Do Liberal US State Policies Maximize Life Expectancy?

The Buffering Effect of State Eviction and Foreclosure Policies for Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred an economic downturn that may have eroded population mental health, especially for renters and homeowners who experienced financial hardship and were at risk of housing loss. Using household-level data from the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey (n = 805,223; August 2020-August 2021) and state-level data on eviction/foreclosure bans, we estimated linear probability models with two-way fixed effects to (1) examine links between COVID-related financial hardship and anxiety/depression and (2) assess whether state eviction/foreclosure bans buffered the detrimental mental health impacts of financial hardship. Findings show that individuals who reported difficulty paying for household expenses and keeping up with rent or mortgage had increased anxiety and depression risks but that state eviction/foreclosure bans weakened these associations. Our findings underscore the importance of state policies in protecting mental health and suggest that heterogeneity in state responses may have contributed to mental health inequities during the pandemic.

From convergence to divergence: Lifespan variation in US states, 1959-2017

BACKGROUND

Large disparities in life expectancy exist across US states and the gaps have been widening in recent decades. Less is known about the lifespan variability - a measure that can provide important insights into mortality inequalities both between and within states.

METHOD

Using yearly lifetables from the United States Mortality Database, we explore geographic and temporal patterns in lifespan variation (unconditional and conditional on survival to age 10, 35 and 65) across US states between 1959 and 2017. We also examine the contribution of state differences in life expectancy to overall lifespan variation using standard decomposition techniques.

RESULTS

Despite overall convergence in lifespan variation across states over the last six decades, in more recent years there has been notable divergence. Gender-specific analyses show that lifespan variation was generally greater among males than among females; but this pattern reverses for mortality past age 65. Much of the state disparities in lifespan variation, unconditional and conditional on survival to age 10 and 35, were due to mortality differences under the age 65. Decomposition analysis shows that while within-state variability remains the primary driver of overall lifespan variation, the contribution of cross-state differences in life expectancy is growing.

CONCLUSIONS

Variation in longevity is greater within US States than between them, yet cross-states disparities in mortality are increasing. This likely reflects the long-term consequences of rising social, economic, and political stratification for health inequalities both within and across states.

Part-time work and health in the United States: The role of state policies

Part-time work is a common work arrangement in the United States that can be precarious, insecure, and lacking opportunities for advancement. In turn, part-time work, especially involuntary part-time work, tends to be associated with worse health outcomes. Although prior research documents heterogeneity in the health consequences of precarious work across countries, we do not know whether state-level institutional contexts shape the association between part-time work and self-rated health in the United States. Using data from the Current Population Survey (2009-2019; n = 813,077), the present study examined whether linkages between part-time work and self-rated health are moderated by state-level social policies and contexts. At the population level, we document differences in the prevalence of fair/poor health among part-time workers across states. For instance, 21% of involuntary part-time workers reported fair/poor health in West Virginia compared to 7% of involuntary part-time workers in Massachusetts. Findings also provide evidence that voluntary (β =.51) and involuntary (β=.57) part-time work is associated with greater odds of fair/poor health among individuals. Moreover, the association between voluntary part-time work and self-rated health is weaker for individuals living in states with higher amounts for maximum unemployment insurance, higher minimum wage, and lower income inequality. State-level policies did not moderate the association between involuntary part-time work and health. The present study points to the need to mitigate the health consequences of part-time work with social policies that enhance the health of workers.