Financial Adjustment And Couple Resilience In The Great Recession, Sara K. Ray, Clinton G. Gudmunson, Bryce L. Jorgensen, Jeremy B. Yorgason

Clinton G. Gudmunson

This study examines economic and family implications of financial stressors and changes that couples experienced in the aftermath of the Great Recession as guided by Patterson’s (2002) Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) model. The sample consisted of a primarily middle-income group of 277 married and cohabiting couples; the couples were surveyed between 2008 and 2011 as part of the Flourishing Families Project. Findings from our path analysis showed that financial adjustments (e.g. cutting back on social activities and entertainment) in response to recession-era negative economic events were the source of economic pressure and couple relationship problems regarding ...

Family Postponement Of Medical And Dental Care: The Influence Of Income Level And Financial Hardship, Sara K. Ray, Clinton G. Gudmunson

Clinton G. Gudmunson

Medical and dental care are some of the most expensive expenditures that consumers incur, and they are also some of the most common expenses that families postpone (Gallup, 2015; Kaiser, 2012). The goal of the present is to examine family and financial factors that influence families’ likelihood of delaying healthcare in a predominantly middle and upper income sample. A large body of research framed by the Family Stress Model has used the postponement of healthcare as one of many indicators of family economic pressure that together predict deleterious relationship and developmental outcomes (Gauthier & Furstenberg, 2010). However, only a handful of ...

Investigating Treatment Effects Of Participating Jointly In Snap And Wic When The Treatment Is Validated Only For Snap, Helen H. Jensen, Brent Kreider, Oleksandr Zhylyevskyy

Oleksandr Zhylyevskyy

USDA operates several food assistance programs aimed at alleviating food insecurity. Little is known about how they interact. We focus on SNAP and WIC, two of the largest means-tested programs that provide resources to low-income households to purchase food and differ in several respects. Our question is the extent to which participation in both programs alleviates food insecurity compared with participation in SNAP alone. We bound underlying causal effects by applying nonparametric treatment effect methods that allow for endogenous selection and underreported program participation to data from the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS). FoodAPS contains administrative data ...

Using Networks And Econometrics To Identify Pathways For Population Health Improvement, Glen P. Mays

Glen Mays

The Economic Impact Of The Health Sector On The Economy Of Appanoose County, Iowa, Daniel Otto, Georgeanne Artz

Economics Working Papers

The importance of medical and health facilities as community service providers is well

established, yet their role in generating significant economic impacts for the community is less often acknowledged. Health care facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes, not only employ many people with a sizeable payroll, but also draw a large number of people from rural areas into the community for medical services. In this study, we attempt to identify and measure the economic importance of the health sector for the economy of Appanoose County, Iowa. The specific objectives of this report are to:

1. summarize the direct economic ...

Effects Of Physician-Hospital Integration On Malpractice Claims, Elizabet Shvets

School of Arts & Sciences Theses

Recent increases in physician-hospital (i.e., vertical) integration has spurred both opposition on the grounds of anti-trust concerns and support on the basis of lowering transaction costs and improving communication. This paper examines the effects of vertical integration on quality of care as measured by malpractice claims.The study employs four data sets from the state of Florida (FL AHCA Financial Data, AHA Survey Data, FL AHCA Discharge Data, and FL Malpractice Claims from the Office of Insurance Regulation) culminating in an unbalanced panel dataset for the years 1998 to 2013. I utilize a linear model with hospital and year ...

The Effect Of The Dependent Coverage Provision Of The Affordable Care Act On Opioid Use And Abuse, Christian Carrillo

School of Arts & Sciences Theses

The non-medical use of prescription opioids has become the fastest growing drug problem in the United States. This paper examines the effect of the ACA's dependent coverage provision on the prevalence of prescription opioid misuse and abuse along with the mechanism driving the results.

