Full Citation

Title: College affirmative action bans and smoking and alcohol use among underrepresented minority adolescents in the United States: A difference-in-differences study

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2019

ISBN:

ISSN:

DOI: . https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002821

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: College affirmative action programs seek to expand socioeconomic opportunities for underrepresented minorities. Between 1996 and 2013, 9 US states—including California, Texas, and Michigan—banned race-based affirmative action in college admissions. Because economic opportunity is known to motivate health behavior, banning affirmative action policies may have important adverse spillover effects on health risk behaviors. We used a quasi-experimental research design to evaluate the association between college affirmative action bans and health risk behaviors among underrepresented minority (Black, Hispanic, and Native American) adolescents. In this study, we found evidence that some health risk behaviors increased among underrepresented minority adolescents after exposure to state-level college affirmative action bans. These findings suggest that social policies that shift socioeconomic opportunities could have meaningful population health consequences.

Url: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002821

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Venkataramani, Atheendar, S; Cook, Erin; O’Brien, Rourke, L; Kawachi, Ichiro; Jena, Anupam, B; Tsai, Alexander, C

Periodical (Full): PLoS Med

Issue: 6

Volume: 16

Pages: 1-16

Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Education, Health, Poverty and Welfare, Race and Ethnicity

Countries: