Full Citation
Title: Essays on the Economic Causes and Consequences of Public Health
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2018
ISBN: 9780355906165
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Abstract: This dissertation tracks a particular public health program and examines the economic causes and consequences of the institution of public health. I follow the United States rollout of county-level health departments (CHDs) over 1908 to 1933 and track the short-run benefits, the long-run benefits, and the factors that led to adoption. At the turn of the twentieth century, rural areas lagged behind urban centers in access to public health services, despite the fact that there had been convergence in urban-rural mortality. With 60 percent of the US population living in rural areas, this lack of public health was a population-wide problem. By 1908 the rural health problem drew national attention from the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and health-interested private organizations. These organizations targeted rural health conditions by opening local public health departments that were operated by the existing county government. This revolutionary approach initiated the first nationwide rural public health program in United States history. The rollout of health infrastructure improved sanitation and provided access to child health services in under-served areas throughout the US. The sanitation improvements included inspections, hygiene training, and installation of toilets, wells, and drainage. Health services appeared in the form of exams, nutritional consults, immunizations, and midwife hygiene training. Local tax dollars provided the majority of funding for this program, although supplemental support arrived from outside organizations including the USPHS, state governments, the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission (RSC), and the Sheppard-Towner Act.
Url: https://search.proquest.com/docview/2039171672/abstract/6247F5D8CB74DFEPQ/1?accountid=14586
Url: https://dlib.bc.edu/islandora/object/bc-ir%3A107988
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Authors: Velasco, Lauren, H
Institution: Boston College
Department: Economics
Advisor: Claudia Olivetti
Degree: Ph.D
Publisher Location: Massachusetts, US
Pages: 1-254
Data Collections: IPUMS USA - Ancestry Full Count Data
Topics: Fertility and Mortality, Health, Population Health and Health Systems
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