The Impact Of Legalization Of Marijuana On Opioid Overdose Deaths, Radhika N. Bharadwaj

School of Arts & Sciences Theses

This masters’ thesis aims to examine the impact of the legalization of marijuana for recreational use on the death toll from opioid misuse in the state of Colorado. This investigation was done using the Synthetic Controls Method via data collected primarily from the CDC and IPUMS databases. The results indicate that the 2012 legalization policy in Colorado appears to reduce the number of deaths due to opioid overdoses.

Refusal Bias In Hiv Data From The Demographic And Health Surveys: Evaluation, Critique And Recommendations, Oyelola A. Adegboye, Tomoki Fujii, Denis H. Y. Leung

Research Collection School Of Economics

Non-response is a commonly encountered problem in many population-based surveys. Broadly speaking, non-response can be due to refusal or failure to contact the sample units. Although both types of non-response may lead to bias, there is much evidence to indicate that it is much easier to reduce the proportion of non-contacts than to do the same with refusals. In this article, we use data collected from a nationally-representative survey under the Demographic and Health Surveys program to study non-response due to refusals to HIV testing in Malawi. We review existing estimation methods and propose novel approaches to the estimation of ...

Improving Population Health Through System Alignment: Lessons For Local Boards Of Health, Glen P. Mays

Glen Mays

Maintaining Stability In A Changing Climate: A Comparative Analysis Of Public Health Systems And Migration Policies In The U.S. And Canada, Laura Cutlip

Climate and Society

This paper examines the relation between climate change, migration, and public health to better understand how the United States health system is positioned to deal with likely challenges to human health posed by environmental changes. The author reviews probable impacts of climate change on population displacement and disease before considering how the current structure of the health system of the United States will render it unable to adapt to these changes and challenges. The Canadian health care system and refugee policies are then reviewed to provide a counterpoint to this analysis. These findings are then considered in tandem as the ...

Sunshine, Fertility And Racial Disparities, Karen Smith Conway, Jennifer Trudeau

WCOB Faculty Publications

This research investigates the effect of sun exposure on fertility, with a special focus on how its effects and consequences for birth outcomes may differ by race. Sun exposure is a key mechanism for obtaining Vitamin D, but this process is inhibited by skin pigmentation. Vitamin D has been linked to male and female fertility and risk of miscarriage, and Vitamin D deficiency is more prevalent among blacks than whites. Using 1989–2004 individual live births data from the Natality Detail Files, county-level, monthly conceptions are estimated as a function of monthly solar insolation, temperature and humidity, as well as ...

Short-Run Health Consequences Of Retirement And Pension Benefits: Evidence From China, Plamen Nikolov, Alan Adelman

Justice & Well-Being Studies Faculty Scholarship

This paper examines the impact of the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) in China. Exploiting the staggered implementation of an NRPS policy expansion that began in 2009, we used a difference-in-difference approach to study the effects of the introduction of pension benefits on the health status, health behaviors, and healthcare utilization of rural Chinese adults age 60 and above. The results point to three main conclusions. First, in addition to improvements in self-reported health, older adults with access to the pension program experienced significant improvements in several important measures of health, including mobility, self-care, usual activities, and vision. Second, regarding ...

Climate Change And Occupational Health: Are There Limits To Our Ability To Adapt?, Marcus Dillender

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This study considers the relationship between temperature and occupational health. The results indicate that both high and low temperatures increase injury rates and that high temperatures have more severe adverse effects in warmer climates, which suggests that avoiding the adverse effects of high temperatures may be easier for workers when hot days are rarer. While research on the effect of temperature on mortality finds substantial capacity for adaption with current technology, the results presented here suggest that outdoor workers face challenges in adapting to high temperatures.

Climate Change And Occupational Health: Can We Adapt?, Marcus Dillender

Upjohn Institute Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

Monthly Spending Dynamics Of The Elderly Following A Health Shock: Evidence From Singapore, Terence Cheng, Li Jing, Rhema Vaithianathan

Research Collection School Of Economics

We use novel longitudinal datafrom 19 monthly waves of the Singapore Life Panel to examine the short-termdynamics of the effects health shocks have on household health and non-healthspending and income by the elderly. The health shocks we study are theoccurrence of new major conditions such as cancer, heart problems, and minorconditions (e.g. diabetes, and hypertension). Our empirical strategy exploits unanticipated changesin health status through the diagnosis of new health conditions, combined withan individual fixed effect framework. We find that major shocks have large and persistent effects while minorshocks have small and mainly contemporaneous effects. We find that householdincome reduces ...

