Linda Houser

The Effects of Childhood SNAP Use and Neighborhood Conditions on Adult Body Mass Index

The disproportionate number of individuals who are obese or overweight in the low-income U.S. population has raised interest in the influence of neighborhood conditions and public assistance programs on weight and health. Generally, neighborhood effects and program participation effects have been explored in separate studies. We unite these two areas of inquiry, using the 1968–2005 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to examine the long-term effects of childhood Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation, neighborhood conditions, and the interaction of these two, on adult body mass index (BMI). Using sibling fixed-effects models to account for selection bias, we find that relative to children in other low-income families, children in SNAP-recipient households have higher average adult BMI values. However, the effects of childhood SNAP usage are sensitive to both residential neighborhood and age at receipt. For those growing up in advantaged neighborhoods, projected adult BMI is higher for children in SNAP-recipient households than for children in low-income, nonrecipient households. In contrast, for those growing up in less-advantaged areas, adult BMI differences between children in SNAP-recipient and those in low-income, nonrecipient households are small. SNAP usage during preschool years (0 to 4) has no impact on adult BMI scores. However, at later childhood ages, the time elapsed receiving SNAP income increases adult BMI values relative to a condition of low-income nonreceipt.

From Work Support to Work Motivator: Child Care Subsidies and Caseworker Discretion in the Post-Welfare Reform Era

The 1996 legislative reform of welfare shifted provision away from cash assistance and toward a litany of work-support services, central among which are child care subsidies (Allard 2009). As part of a larger study of welfare reform in Florida, we conducted semistructured field interviews with more than 50 welfare transition caseworkers in four purposively selected regions. Consistent with Lipsky’s emphasis on worker decisions as concrete manifestations of policy intentions, we find that caseworkers’ interpretations of the priorities of TANF have substantial influence over decision making regarding the use and withdrawal of child care subsidies.

The life satisfaction of elderly Chinese widows living alone and those living with adult children

Care of Chinas elderly population is of concern due to its projected growth as well as to changes in elder care patterns related to shifting social and economic conditions. Increases in life expectancy and, therefore, in the duration of widowhood, particularly for women, magnifies this concern. Studies that examine the living arrangements and life satisfaction of elderly widows in China are limited. This study of 147 elderly widows, both men and women, examined differences in the life satisfaction of those who live with their adult children and those who live alone. This study also examined whether the relationship between living arrangement and life satisfaction was moderated by levels of family and community support. According to study findings, elderly widows living alone have higher life satisfaction than those living with their adult children, and this effect remains with the introduction of controls for health status, family support, community support, gender, age, income and educational level. Further, neither family nor community support moderate the relationship between living arrangement and life satisfaction, although each exerts a direct effect on life satisfaction.

Parental Perceptions and Child Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Autism

Emotional and behavioral difficulties in children with autism often present problems for families seeking appropriate treatment interventions. Using data from the 2011 Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services, ordinal logistic regression models were used to examine the association between parental perceptions about autism and their reports of child emotional and behavioral problems. Results showed that parents who attributed their child’s autism to environmental factors, experienced emotional upset or confusion about autism, or perceived the condition to be pervasive or burdensome, were more likely to reported clinically significant emotional and behavioral difficulties. Findings suggest that support services must consider parent perceptions when developing interventions to assist with children’s emotional and behavioral challenges. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Sick of Inequality: Gender and Support for Paid Sick Days

BACKGROUND The availability of paid sick days (PSD) is on the forefront of policy issues relating to womens health and well-being. Previous research regarding PSD and other forms of family-work balance legislation has linked access to paid time off from work for addressing ones own or anothers health concerns to a range of health benefits for working women and their families. In general, public support for such policies is high, but little work has tested the extent to which support extends to PSD. Researchers have yet to engage in a rigorous statistical analysis of public opinion on PSD, including whether opinion varies by gender. METHODS Using data from a 2013 poll of adults in New Jersey (n = 925), we bridged this research gap by conducting the first multivariate analysis of public attitudes toward PSD. RESULTS As expected, we found markedly high levels of support for PSD across all respondents, with a preponderance of most sociodemographic categories supporting proposed PSD legislation in New Jersey. We also found that gender was a strong predictor of support for PSD, with women significantly (odds ratio, 1.916; p ≤ .01) more likely than men to be in favor of such legislation. CONCLUSIONS We discuss the implications of our findings for future work on PSD as well as for research concerning women, wellness, and work-life legislation more broadly.