Research
2022
We examined the association of Medicare eligibility with food security and food pantry visiting patterns among senior (aged ≥60 years) food pantry clients in Dallas, Texas. We used data from the pantry linked to electronic health records (EHR) from a safety-net healthcare system.
Examining experiences of food hardship and SNAP enrollment among near-old and older Americans: A multi-method approach
This project examines reasons why food insecure older adults in the U.S. are under-enrolled in SNAP and why this pattern varies among older adults of different ages. Conventional wisdom suggests several explanations that discourage participation, ranging from older adults’ preferences to program limitations. We examine the topic with two approaches.
Using administrative data from Georgia covering January 2018-August 2020, we estimated the effect of services provided through the Older Americans Act (OAA) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on food insecurity among older Georgians. Our sample included those who received services prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the entire sample period (i.e., pre-COVID and during COVID), we found home-delivered meals and other OAA services reduced food insecurity by roughly 3% and 4%, respectively.
Using data from the Panel Study on Income Dynamics (PSID), this small grant conducted three studies designed to increase understanding of food-related hardships among older Americans.
Using data from the Panel Study on Income Dynamics (PSID), this small grant conducted three studies designed to increase understanding of food-related hardships among older Americans.
Senior participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has traditionally been lower than other groups, with historical estimates below 50 percent. We examine the relationship between state SNAP policy changes occurring over the 2001-2014 period and SNAP participation as well the relationship between SNAP participation and a variety of health-related outcomes for senior and non-senior households.
The goals of this program of research are to estimate (1) the sociodemographic predictors of food insufficiency among seniors ages 60 and older and (2) the causal impacts of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid on food insecurity and/or insufficiency among seniors. I use data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), Current Population Survey (CPS), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and American Community Survey (ACS).
This project explores the correlates of geographic and temporal variation in food security using data from the 2008 to 2018 Current Population Survey’s Food Security Supplements. The focus is on the relationship between State-level availability and accessibility of congregate and home-delivered meal programs, as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program(SFMNP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program(CSFP) on food security among lower-income households headed by older adults (ages 60 and up). Results show some e
Housing wealth is the primary source of wealth for many older adults, particularly those with lower incomes, who are more at risk of severe forms of economic hardship such as food insecurity. For housing wealth to directly improve food insecurity, it first must be liquefied. Understanding the role of housing wealth requires careful consideration of home equity and mortgage borrowing.
2021
We examine the relationship between the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Black-White after-tax income inequality from 1980-2020. The EITC lowers overall inequality by 5-10 percent in a typical year, improving the incomes of Black households relative to White households in the bottom half of the distribution. Gains in relative economic status emerged after the 1993 EITC expansion, concentrated among working class Black households, and not extending to those at the very bottom.