A Study Of The Effects Of Certificate Of Need Law On Inpatient Occupancy Rates, Jomon Aliyas Paul, Huan Ni, Aniruddha Bagchi

Aniruddha Bagchi

"Integrated Science 3002a: Big Bike Giveaway: Changing London's Environment, Health, And Economy One Bike At A Time", Jermiah Joseph, Katelyn Melo, Devanshi Shukla, Tony Nguyen, Katherine Teeter

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

There are significant benefits that manifest when an individual chooses to ride a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation. To investigate these benefits, the environmental, health, economic, and social impacts of biking were evaluated through research and data analyses. This revealed that numerous advantages can be obtained at an individual and local scale through citizens choosing to adopt a biking lifestyle. However, it was found that many Londoners are deterred from biking due to poor biking infrastructure. This paper calls into question the current cycling framework in London and it’s limitations on achieving the numerous benefits that biking ...

Designing For Older Adults: Overcoming Barriers To A Supportive, Safe, And Healthy Retirement, Cosmin Munteanu, Benett Axtell, Hiba Rafih, Amna Liaqat, Yomna Aly

Wharton Pension Research Council Working Papers

Older adults (65+) are at increasing risk of being ‘digitally marginalized’ due to lower tech savviness, social isolation, and few peers who can provide the needed input. As a consequence, some seniors have difficulties and are exposed to security risks when accessing essential services which are increasingly moving online. These include making critical life decisions, understanding health information, accessing health services, staying connected to families, or simply doing online shopping. This chapter investigates how online technologies can be designed to be inclusive of older adults' needs, abilities, and contexts. Several barriers barring technology adoption include mental models; attitudes related to ...

Burning Waters To Crystal Springs? U.S. Water Pollution Regulation Over The Last Half Century, David A. Keiser, Joseph S. Shapiro

Economics Working Papers

In the half century since the founding of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. has spent nearly $5 trillion ($2017) to provide cleaner rivers, lakes, and drinking water, or annual spending of 0.8 percent of U.S. GDP in most years. Yet over half of rivers and substantial shares of drinking water systems violate standards, and polls for decades have listed water pollution as Americans’ number one environmental concern. We assess the history, effectiveness, and efficiency of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, and obtain four main conclusions. First, water pollution has fallen ...

Sources Of Health Financing And Health Outcomes: A Panel Data Analysis, Tomoki Fujii

Research Collection School Of Economics

We study the differential impacts of public and private sources of health spending on health outcomes using a triple difference approach. We find that private health spending has on average a higher health-promoting effect than public health spending. This result is robust with respect to the choice of outcome measure and covariates in the regression and driven primarily by the countries with ineffective governments. Once we restrict our sample to countries with effective governments, private health spending is no better than public health spending for improving the health outcome.

The Critical Need For Mental Health Education To Be Mandated In New Mexico's Public Schools, Bonnie L. Murphy

Shared Knowledge Conference

Based on a review of research and best practices in mental health awareness and skills, this inquiry project argues for state legislative policies that would require mental health awareness and skills in the K-12 curriculum. Mental health affects individual accomplishments in every stage of people’s lives beginning in early childhood and throughout the life cycle. Prevention and treatment of mental illness plays a key role in the ability of an individual to cope with loss and develop resiliency and perseverance in challenging times and to make better decisions that improve the individual’s life and the lives of those ...

Accessibility And Health: An International Analysis Of Government Expenditure, Socioeconomic Development And Infant Mortality, Isaac Zvi Christiansen, Robert Mazur

Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis

This research examines the relationship between government’s share of health expenditures and infant mortality (IMR). Public healthcare funding is a critical component of ensuring access to care for the poor. Financial barriers may lead to postponement of care, thereby exacerbating health outcomes. We find a moderate association between the government’s share of health expenditures and IMR and strong support for a multifaceted approach to accessibility that includes doctor density, vaccination coverage, improved water and sanitation, and female literacy in reducing IMR. Findings suggest that the effect of government’s share of health spending on IMR is stronger in ...

