Abstract: We investigate how economic circumstances (measured in terms of poverty and economic insecurity) impact the educational aspirations of youth aged 12 to 15. Using the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, we find that poverty is associated with reduced university aspirations from the perspective of the youth (9 percentage points) and their mother (12 to 13 percentage points). Further, poverty incidence matters more than depth. Interestingly, economic insecurity is not associated with educational aspirations, and this result persists regardless of how we measure insecurity. This may be due to the fact that, over time, poverty is more likely to persist than economic insecurity. Consequently, while the latter may be seen as a temporary shock, the former may create a feeling of hopelessness, thereby reducing aspirations. Controls for academic effort, including standardized test scores, daily reading and getting good grades do not impact these findings. Results therefore suggest that alleviating child poverty may improve educational aspirations at a critical time in a youth’s life.

Abstract: Using microdata from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2002-2012) and a difference-in-differences methodology, we estimate the impact of state-level public smoking bans on drinking, binge drinking and drunk driving among adults in the United States. In doing so, we expand the limited and mixed empirical literature by moving beyond average effects to assess heterogeneity in alcohol-related behavioral change by sex and race/ethnicity, thus providing evidence to support public health policy aimed at reducing relevant disparities. We find that public smoking bans do not impact drinking, on average, but there are differential effects by sex and race/ethnicity. Specifically, the bans reduce drinking on the extensive margin among Asian, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx adults regardless of sex, as well as Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander men. They also reduce drinking on the intensive margin among Hispanic/Latinx and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander men. The impact on women is driven by non-smokers, as is the impact on Asian and Black/African American men. The impact on Hispanic/Latinx and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander men is largely driven by smokers. We also find that public smoking bans reduce the likelihood and frequency of binge drinking among non-smoking Asian women, but they increase the likelihood of binge drinking among Black/African American women. Further, there is some evidence that the bans increase the number of drunk driving occurrences among Asian men who smoke. Our results withstand several robustness checks, which further suggest that we conservatively estimate the impact of public smoking bans on drinking behaviors. 

Abstract: The impact of the 2016 Canada Child Benefit (CCB) on parental health has not yet been evaluated. We do so using the Canadian Community Health Survey (2011-2021) and a difference-in-differences approach. We find a small yet statistically significant positive effect on self-reported general and mental health (possibly the result of increased physical activity), suggesting that the CCB provided a buffer against the average decline in parental health during our study period. The impact on maternal general health was driven by those with young children, whil the impact on mental health was salient for both mothers and fathers regardless of the child’s age (which affects the amount of the transfer). An event study further indicates that improvements in mental health were fairly immediate and consistent across time. However, the CCB is unlikely to flatten the socioeconomic health gradient and may exacerbate inequalities among parents; our heterogeneity analysis indicates that improvements in parental health are concentrated among those in the upper quartiles of the income distribution and two-parent families, while the CCB was detrimental to the mental health of lone parents, despite being income-tested. We argue that policy adjustments are necessary to address health disparities (e.g., larger and/or better targeted child benefits).

Abstract: The objective of this study is to explore the role of food security status (FSS), financial literacy attitude (FLA) and interactive nutrition literacy (INL) on the diet quality of college students. We use a cross-sectional convenience sample from one land-grant university, consisting of undergraduate and graduate students (n = 883). The mean age in our sample is 20.9 (±2.3). Respondents are predominately white (88.9%) and female (70.6%). Our main outcome measures are FSS, INL and FLA, as well as the short Healthy Eating Index (sHEI) and sHEI subscales. Multivariate analyses are used to assess differences in diet quality between INL and FLA groups. A path analysis is used to establish which model best explains diet quality in this population. Model significance remains between below- and above-average INL, F (5, 884) = 16.4, p < 0.001 in sHEI-score (p<0.001), intake of vegetables, fruit, added sugars and saturated fat. Model significance remains between below- and above-average FLA, F (5, 820) = 3.9, p = 0.02 in total vegetable intake, added sugar and saturated fat. INL strongly predicts the total sHEI-score (β=0.27) and food insecurity negatively predicts FLA (β= -0.25). INL and FLA are strongly correlated (r=0.26). In conclusion, this study provides evidence to support wellness interventions targeting financial and nutrition literacy in college students to improve their food security and diet quality, thus reducing the risk of future chronic disease development.