Social Work Commons^™

Does Volunteering Give An Extra Health Boost? Volunteering And Hypertension Risk Among Insured And Uninsured U.S. Adults In Late Midlife, Byeongju Ryu, Seoyoun Kim, Koichiro Shiba, Cal J. Halvorsen

Brown School Faculty Publications

Introduction: Hypertension is a major predictor of cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death in the U.S. Growing evidence suggests that formal volunteering in later life may reduce hypertension risk; however, it remains unclear whether these benefits extend to adults in late midlife and whether they differ by health insurance status.

Methods: This prospective cohort study analyzed data from the 2012–2018 Health and Retirement Study. The analytic sample included 4,169 respondents between the ages of 50 and 64. Because blood pressure was measured in half the sample in alternating waves, data were pooled across waves. To address selection into volunteering, …

Is Public Website Design An Administrative Burden? The Case Of Snap, Guangli Zhang, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard

Center for Social Development Research

How do websites for public-benefit programs affect access to benefits?

This brief examines the state websites for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), investigating whether there is a relationship between site design and experience of administrative burdens in SNAP. The authors examine page design using Google’s Lighthouse service and draw upon data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility Survey of a nationally representative sample of 2,511 low-wage U.S. workers to examine administrative burdens in SNAP. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are used to investigate the relationship between SNAP page design and SNAP quality-control measures. The finding suggest …

The Relationship Between Agency Understaffing And Administrative Burdens In Snap And Medicaid, Guangli Zhang, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard

Center for Social Development Research

For families trying to enroll in public programs to meet essential needs like food and health care, speed and timeliness can be critical. But people face numerous barriers in enrolling in these programs and in maintaining eligibility once enrolled. This research brief uses a new measure of staff workloads in public benefit agencies for every U.S. state and examines the link between these workloads and the experience of administrative burdens among low-wage workers. The analyses draw upon data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility Survey.

The Impacts Of The St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income Program On Quality Of Life, Hannah Allee, Grace Anderson, Rachel Barth, Laura Brugger, Meihsi Chiang, Alex Dobill, Leah Hamilton, Ashley Moore, Liz Rolf, Stephen Roll, Guangli Zhang

Center for Social Development Research

How does guaranteed basic income influence recipients’ quality of life?

In late 2023, the City of St Louis launched a pilot program providing $500 a month for 18 months to more than 500 low-income St. Louis households with children. Researchers from the Center for Social Development and the Brown School Evaluation Center conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of the program, tracking recipients’ journeys over the pilot’s duration. This brief presents findings on the effects of the St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income Program on participants’ quality of life, including the ability to meet daily living expenses, the well-being of participants and their …

The Impacts Of The St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income Program On Economic Security, Hannah Allee, Grace Anderson, Rachel Barth, Laura Brugger, Meihsi Chiang, Alex Dobill, Leah Hamilton, Ashley Moore, Liz Rolf, Stephen Roll, Guangli Zhang

Center for Social Development Research

How does guaranteed basic income influence the economic security of recipients?

In late 2023, the City of St Louis launched a pilot program providing $500 a month for 18 months to more than 500 low-income St. Louis households with children. Researchers from the Center for Social Development and the Brown School Evaluation Center conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of the program, tracking recipients’ journeys over the pilot’s duration. This brief presents findings on the effects of the St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income Program on the economic security of program participants, including their experience of economic hardships, their use of the payments, …

The Impacts Of The St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income Program On Credit Health, Hannah Allee, Grace Anderson, Rachel Barth, Laura Brugger, Meihsi Chiang, Alex Dobill, Leah Hamilton, Ashley Moore, Liz Rolf, Stephen Roll, Guangli Zhang

Center for Social Development Research

How does guaranteed basic income influence the credit of recipients?

In late 2023, the City of St Louis launched a pilot program providing $500 a month for 18 months to more than 500 low-income St. Louis households with children. Researchers from the Center for Social Development and the Brown School Evaluation Center conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of the program, tracking recipients’ journeys over the pilot’s duration. This brief presents findings from analyses of administrative credit records on the effects of the St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income Program on the credit scores, payment delinquencies, and credit utilization of participants.

