A perfect storm of factors for Black and Latino communities
Massachusetts had one of the highest rates of COVID-19 cases in the early months of the pandemic, with an even greater impact on communities of color. Understanding the specific contributing factors is critical to a successful public health strategy. P4A researchers from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health conducted a study of 351 Massachusetts towns and cities to uncover the factors contributing to the
perfect storm that has taken a disproportionate toll on Black and Latino communities.
The earned income tax credit (EITC) is a central component of the safety net that millions of American families rely on. Just a 3 percent increase in childhood exposure to the EITC increases the likelihood of reporting very good or excellent health and decreases the likelihood of obesity as young adults. In this recently published article, P4A researchers at the Urban Institute evaluated the long-term health impacts of EITC exposure during childhood as these children grow into young adults.
How have widespread declines in income affected food sufficiency among families?
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the economy. The millions of jobs lost since March have led to sharp declines in household incomes and an increase in families struggling with food insufficiency, an effect felt most by households headed by Black and Latina single mothers. Using data from the US Census Bureau's recently released Household Pulse Survey, P4A researchers from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research explored the impact of declines in household income during the pandemic on families’ food sufficiency.
Expanded job protection improves equity in parental leave access
Despite important health benefits, access to paid family and medical leave in the U.S. is limited and highly disparate. This brief
(PDF) from P4A researchers at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health analyzed a survey of new mothers working in the private sector in the San Francisco Bay Area and found that only 58 percent of Black parents and 54 percent of Hispanic parents are currently protected, compared with 70 percent of white parents, disparities that expanding protections to include all private firms would reduce.
Effects of Medicaid work requirements on coverage, employment, and affordability of care
Arkansas implemented Medicaid work requirements in June 2018, requiring adults to work 20 hours a week, participate in “community engagement” activities, or qualify for an exemption in order to maintain coverage. By April 2019, when a federal judge halted the policy, more than 18,000 adults had lost coverage. As an update to
research published in 2018,
P4A researchers analyzed the consequences of this policy and found these requirements led to coverage losses and increases in medical debt, without achieving the principal goal of improving employment.
To help the research community better understand the impacts of COVID-19, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, under its Health Data for Action program, is making new COVID-19 data available. Access the data here.
P4A National Advisory Committee member Daniel Dawes will discuss the health equity implications of the COVID-19 pandemic at the Health Connect South 2020 virtual gathering on September 24. Learn more about the gathering here.
