This study investigates how financial security shapes the cognitive dimensions of well-being in China, India, and the United States. Utilizing data from the World Values Survey Wave 7, we find that different saving behaviors influence well-being—measured by happiness and life satisfaction—differently across countries. We examine the implications of these findings and propose policy measures to enhance financial literacy.
Food insecurity is a significant issue facing many American households. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides increased access to food for families in need. Additionally, fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption has been shown to improve health and reduce the risk of a variety of chronic diseases. However, poor nutrition among children and adults, including low FV intake have contributed to rising rates of obesity in America. It is particularly challenging for low-income households to purchase/eat the recommended amount of FV. Farmers’ markets offer a wide variety of fresh, local and healthy foods, especially FV, but data show that low-income households are much less likely to shop at farmers’ markets. The Eau Claire Downtown Farmers’ Market (ECDFM) sponsors a Market Match Program (MMP) incentivizing This presentation uses 2023 and 2024 survey data to highlight the many benefits of the MMP, while also exploring a variety of barriers to using the MMP mapped to corresponding changes that might reduce these barriers. Our results show most SNAP shoppers do not regularly shop at the market with the most reported barriers being limited market hours/locations, limited SNAP benefits running out and not remembering. We also provide demographic characteristics for all survey respondents.
Food insecurity is a significant issue facing many American households. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides increased access to food for families in need. Additionally, fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption has been shown to improve health and reduce the risk of a variety of chronic diseases. However, poor nutrition among children and adults, including low FV intake have contributed to rising rates of obesity in America. It is particularly challenging for low-income households to purchase/eat the recommended amount of FV. Farmers’ markets (FM) offer a wide variety of fresh, local and healthy foods, especially FV, but data show that low-income households are much less likely to shop at FM. The Eau Claire Downtown Farmers’ Market (ECDFM) sponsors a Market Match Program (MMP) incentivizing SNAP households to shop at the market. This presentation uses administrative data to tell the story and describe trends in both utilization and spending by SNAP shoppers at the market from 2018 – 2024 which importantly spans before, through and after COVID. Our results show more SNAP shoppers/SNAP spending at the ECDFM in the first two years of the pandemic, while both measures (utilization and spending) subsequently declined in the next two years coming out of the pandemic.
According to CDC, among chronic conditions, Diabetes is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the US. Access to health care is most essential to stay healthy for a diabetic person. With high cost of supplies, medication, education, and medical care to manage diabetes, affordable and adequate health insurance is imperative. Before the Affordable Care Act expansion in 2014, Medicaid program primarily covered pregnant women, low-income families with children, and elderly and disabled people with Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The expansion extended coverage to most of the adults up to 138% Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and it was adopted by 27 states in 2014 and by 2021, it increased to 39 states (including DC). Past literature provided evidence that this led to a significant increase in the total Medicaid coverage and consequently a decrease in the total number of the uninsured individuals in the expansion states. This paper examines the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid Expansion on diabetes diagnoses, and its management to prevent health complications caused by diabetes. Exploiting the differential timing of adoption of Medicaid expansion by different states, we employ a staggered difference-in-difference framework to compare the diabetes outcomes in the expansion states (treatment group) with the non-expansion states (control group).
Economic insecurity is a critical but often overlooked determinant of public health. This study investigates how financial instability contributes to poor health outcomes. Financial instability is characterized by unpredictability of income, employment insecurity, and limited access to basic needs like food, clothing, housing and access to healthcare, all which affect physical and mental health outcomes. By analyzing the intersectionality of economic insecurity, healthcare access, and the role of social systems including healthcare policies and safety nets, this research aims to identify key factors that negatively impact health and wellbeing and exacerbate these effects. This research primarily relies on quantitative data from closed ended survey questions, supplemented by qualitative data from the addition of three open ended survey questions. The survey explores an individual’s economic position, experience with healthcare accessibility and the perceptions of the effectiveness of social programs. The objective of the research is to discover in what ways economics affect health and to highlight systemic shortcomings in addressing these issues. The findings from this research can provide insight to those dedicated to developing more effective interventions that would mitigate negative health consequences and improve healthcare accessibility.
This study explores the impact of various factors, particularly information sources, on the cognitive dimensions of well-being in Japan and the United States. Drawing on data from the World Values Survey Wave 7, we find that different sources of information influence well-being, measured by happiness and life satisfaction, in distinct ways across countries. We analyze the implications of these findings and offer policy recommendations in the context of the ongoing debate on information censorship.
Food insecurity is a significant issue facing many American households. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides increased access to food for families in need. Additionally, fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption has been shown to improve health and reduce the risk of a variety of chronic diseases. However, poor nutrition among children and adults, including low FV intake have contributed to rising rates of obesity in America. It is particularly challenging for low-income households to purchase/eat the recommended amount of FV. Farmers’ markets offer a wide variety of fresh, local and healthy foods, especially FV, but data show that low-income households are much less likely to shop at farmers’ markets. The Eau Claire Downtown Farmers’ Market (ECDFM) sponsors a Market Match Program (MMP) incentivizing SNAP households to shop at the market. This presentation connects our work to the literature on offering incentives to SNAP shoppers at farmers’ markets. Our results show that the ECDFM MMP faces many similar challenges to other FM incentive programs. Additionally, we reference our participation in a statewide coalition to develop and expand these types of programs across the state. We conclude with policy recommendations in the context of the history of SNAP.
