The 2016 election highlighted deep social and political divisions in the United States, and related unhappiness and frustration among poor and uneducated whites. We find large heterogeneities in optimism across race groups. After controlling for individual characteristics, African Americans are by far the most optimistic, while whites and Asian Americans are the least optimistic, and these differences are largest among low-income groups. When adding a rural/urban dimension, we found that poor rural whites are the least hopeful among the poor. African Americans and Hispanics also display higher life satisfaction and lower stress incidence than do poor whites. The gaps between African Americans and whites tend to be at their peak in middle age (45-54 and 55-64 year olds). We also explored the association between our detailed data on subjective well-being with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mortality rate data at the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) level. Our results suggest that the absence of hope, which relates to fears about downward mobility among poor and middle-class whites, matches the trends in premature mortality among 45-54 year olds of the same cohorts and in the same places. MSAs with a higher percentage of African-American respondents, which are typically urban and ethnically diverse, tend to be healthier, happier, and more optimistic about the future. We also discuss the mediating effects of reported pain, reliance on disability insurance, and differential levels of resilience across blacks, Hispanics, and whites. These trends constitute a social crisis of proportions that we do not fully understand. We highlight the importance of documenting the extent of the crisis and exploring its causes as a step toward finding solutions in the safety net, health, education, and well-being arenas.

This paper describes a new initiative to create and disseminate longitudinal data infrastructure for the United States based on the entire population enumerated between 1850 and 2020. The National Longitudinal Research Infrastructure (NLRI) aims to produce a foundational reference collection for demographic and health research. The availability of a massive collection of life histories of the U.S. population over 170 years will open new avenues for social and behavioral research, education, and policy-making. By disseminating the infrastructure to the broadest possible audience, the project will enhance scientific and public understanding of critical policy-related issues. We are developing the infrastructure through three closely interconnected research projects: (1) the Census Longitudinal Infrastructure Project (CLIP); (2) the American Opportunity Study (AOS); and (3) the Multi-Generational Longitudinal Panel (IPUMS-MLP). The paragraphs that follow briefly describe the origins of the project and our preliminary studies. We then explain how NLRI will overcome critical barriers and transform research on the effects of public policies, social institutions, and health care on the health, well-being, and functioning of people over the life course and in their later years.

State governments have a long history of providing income tax relief to their elderly constituents. Our research investigates the current distributional and revenue effects of these tax breaks, as well as the economic status of the elderly, and explores how these measures have changed since 1990. Using data from the 1990 Integrated Public Use Microdata Series and the 2013 American Community Survey, combined with the TAXSIM calculator, we calculate current state income tax liabilities and revenues and simulate the effects of removing all age-related tax breaks. Our analyses reveal that the economic well-being of the elderly has grown substantially relative to the nonelderly and that state tax breaks primarily benefit the middle- and upper-income elderly. Revenue costs of these tax breaks have also grown substantially, and their modest and mixed effects on income equality, measured by changes in the Gini, cast doubt on equity as a justification.

Based on detailed occupation titles and making use of measures that do not require pair-wise comparisons, this paper shows that the occupational segregation of African American women declined dramatically in 1940-80, decreased slightly in 1980-2000, and remained stagnant in 2000-10. This paper quantifies the well-being losses that African American women derive from their occupational sorting. The reduction of segregation was indeed accompanied by well-being improvements, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. Regarding the role that education has played, this study highlights that it was only from 1990 onward that African American women with either some college or university degrees had lower segregation (as compared with their peers) than those with lower education. Nevertheless, the well-being loss that African American women with university degrees derived in 2010 for being segregated from their peers in education was not too different from that of African American women with lower education.

To support the Commission’s work, this report seeks to: Assess the area’s employment opportunities as they relate to the qualifications of African Americans with low to moderate incomes. Analyze how employment is related to the population decline of D.C.’s African American community. Identify the impact of the lack of affordable housing on the low- and moderate-income African American community in Washington, D.C. Propose feasible policies to improve the economic well-being of the city’s African American residents. The city must enact policies and support programs that ensure equal economic opportunities for its African American residents. Such steps are essential to properly honoring and building upon the invaluable contributions of African Americans to the culture, social fabric, and civic life of the nation’s capital.

Under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF; "welfare"), the program created by the 1996 welfare reform law, economic relief for low-income families is no longer an entitlement. Instead, it is time-limited and tied to work requirements. State governments also have both formal and informal incentives to keep traditional cash assistance caseloads low. Welfare reform, by linking welfare participation to the low-wage labor market, has been seen by some commentators as emblematic of a larger shift in public policy toward market-based solutions to social problems and the use of social policy to service markets ("neoliberalism"). In this paper, I test the logic underlying this market-based paradigm—that restricted access to cash benefits improves the well-being of low-income households by incentivizing labor market participation. Using quantitative models of the relationship between household food insecurity and state cash assistance coverage from 2001 to 2013, I find that the decline in the accessibility of traditional welfare is associated with an increased risk of material hardship in low-income households with children, particularly those headed by a single female. I generally fail to find evidence that changes in welfare coverage are associated with changes in the probability of a household having an employed adult present, however. In concert, these findings call into question the logic of welfare reform specifically and the blanket implementation of market-based solutions to social problems generally.