Hardships Increase As Households Rely More On Gig Work, Laura Brugger, Anthony J. Nixon, Amrita Kulkarni, Mathieu Despard, Stephen Roll

Center for Social Development Research

Gig work has grown substantially in the United States in recent years. Although research has examined the relationship between participation in the gig economy and hardship, few studies examine how households’ reliance on gig work relates to hardship experiences. Drawing upon data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility survey of a nationally representative sample of low-wage workers, this brief explores the relationship between the proportion of a household’s income from gig work and indicators of financial distress: bill payment difficulties, food insufficiency, budget constraints, blood plasma sales, reliance on alternative financial services such as payday loans, and usage of …

Policy Design For Multiple Funding Flows Into Trump Accounts, Jin Huang, Michael Sherraden, Lissa Johnson

Center for Social Development Research

The law creating the new Trump Accounts explicitly authorizes employers to provide deposits matching contributions that their employees make to the accounts and also authorizes contributions by philanthropic organizations. Both features are essential for build­ing substantial lifetime assets for America’s children. Implementing them successfully – and ensuring that the funds reach every eligible child efficiently – will require an effective policy platform for routing, verifying, and reporting on third-party contributions. This brief discusses why traditional retail IRAs cannot support matching contributions and how to build a policy platform capable of accommodating multiple contribution streams.

Financial Well-Being Among Self-Employed Older Americans, Cal J. Halvorsen, Byeongju Ryu

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

As people live longer, there has been growing attention in recent years on extending working lives. Although many older adults fully retire, those who continue to work often turn to self-employment—a broad category that includes entrepreneurs, small business owners, consultants, contractors, gig workers, and people who take on side jobs. Rates of self-employment rise sharply with age, with nearly 30 percent of employed adults in their 70s working for themselves—approximately twice the share of those in their 60s.

Preventing, Delaying, And Managing Chronic Disease, Michele Dinman, Logan Fox

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

We are living longer. Today, men and women who reach age 65 will live another 17 to 20 years, on average. As the human body ages, normal biological changes increase vulnerability to illness, and the risk of developing disease increases. At the same time, advances in public health, medicine, and health care have reduced deaths from acute conditions, like infection and accidents, and have increased our chances of living longer into the human life span. Thus, we now have greater chances of developing one or more chronic diseases. Most (75%) adults in the U.S. live with at least one chronic …

Being A Caregiver For A Friend Or Family Member, Nancy Morrow-Howell, Michele Dinman

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Informal caregivers give assistance to family and friends who have functional limitations that challenge self-care. Most often, caregivers assist younger adults living with a disability and older people with age- associated chronic conditions. Family caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system in this country, delivering 80% of care. Caregiving is increasing as people live longer with more chronic conditions. Indeed, caregiving is the new norm in our older society. As Roselyn Carter said: "There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, …

Lifelong Civic Engagement, Logan Fox, Emma Ward, Cal J. Halvorsen

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Civic engagement can be broadly defined as the practice of service (volunteering or informal helping), advocacy, and political participation (voting). Older adults are a large and growing population that frequently engages in these civic activities.

In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that approximately one quarter of the 11 million daily volunteers in the U.S. were age 65 and older. Between 2018 and 2021, there was a 10% increase in volunteer hours filled by individuals over age 65. Research shows this trend will be mutually beneficial, improving the quality of life for older adults who are, in turn, positively …

Climate Change And Population Aging, Anastasia Rhule, Michele Dinman, Natalie Galucia

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Glaciers are shrinking, river and lake ice is melting earlier, plant and animal habitat ranges are changing, and trees and flowers are blooming earlier. Additionally, longer and more severe heat waves are occurring. Droughts, wildfires, and extreme rainfall are happening at a faster rate than previously predicted by scientists.

Taking Small Steps With Big Data: Exploring The Impact Of Education On Social Mobility, Yung Chun, Jenrose Fitzgerald, Jason Jabbari

Center for Social Development Research

Historically, education and workforce-development programs have relied on survey data or state-government administrative data to examine program impacts. However, surveys are costly, reasonable comparison groups can be difficult to identify, and results from analyses of a single state’s administrative data can seldom be generalized to enable broader conclusions. This brief discusses a research collaboration between the Center for Social Development, the National Student Clearinghouse, and a large credit bureau. Through this collaboration researchers used large, frequently updated, multi-type (i.e., “big”) data to examine the impact of education and certificate programs on social mobility, as well as racial and gender equity. …

Data For Social Impact - Data Persona Worksheet, Jenrose Fitzgerald, Dan Ferris, Amelia Parnell

Center for Social Development Research

Developed in collaboration with Amelia Parnell and drawing upon the framework from Parnell's 2021 book You Are a Data Person: Strategies for Using Analytics on Campus, this worksheet facilitates exploration of data identity and the identification of data personas.

