This website uses cookies.

By clicking the "Accept" button or continuing to browse our site, you agree to first-party and session-only cookies being stored on your device to enhance site navigation and analyze site performance and traffic. For more information on our use of cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.

  1. Home
  2. ASSA Annual Meeting
  3. 2025
  4. Program
  5. Social and Environmental Determinants of Worse Health
« Back to Results

Social and Environmental Determinants of Worse Health

Paper Session

Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM (PST)

Clift Royal Sonesta, Calder Room
Hosted By: Health Economics Research Organization
  • Chair: Laurence Baker, Stanford University

Arsenic in Drinking Water and Infant Health

Wenjie Zhan
,
University of California-Davis

Abstract

Arsenic is a highly toxic chemical naturally occurring in drinking water from bedrock, and exposure has been linked to adverse health effects. On January 22, 2001, EPA adopted a new standard for arsenic in drinking water of 10 µg/L, replacing the old standard of 50 µg/L. We study how this new arsenic rule affects infant health. We use the probability of arsenic levels larger than 10 µg/L, estimated by Lombard et al. (2021) using a machine learning approach and rich climatic, hydrological, and geological data, to measure arsenic risk across counties. We combine the cross-sectional variation in arsenic risk with the timing of the EPA’s new rule to assess whether the rule mitigated the adverse effects of arsenic exposure. We find that the new arsenic rule significantly decreases the likelihood of detecting arsenic levels above 10 µg/L in water systems. We also document a significant decline of the incidence of low birth weight among infants born after the new rule in counties with higher arsenic risk. This decline is primarily driven by counties with extremely high arsenic risk and those with lower pre-existing private well density.

Mortality and Immigration Enforcement: The Case of Secure Communities

Jose Fernandez
,
University of Louisville

Abstract

This study examines the impact of immigration enforcement laws on mortality rates among Hispanics and immigrants from 2000 to 2016. We focus on Omnibus Immigration Laws, Everify, 287g agreements, and secure communities. Immigration policy changes can influence external death rates by affecting mental health or promoting a "cooling effect" where people avoid certain activities to avoid detection. The variation in enforcement measures has diverse effects on the mental health and mortality of both Americans and immigrants. We utilize NCHS Mortality data to assess how secure communities impact suicide, accidental deaths, and homicides, particularly among minority groups. Our findings suggest that E-verify and Secure
Communities reduce accidental deaths and workplace injuries among Hispanics, particularly those of Mexican origin, especially among foreign-born individuals. However, there is limited evidence of immigration laws affecting suicide or homicides for any group, with minimal impact on Cubans and Puerto Ricans, who are less likely to be influenced by these laws.

Homes in Limbo, Children at Risk: Exploring the Link between Housing Instability and Child Maltreatment Using the Discontinuity of the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act

Wei Fu
,
University of Louisville
Muzhe Yang
,
Lehigh University

Abstract

Child maltreatment leads to severe short-term and long-lasting consequences. Among the complex factors contributing to child maltreatment, housing instability has been discussed by previous studies as a key risk factor. However, establishing a causal link has been challenging, mainly due to unobserved variables that simultaneously affect both housing instability and child maltreatment. Our study aims to address this gap by focusing on a specific aspect of housing instability: the uncertainty that tenants face regarding their ability to remain in their rented homes for the full lease term due to unexpected property foreclosures, often without prior notice from landlords.

Indeed, such situations often arise through no fault of the tenants. The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTFA), a federal law established in 2009, was intended to shield tenants from the repercussions of foreclosures. However, in December 2014, the U.S. Congress failed to renew this law, resulting in a significant gap in federal protection. During this period, some states enacted their own laws to continue the protection previously offered by the PTFA (a control group), while residents in other states experienced the lapse of the PTFA protection (a treatment group). Focusing on this unique period and using restricted administrative data with the latest heterogeneity-robust difference-in-differences estimators, we provide compelling evidence that incidents of child maltreatment due to housing instability increase by as much as 18% in the treatment group in the year following the PTFA’s expiration. Furthermore, we find increases in mental health issues among renters, but not homeowners, in the treatment group during the PTFA’s gap period, which suggests a mechanism through which housing instability affects child maltreatment. Moreover, it aligns with the hypothesis that the discontinuity of the PTFA, which resulted in a significant lapse in federal protection for tenants, mostly impacts renters rather than homeowners.

Can Pollution Cause Poverty? The Effects of Pollution on Educational, Health and Economic Outcomes

Claudia Persico
,
American University

Abstract

Although pollution is widespread, there is little evidence about how it might harm children’s long run outcomes. Using the detailed, geocoded longitudinal data, we compare siblings who were gestating before versus after a Toxic Release Inventory site opened or closed within one mile of their home. We find that children who were exposed prenatally to industrial pollution have lower wages, are more likely to be in poverty as adults, have fewer years of completed education, and lower scores on a summary index of long run outcomes than their unexposed siblings.

Discussant(s)
Michael E. Darden
,
Johns Hopkins University
Adrienne Sabety
,
Stanford University
Heather Royer
,
University of California-Santa Barbara
Mette Gørtz
,
University of Copenhagen
JEL Classifications
  • I0 - General
  • H0 - General