Background: Growing evidence indicates that immigration policy and enforcement adversely affect the well-being of Latino immigrants, but fewer studies examine ‘spillover effects’ on USA-born Latinos. Immigration enforcement is often diffuse, covert and difficult to measure. By contrast, the federal immigration raid in Postville, Iowa, in 2008 was, at the time, the largest single-site federal immigration raid in US history. Methods: We employed a quasi-experimental design, examining ethnicity-specific patterns in birth outcomes before and after the Postville raid. We analysed Iowa birth-certificate data to compare risk of term and preterm low birthweight (LBW), by ethnicity and nativity, in the 37 weeks following the raid to the same 37-week period the previous year (n = 52 344). We model risk of adverse birth outcomes using modified Poisson regression and model distribution of birthweight using quantile regression. Results: Infants born to Latina mothers had a 24% greater risk of LBW after the raid when compared with the same period 1 year earlier [risk ratio (95% confidence interval) = 1.24 (0.98, 1.57)]. No such change was observed among infants born to non-Latina White mothers. Increased risk of LBW was observed for USA-born and immigrant Latina mothers. The association between raid timing and LBW was stronger among term than preterm births. Changes in birthweight after the raid primarily reflected decreased birthweight below the 5th percentile of the distribution, not a shift in mean birthweight. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the implications of racialized stressors not only for the health of Latino immigrants, but also for USA-born co-ethnics.

Health in the United States is stratified significantly. The stratification in health mirrors broader social inequality, with the socially advantaged generally living longer and healthier lives. While the extreme stratification in health and life expectancy in the United States is well documented, comparatively less research has analyzed how large-scale institutions such as the military and criminal justice system can influence population health and processes of health inequality. Indeed, the military and prisons are especially important for population health and health inequality due to their size, composition of disadvantaged men, high degree of regulation/social control, and ability to shape the life course within the institutions and subsequently. Neighborhoods, are also critically important to shaping health and population health disparities. Thus, the following dissertation analyzes how the military, prisons, and neighborhoods shape population health and health disparities. Using the National Health Interview Survey and the corresponding Linked Mortality file, Chapter 2 shows that black/white inequality in risk of death is smaller among veterans than non-veterans. These findings were net of socioeconomic and behavioral health factors. Additionally, this Chapter shows that the smaller inequality in mortality is concentrated in cohorts who served in the All-Volunteer era. Using the National Health Interview Survey and the Survey of Inmates in State and Correctional Facilities, Chapter 3 shows that the extent to which chronic health conditions vary by educational level is smaller among the incarcerated than non-incarcerated. However, the extent to which infectious diseases differs by educational attainment is significantly larger among the incarcerated population. Chapter 4 uses the Maternal and Infant Health Assessment and the Geographic Research on Well-being study to analyze how long-term neighborhood poverty predicts mother’s reports of their child’s sleep. The findings indicate that children who consistently lived in neighborhoods characterized by long-term high neighborhood poverty had much greater odds of not sleeping the prescribed amount for their age. This was even net of important child, mother, and household characteristics. Overall, the findings stress the importance of considering institutions and neighborhoods when analyzing population health inequality.

Texas’ education system is currently inadequate to meet the state’s future needs for millions of young Texans and there is much at stake for the state’s business and economic interests. Advocates for improving our system for all students – from major educational stakeholders to concerned parents wanting a bright future for their children in terms of economic stability and prosperity – are too-often unheard by our state’s governance and, sometimes, business leaders. These leaders face numerous challenges confronting our state and have not prioritized funding public education at the necessary levels. While it is true that our state has many needs, the main emphasis of this paper is to illustrate how much is at stake for the business community of Texas if we continue to under-educate our children and ill-prepare them for rewarding careers that allow them to properly contribute to both the state and nation’s economy. Educate Fir$t believes that, based on these realities, the business community must fully understand what is at risk from the perspective of their future ability to maintain our financial well-being. This paper seeks to emphasize the irrefutable link between the concerns of public education and those that pertain to the business sector. Education is an investment that affects everyone; it is not a special interest sector impacting only those who work or learn in schools and colleges across the nation. The quality of public education has a notable connection to the proliferation and survival of businesses. We are hopeful that this message will resonate with the business community as well as educational stakeholders, communities that rely on public education, and the legislators who are positioned to help usher in a new generation of better educated, more highly skilled Texans. Many factors in both Texas and the United States contribute to the problems facing public education and will have a major impact on the business community. Among them are a notable increase in the state’s already impressive child population, the constantly evolving technology required by our state’s businesses demanding a workforce with updated skill sets, and the decreased funding of higher education – a vital part of the educational pipeline that provides a link between public primary and secondary schools and the job market.