Design And Delivery Of Trump Accounts: Clearing Fund And Custodian Network With Automatic Enrollment, Jin Huang, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Enacting legislation established the federal Trump Accounts policy and directed the U.S. Treasury Department to implement it. Drawing upon insights and evidence from Child Development Account research conducted by the Center for Social Development and others, this brief proposes a two-step strategy for the policy’s implementation: (a) a clearing fund and custodian network and (b) a three-pathway automatic-enrollment system. The brief details the proposal and discusses its implications.

Racial And Ethnic Differences In Experiencing Administrative Burdens In Public Benefit Programs, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard, Yung Chun, Kourtney Gilbert

Center for Social Development Research

Complex program rules can make it difficult to enroll and stay in public programs. These barriers are administrative burdens, the difficulties program applicants and participants face in accessing the benefits to which they are entitled under law. Drawing upon data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility Survey of a nationally representative sample of 2,511 low-wage U.S. workers, this brief examines whether the experience of administrative burdens in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid vary by the race and ethnicity of the individual interacting with the program.

Beyond Money: Early Asset-Building Policy Supports Mothers, Strengthens Families, And Builds Children’S Futures, Jin Huang, Michael Sherraden, Margaret Clancy, Lissa Johnson

Center for Social Development Research

To foster stronger futures for children and families in the United States, policymakers and researchers are increasingly turning their attention to early-life asset-building policies, recognizing that such policies are vital components of family well-being and support. In this brief, CSD researchers discuss evidence from the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment (SEED OK), which shows that Child Development Account policy shapes mothers, families, and children in profound ways. Child Development Accounts, they conclude, represent a scalable and bipartisan family-support policy, offering early and automatic foundation that reinforces parental hopes and planning while promoting both equity, through progressively structured design, and responsibility, …

The Experience Of Administrative Burdens In Snap And Medicaid: New Evidence From A Nationally Representative Survey Of Low-Wage Workers, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard, Yung Chun

Center for Social Development Research

When functioning correctly, the U.S. social safety net ensures that everyone can reach a basic standard of living, regardless of economic circumstances, and provides financial support to help families who have fallen on hard times due to job losses or other adverse life events. However, the programs often have complex rules around eligibility, documentation requirements, and compliance. Those features and negative experiences with program staff impose psychological costs—collectively referred to as administrative burdens—that can make enrolling and staying in the programs difficult for many families. Drawing upon data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility Survey of a nationally …

Living Longer, Working Longer, Michele Dinman, Cal J. Halvorsen

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly one-in-five Americans ages 65 and older (19%) were employed in 2023, a rate nearly twice that from 35 years ago. They’re also working more hours, on average, than in the recent past. In fact, more than three-in-five older workers (62%) work full time, an increase from the 47% working full time in 1987. Older workers today are also more educated and are more likely to be receiving employer-sponsored benefits, such as retirement savings plans and health insurance, than in earlier decades. While only 4% of the entire labor force was made up of …

Driving And Beyond, Michele Dinman, Nancy Morrow-Howell

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Transportation is a daily necessity in our lives, and many of us rely on driving our own automobile to get where we need to go. According to the Federal Highway Administration, in 2023 there were approximately 35 million licensed drivers aged 70 and older—fewer drivers than younger age groups and a group that drives fewer miles.

The Covid-19 Pandemic’S Effects On Older People, Michele Dinman, Morgan Van Vleck

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide ranging effects on people of all ages. In many respects, older people had the same experiences as younger people, but there were some aspects of the pandemic unique to the older population. While COVID-19 cases have been equal among different age groups, older people experienced a greater number of hospitalizations and deaths compared to younger people.

Living With Purpose, Michelle Dinman, Cal J. Halvorsen, Nancy Morrow-Howell

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Having purpose is good for all of us at any age. Patrick Hill, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at WashU, defines purpose as the “notion that you have daily activities you find meaningful or engaging and that give you direction for your life [and] reasons to continue going.” In a major sense, purpose can be described as the why of living, instead of the how.

Over 30 Million And Growing: Child Development Accounts Around The World, Li Zou, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

This report discusses the global reach and origins of Child Development Account policies, documenting impacts on approximately 32 million children worldwide. The policies range from Singapore’s comprehensive asset-building framework to Kazakhstan’s pioneering National Fund for Children. The seven policies highlighted here represent growing efforts to provide structured and lifelong asset-building across the full population, beginning as early as birth.

This report was updated in January 2026 to correct typographical errors in the monetary figures reported for South Korea.

The Case For Automatic Enrollment In Trump Accounts: Lessons From Maine’S Cda, Margaret Clancy, Jin Huang, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

In 2014, Maine's statewide Child Development Policy, the My Alfond Grant, transitioned from an opt-in enrollment structure to an automatic one. Written as federal policymakers weigh enrollment options for the new Trump Accounts, this brief highlights lessons from Maine's transition and findings from the the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment, offering recommendations for implementing the new federal policy.

Housing Options As We Age, Michele Dinman, Jeff Brandt, Logan Fox

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Almost 75% of adults ages 50 and older want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. This is referred to as “aging in place.” Our homes and communities can help us feel safe and give us a sense of belonging and connection. Furthermore, our living situations effect our health and quality of life as well as our ability to live independently. Changes in our physical, psychological, social, and financial well-being later in life can affect our abilities to age in place. Finding the best housing based on our resources, interests, and needs is important for living well …

Job-Training Programs For Older Americans, Byeongju Ryu, Cal J. Halvorsen

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

The traditional notion of retirement—stopping work completely to focus on personal pursuits in one’s golden years—is not guaranteed. In the United States, three in four adults plan to work past age 65. Many older adults continue working due to financial necessity, including rising healthcare costs, insufficient retirement savings, and gaps in pension coverage. Low-wage workers, in particular, may struggle to retire at all, forced to keep working to afford basic necessities such as housing and food. Older adults also seek employment for their personal health and well-being, such as staying physically and mentally active, finding a sense of purpose, and …

A Strategy For Implementing Automatic Enrollment In Trump Accounts, Jin Huang, Michael Sherraden, Lissa Johnson

Center for Social Development Research

In the summer of 2025, the United States created the framework for a national asset-building initiative, but the success of the Trump Accounts policy depends in part on effective implementation. This brief pres­ents a two-step strategy for ensuring that all eligible U.S. children will be able to participate in the program. Leveraging existing federal infrastructure to create capacity for automatic enrollment, this strategy would enable the policy to avoid the high costs and low participation rates of programs with opt-in enrollment structures. The operational model would be built on two foundational components: a centralized Trump Accounts Fund and an automated …

Financial Shocks, Emergency Savings, And Hardship Among Low-Wage Workers, Haotian Zheng, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard

Center for Social Development Research

For many households, particu­larly those with limited income or financial resources, medical emergencies, car repairs, sudden job losses, and unexpected expenses can quickly precipitate financial hardships. Emergency savings provide a buffer that allows households to manage disrup­tions and avoid reliance on options that incur high-interest debt. Addressing the lack of emergency savings is not just a matter of individual responsibility; it also poses a broader policy challenge with implications for public welfare. Drawing upon data from the nationally representative Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility survey, this brief reports on low-wage households’ experiences with shocks, savings, and hardships. It also discusses …

Old Frames On New Media: Health Misinformation In Black Digital Communities, Merriah Croston

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Growing evidence suggests that health misinformation has the potential to proliferate on social media. However, our understanding of the problem’s magnitude continues to evolve. Despite several studies on health misinformation and Black communities in the United States (U.S.), few of these studies characterize misinformation within digital settings. This dissertation seeks to address this gap by: 1) synthesizing the literature on health misinformation and Black communities to identify prevalent misinformation topics and claims, characteristics of exposure to and belief in these topics and claims, and successful intervention strategies; 2) quantifying and characterizing the volume of COVID-19 misinformation on Black Twitter during …