Awareness Among Military Families, Colleen Heflin, Hannah Patnaik, Leonard M. Lopoo, Siobhan O'Keefe

Population Health Research Brief Series

Food insecurity is more common among military families than the general population, and the transition from active service to civilian life is a time of heightened risk. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to support food security among low-income families. Many eligible military and veteran families do not enroll in SNAP due to a lack of information, stigma, and administrative barriers. This brief highlights findings from a survey experiment conducted in 2022 and 2023 to assess how small changes to SNAP informational flyers, such as simplifying information provided about SNAP, highlighting that other veterans use SNAP, and emphasizing …


Serving Those Who Served: Renegotiating Support And Benefits For U.S. Military Veterans With Less Than Honorable Discharges, Mariah Brennan, Emily Graham Nov 2023

Serving Those Who Served: Renegotiating Support And Benefits For U.S. Military Veterans With Less Than Honorable Discharges, Mariah Brennan, Emily Graham

Population Health Research Brief Series

Approximately 1 in 7 veterans are discharged from the military under less than “Honorable” conditions. Veterans with less than “Honorable” discharges experience bias and stigma related to their discharge, which can lead to elevated risk for behavioral and mental health challenges and homelessness. This brief summarizes the different military discharge types, explains how less than “Honorable” discharges can affect veteran health, identifies groups of veterans who are at risk of receiving a less than “Honorable” discharge, and makes policy recommendations for the Department of Defense (DoD), civilian employers, and community healthcare providers.


Covid-19 Mortality Rates Were Higher In States That Limited Governments From Enacting Public Health Emergency Orders, Xue Zhang, Mildred E. Warner, Gen Meredith Aug 2023

Covid-19 Mortality Rates Were Higher In States That Limited Governments From Enacting Public Health Emergency Orders, Xue Zhang, Mildred E. Warner, Gen Meredith

Population Health Research Brief Series

State and local governments enacted various public health emergency policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in lower infection and death rates than would have occurred without these policies. However, some states limited the emergency public health authority of state executives, state governors, and other state and local officials during the pandemic. This brief summarizes the results of a study that used data from the Center for Public Health Law Research and Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker to explore which states passed laws that limited emergency public health authority during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of those limits on COVID-19 …


Medicaid-Insured Older Adults On Snap May Have Stronger Medication Adherence, Colleen Heflin, Chinedum O. Ojinnaka, Irma A. Arteaga, Leslie Hodges, Gabriella Alphonso Apr 2023

Medicaid-Insured Older Adults On Snap May Have Stronger Medication Adherence, Colleen Heflin, Chinedum O. Ojinnaka, Irma A. Arteaga, Leslie Hodges, Gabriella Alphonso

Population Health Research Brief Series

For older adults with hypertension, medication adherence is critical to decreasing hospitalization, poor health outcomes, and healthcare costs. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—the largest food and nutrition assistance program in the United States—could protect against medication non-adherence. This brief summarizes the findings from a recent study, which linked Missouri Medicaid administrative claims data to SNAP data from 2006 to 2014. The findings suggest that longer and consistent receipt of SNAP benefits was associated with higher levels of antihypertensive medication adherence among Medicaid-insured individuals aged 60 years and older.


Opioid Treatment Programs Can Reduce Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits And Foster Care Placements, Lindsey Rose Bullinger, Vivian Wang, Kenneth A. Feder Mar 2023

Opioid Treatment Programs Can Reduce Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits And Foster Care Placements, Lindsey Rose Bullinger, Vivian Wang, Kenneth A. Feder

Population Health Research Brief Series

The U.S. opioid epidemic has led not only to unprecedented increases in opioid overdoses, functional impairment, and deaths among adults but also harmed children. After lifting a long-standing moratorium on drug treatment programs and increasing the number of medication-assisted opioid treatment programs (OTPs), Indiana saw a decrease in emergency overdose treatments and foster care placements. This brief explores the positive effects of medication-assisted treatments on children and their caregivers and the cost savings for foster care agencies.


Older Adults On Snap Experience Gaps In Benefits, Colleen Heflin, Leslie Hodges, Irma A. Arteaga, Chinedum O. Ojinnaka, Gabriella Alphonso Nov 2022

Older Adults On Snap Experience Gaps In Benefits, Colleen Heflin, Leslie Hodges, Irma A. Arteaga, Chinedum O. Ojinnaka, Gabriella Alphonso

Population Health Research Brief Series

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest food and nutrition assistance program in the United States. Burdens associated with SNAP recertification often lead to administrative churn, when a household experiences a gap in SNAP benefit receipt. Older adults are at risk of experiencing benefit gaps, which may negatively impact their health and nutrition. This brief summarizes results of a recent study that examined administrative churn among Missouri SNAP participants aged 60 years and older. The authors call for program changes that reduce the frequency and duration of churn among older adults.