Purpose: Subjective well-being (SWB) in youths positively relates to family income, however its association with income during childhood is unclear. Using longitudinal data from the US Panel Study of Income Dynamics (n = 2234 adolescents, age 12–19 years), we examined whether the timing and duration of low family income in childhood was associated with adolescent SWB. Methods: We categorized family income during childhood into state-specific quintiles. Adolescent SWB was assessed using a 12-item questionnaire (score range 3–18). We used marginal structural modelling to test for sensitive periods of exposure to low income and tested cumulative effects of income by modelling the number of years spent in the poorest income quintiles. Results: A period in early childhood (age 0–2 years) was particularly sensitive to low family income. Adolescent SWB was 1.65 (95% CI 0.40, 2.91) points lower in those who grew up in the poorest income quintiles during early childhood compared with the top quintile. Further, each childhood year spent in the poorest income quintiles was associated with a 0.10 point (95% CI 0.04, 0.16) lower SWB score in adolescence. Conclusions: The timing and duration of low family income in childhood both predict individual differences in adolescent SWB. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms of these models and inform public policies.

The frequency with which people move home has important implications for national economic performance and the well-being of individuals and families. Much contemporary social and migration theory posits that the world is becoming more mobile, leading to the recent ‘mobilities turn’ within the social sciences. Yet, there is mounting evidence to suggest that this may not be true of all types of mobility, nor apply equally to all geographical contexts. For example, it is now clear that internal migration rates have been falling in the USA since at least the 1980s. To what extent might this trend be true of other developed countries? Drawing on detailed empirical literature, Internal Migration in the Developed World examines the long-term trends in internal migration in a variety of more advanced countries to explore the factors that underpin these changes. Using case studies of the USA, UK, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Germany and Italy, this pioneering book presents a critical assessment of the extent to which global structural forces, as opposed to national context, influence internal migration in the Global North. Internal Migration in the Developed World fills the void in this neglected aspect of migration studies and will appeal to a wide disciplinary audience of researchers and students working in Geography, Migration Studies, Population Studies and Development Studies.

Background: Demographic risk factors for multimorbidity have been identified in numerous population-based studies of older adults; however, there is less data on younger populations, despite the fact that approximately 24% of US adults age 18+ have multimorbidity. Understanding multimorbidity earlier in the life course is critical because of the increased likelihood of long-term disability and loss of productivity associated with chronic disease progression. Objective: To examine the associations of education and race/ethnicity with mutimorbidity among adults aged 3064 using cross-sectional data from the 20022014 National Health Interview Surveys. Design: Multimorbidity was defined as having at least 2 of 9 self-reported health conditions. Educational attainment was categorized as less than high school (HS), completed HS or some college, and bachelor's degree or higher. Logistic regression models of multimorbidity controlled for time since last doctor's visit, demographic and socioeconomic measures. Results: Compared to having a bachelor's degree or higher, completing less than HS (OR=1.58, 95% CI = 1.501.66) or HS/some college (OR=1.32, 95% CI = 1.271.37) were both associated with increased odds of multimorbidity net of all included covariates. Non-Hispanic Blacks had greater odds of multimorbidity (OR=1.07, 95% CI = 1.021.11) compared to Non-Hispanic Whites with comparable characteristics. Conclusions: Epidemiologic and demographic research on the burden of multimorbidity among non-elderly adults is limited, but warrants renewed attention given the potential for long-term loss of quality of life, productivity, and well-being for non-elderly adults. Reducing multimorbidity through health promotion efforts across the socioeconomic spectrum and earlier in the life course will be a requirement to age successfully and support overall well-being in the aging US population.

Our experience is anecdotal, but there are data to the same effect: persons living in nursing homes who have urinary incontinence do not have overall lower quality of life2; becoming more dependent on others is not tied to lower psychological well-being3; and quality of life in those with dementia is more tightly correlated with exposure to engaging activities than level of confusion or dementia.4 With some variability, state statutes sharply restrict the circumstances in which clinicians . . .