Obesity: The Elephant In The Room We Can No Longer Afford To Ignore, Joanie Sompayrac, Katharine Linehart Trundle

Online Journal of Health Ethics

Everyone pays the price for the obesity-related illnesses of our fellow citizens – through increased premiums on our group health insurance policies, through reduced productivity of our co-workers, through taxpayer support of hospitals that provide indigent care and through soaring Medicare costs, to name a few. The fact that our entire society often ends up paying many of the costs for the obesity-related illnesses of not only ourselves but also our family members, our friends, our co-workers and even strangers raises questions: Why doesn’t insurance pay to help overweight and obese people to make lifestyle changes that could save us ...

Determinants Of Usaid Spending, Austin J. Moser

Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development to Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development—Student Research

This paper examines the determinants of USAID’s foreign aid disbursements from 2002-2016. Three noteworthy findings emerge. First, USAID foreign aid is based more on political considerations rather than the policies of recipient countries. Second, foreign aid is determined by location and political history. Third, this pattern emerges across all categories of USAID disbursements.

Hiring Workers With Disabilities Makes Sense Whether The Job Market Is Hot Or Cold, Kathleen A. Petkauskos

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

The U.S. Department of Labor released its latest report in September, and it was more of the same. Unemployment remained at 3.9 percent, where it has hovered for much of the year, but there was a shift for one key demographic.

After decades of struggle, workers with disabilities are beginning to move the needle, outpacing the employment gains of people without disabilities. In August 2018, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities jumped to 30.2 percent from 29.5 percent the year before. The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities also increased, rising ...

Utilization Management Programs Are Critical For Effective Mltss Programs, Jessica Carpenter

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

When discussing an efficient managed long-term services and supports (LTSS) program, the importance of a utilization management program cannot be overlooked. It’s a way to not only ensure individuals receive the high-quality services they need, but also realize substantial cost savings for payers.

Kisumu County Hospital Patient Demographic Analysis: Looking Toward Universal Health Coverage, Lauren Scheffey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Universal health coverage is priority sought after by developed and developing nations alike, and Kenya sits on the list of countries seeking to achieve this goal in the coming years. The definition of “coverage” can vary by country, but three criteria are commonly found in the discussion of UHC globally: access, affordability, and quality. Affordability is determined by the state’s healthcare financing system; quality refers to the services provided by health facilities; and access, at least in part, concerns the geographic placement of health services providers in relation to the population they intend to serve. This geographic element is ...

A View Of The Drug Pricing Blueprint, Bonnie C. Greenwood

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

Drug spend is predicted to experience the fastest annual growth between 2017-2026 compared to other health care goods and services.Contributing factors include increasing unit prices of branded and generic medications, growth of the specialty drug market, and greater numbers of people with access to prescription drug coverage. A recent analysis estimates total drug expenditures in 2016 to be $480 billion when accounting for gross profits of intermediaries in the distribution chain, such as wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and pharmacies. Certainly, the complexity of the drug distribution and reimbursement system and lack of pricing transparency can be viewed both ...

The Impact Of Cleft Lip And Palate Repair Surgery On Cognitive And Academic Outcomes For Teens In India, R Jeremiah Maller

Master's Theses

India has a backlog of nearly one million patients in need of cleft lip and palate repair. Unrepaired cleft results in social stigma and diminished health, psychological wellbeing, and academic functioning. Cleft repair surgery has the potential to restore functioning in these domains. However, the magnitude of the social, educational, and economic impact of cleft repair surgery has not been evaluated using statistically rigorous methods. An estimation of the academic and educational impact of cleft repair has implications for the appropriate allocation of public health resources. We analyze original data gathered from teenagers in West Bengal, India using the difference-in-differences ...