Civil Rights, Firearm Safety, And Environmental Protection Policies Predict Better Health Among U.S. Midlife Adults, Blakelee R. Kemp, Jacob M. Grumbach, Jennifer Karas Montez May 2022

Civil Rights, Firearm Safety, And Environmental Protection Policies Predict Better Health Among U.S. Midlife Adults, Blakelee R. Kemp, Jacob M. Grumbach, Jennifer Karas Montez

Population Health Research Brief Series

Americans suffer worse health and shorter lives than do people in most other high-income countries. The poor health and early death of many Americans are pronounced in certain states. One explanation may be the dramatic changes in the policy environment in recent decades, particularly the polarization in state policies. This research brief examines the association between several state policies and self-rated health among adults ages 45-64 from 1993 to 2016. Findings show that more liberal versions of certain state policies, namely civil rights, firearm safety, and environmental protection are associated with better health.


Billions In Covid-19 Rental Assistance Fails To Reach Tenants, William Clay Fannin Dec 2021

Billions In Covid-19 Rental Assistance Fails To Reach Tenants, William Clay Fannin

Population Health Research Brief Series

COVID-19 exacerbated existing problems with housing affordability in the United States, particularly for Black and Hispanic renters. To curb these financial hardships, Congress created the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, but ERA rollout has been slow and inconsistent. This brief describes geographic differences in ERA spending across the U.S. and encourages states and localities to adopt policies that increase program eligibility and streamline fund disbursement.


The U.S. Should Expand Access To Dental Care For Older Adults, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Sarah Reilly, Julia Finan Nov 2021

The U.S. Should Expand Access To Dental Care For Older Adults, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Sarah Reilly, Julia Finan

Population Health Research Brief Series

Older adult Medicare recipients face high out-of-pocket dental expenses due to a lack of appropriate dental care coverage. Older adults with lower socioeconomic status tend to have worse oral health, less dental insurance coverage, greater difficulties finding a dentist, and low-quality care. This brief details the experiences socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults face in obtaining appropriate and affordable dental care and calls on Congress to include preventative and restorative dental care as part of the federal funding agenda.


The U.S. Child Care Subsidy Program Is Underused But Well-Positioned To Promote Racial Equity, Taryn Morrissey, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin Oct 2021

The U.S. Child Care Subsidy Program Is Underused But Well-Positioned To Promote Racial Equity, Taryn Morrissey, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin

Population Health Research Brief Series

Child care is expensive and difficult to find, especially for infants and toddlers. Compared to their higher-income peers, children from lower-income families are less likely to attend out-of-home early childhood care – which tend to be more expensive but provides more stability and is higher quality than home-based care. This contributes to disparities in school readiness and later life outcomes. This brief summarizes findings from a recently published paper examining administrative data from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Findings suggest that children are least likely to receive subsides when they are infants and toddlers despite early childhood care being the most …


The U.S. Must Invest More In The Child Care Subsidy Program, Taryn Morrissey, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin Oct 2021

The U.S. Must Invest More In The Child Care Subsidy Program, Taryn Morrissey, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin

Population Health Research Brief Series

Compared to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), child care subsidy programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are underused by families and children. This data slice analyzes 2019 administrative data from Virginia to examine gaps in child care subsidy receipts.


The Public Good, Bad Policies, And Tough Times: When Profit And Public Interests Collide, Austin Mcneill Brown, Shannon M. Monnat Feb 2021

The Public Good, Bad Policies, And Tough Times: When Profit And Public Interests Collide, Austin Mcneill Brown, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

Privatization of public goods maximizes corporate profits while providing minimal benefits or protections to public health. When calamities such as infectious disease pandemics, natural disasters, and severe weather strike, privatized systems often fail to respond adequately. This issue brief describes how privatization of public goods undermines public health, damages public trust, and erodes democracy and provides suggestions for how we can rethink policies to value people over profits instead of valuing profits over people.


Expanding Public Insurance Eligibility Increases Substance Use Treatment Provider Acceptance Of Public Insurance And Increases Adolescent Access To Treatment, Sarah Hamersma, Catherine Maclean Jan 2021

Expanding Public Insurance Eligibility Increases Substance Use Treatment Provider Acceptance Of Public Insurance And Increases Adolescent Access To Treatment, Sarah Hamersma, Catherine Maclean

Population Health Research Brief Series

Expanding eligibility thresholds for Medicaid and CHIP leads to increased access to and use of substance use treatment among adolescents.


The Gig Is Up: Supporting Non-Standard Workers Now And After Coronavirus, Tyra Jean Apr 2020

The Gig Is Up: Supporting Non-Standard Workers Now And After Coronavirus, Tyra Jean

Population Health Research Brief Series

This issue brief discusses the specific COVID-19 related challenges of three gig work populations: rideshare and delivery drivers; hair stylists, barbers, and aestheticians; and sex workers.


Having A Disability Increases The Likelihood Of Food Insecurity Despite Federal Programs To Prevent This Hardship, Colleen Heflin, Claire Altman, Laura Rodriguez Sep 2019

Having A Disability Increases The Likelihood Of Food Insecurity Despite Federal Programs To Prevent This Hardship, Colleen Heflin, Claire Altman, Laura Rodriguez

Population Health Research Brief Series

In 2016, more than 41 million people living in the United States were food insecure. Food insecurity is more pronounced among individuals with disabilities. Work-limiting disability is associated with food insecurity in multiple ways. This research brief shows how such high rates of food insecurity among the disabled population stems from ineffective national policies the many ways in which disabilities increase risk of food insecurity.