A Wall Street Journal analysis shows that since the 1990's, sparsely populated counties have replaced large cities as America's most troubled areas by key measures of socioeconomic well-being, a decline that's accelerating

U.S. Army doctrine requires that commanders understand, visualize, and describe the infrastructure component of the Joint Operating Environment to accomplish the Army's missions of protecting, restoring, and developing infrastructure. The functionality of modern cities relies heavily on interdependent infrastructure systems such as those for water, power, and transportation. Disruptions often prop-agate within and across physical infrastructure networks and result in catastrophic con-sequences. The reaction of communities to disasters may further transfer and aggravate the burden on infrastructure and facilitate cascading secondary disruptions. Hence, a holistic analysis framework that integrates infrastructure interdependencies and community behaviors is needed to evaluate vulnerability to disruptions and to assess the impact of a disaster. Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely (SMART) documents are used to assess, measure, and predict the impact of potential infrastructural interdictions. Assessing individuals within the population allows analysis of social well-being in relation to potential cascading infrastructure failure.

The labor force participation rate in the U.S. has declined since 2007 primarily because of population aging and ongoing trends that preceded the recession. The participation rate has evolved differently, and for different reasons, across demographic groups. A rise in school enrollment has largely offset declining participation for young workers since the 1990s. Participation in the labor force has been declining for prime age men for decades, and about half of prime age men who are not in the labor force (NLF) may have a serious health condition that is a barrier to work. Nearly half of prime age NLF men take pain medication on a daily basis, and in nearly two-thirds of cases they take prescription pain medication. The labor force participation rate has stopped rising for cohorts of women born after 1960. Prime age men who are out of the labor force report that they experience notably low levels of emotional well-being throughout their days and that they derive relatively little meaning from their daily activities. Employed and NLF women, by contrast, report similar levels of subjective well-being. Over the past decade retirements have increased by about the same amount as aggregate labor force participation has declined. Continued population aging is expected to reduce the labor force participation rate by 0.2 to 0.3 percentage point per year over the next decade. A meaningful rise in labor force participation will require a reversal in the secular trends affecting various demographic groups, and perhaps immigration reform.

This dissertation, “Childhood Nutrition and Income Status Effects on Health and Economic Outcomes”, estimates the effects of childhood nutrition and family income on an adult’s health and social economic status. The relevance of my work lies in the fact that the future rests on today’s children, i.e. evidence shows that intergenerational disparity in health and economic outcomes among adults are reflective of what happened early in their lives. Hence, there is a real need to understand childhood intervention policies or affirmative actions that may affect future economic well-being. The first chapter in my dissertation investigates the long-term effects of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program by ex- amining the adults who had exposure to the program when they were children. Using the difference-in-differences methodology and exploiting the timing of the introduction of the WIC program in the US, our results suggest that children of low-income families who were exposed to the WIC program end up as adults who were healthier and more economically stable. In particular, exposed individuals have 6 percent less probability of having cancer and 0.4 less of number of ADL. In addition, our results suggest that individuals with expo- sure of WIC are more likely to be employed and above the census poverty line. Moreover, full exposure to WIC program also reduces the chance of having mental problems and feel- ing depressed. Males show larger beneficial effects for both physical health outcomes and mental health outcomes. These findings suggest that WIC has long lasting beneficial effects for low-income families. The second chapter contributes to the growing body of research that measures the effects of health shocks, both during childhood and in-utero, in developing countries. Our paper looks the Great Chinese famine . . .

National surveys suggest Texans have a relatively low level of financial literacy that can adversely affect decision-making. Since state lawmakers mandated high school financial coursework in 2007, consumer credit measures of young Texas adults have improved.

Part of a wider range of investigations to produce generally acceptable standards for measuring affective well-being, time diary surveys have tested several approaches to measuring subjective well-being during diary days. As an alternative to the standard approach of asking a single question about each activity reported in time diary surveys, the 2010 module of the American Time Use Survey asked six emotion questions about three activities. The perception questions captured how happy, meaningful, sad, tired, stressed, or in pain respondents felt on a 7-point scale. To evaluate this approach, our research examined the reliability and validity of the six emotion questions, and assessed their variability across activities. Using principal component analysis, we assessed the associations among items and obtained two activity-level components with Cronbachs alphas of 0.68 and 0.59 and two respondent-level components with Cronbachs alphas of 0.74 and 0.65. To test validity, we regressed self-rated health on the underlying components and socio-demographic controls. Both of the respondent level components were significantly associated with better health (odds ratio 1.81, 1.27). Using each of the perceptions individually, we found that happiness, meaningfulness, and lack of fatigue, stress, and pain were related to better health, but none as strongly as the first component. Finally, we examined the coefficients of variation to assess the variability in the well-being measures across activities. Measurement implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Beginning in the 1960s—and accelerating over the last two decades— changes in marriage, divorce, cohabitation, and nonmarital childbearing have transformed family life in the United States. The family continues to serve a primary role in raising children and caring for elderly relatives. But new family patterns and increased instability are creating complex family and economic ties that often span multiple households. These unstable living arrangements and complex family relationships also affect the health and well-being of children and adults, creating challenges for families and policymakers alike