Association Between State Minimum Wages and Suicide Rates in the US
Association Between State Minimum Wages and Suicide Rates in the US
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DOI：
10.1016/j.amepre.2018.12.008
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发表时间：
2019-05-01
影响因子：
5.5
通讯作者：
Shafer, Paul R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gertner, Alex K.;Rotter, Jason S.;Shafer, Paul R.
简介： 近年来，美国的自杀率不断上升。先前的研究一致认为经济压力是自杀的一个促成因素。然而，关于减轻财务压力的经济政策对自杀率的影响的研究却很少。本研究的目的是确定州最低工资的增加是否与州自杀率的变化有关。方法：进行了回顾性面板数据研究。 2018 年，采用具有州固定效应的线性回归模型来估计 2006 年至 2016 年间美国所有 50 个州的州最低工资变化与自杀率之间的关系。模型控制了可能与最低工资和自杀率变化相关的随时间变化的州特征。结果：研究期间约有 432,000 人死于自杀。调整后的分析显示，实际最低工资每增加一美元，州年度自杀率平均下降 1.9%。这种负相关关系自 2011 年以来多年来最为一致。研究期间自杀率每年下降 1.9%，自杀死亡人数将减少约 8,000 人。按种族和性别进行的分析并未揭示最低工资与自杀之间关联的显着差异。结论：近年来，实际最低工资的增加与各州自杀率增长放缓有关。提高最低工资可能是解决自杀率上升问题的一项策略。 (C) 2019 年美国预防医学杂志。由爱思唯尔公司出版。保留所有权利。
Introduction: The suicide rate in the U.S. has been increasing in recent years. Previous studies have consistently identified financial stress as a contributing factor in suicides. Nevertheless, there has been little research on the effect of economic policies that can alleviate financial stress on suicide rates. The purpose of this study is to determine whether increases in state minimum wages have been associated with changes in state suicide rates.Methods: A retrospective panel data study was conducted. In 2018, linear regression models with state fixed effects were used to estimate the relationship between changes in state minimum wages and suicide rates for all 50 U.S. states between 2006 and 2016. Models controlled for time-varying state characteristics that could be associated with changes in minimum wages and suicide rates.Results: There were approximately 432,000 deaths by suicide in the study period. A one-dollar increase in the real minimum wage was associated on average with a 1.9% decrease in the annual state suicide rate in adjusted analyses. This negative association was most consistent in years since 2011. An annual decrease of 1.9% in the suicide rate during the study period would have resulted in roughly 8,000 fewer deaths by suicide. Analyses by race and sex did not reveal substantial variation in the association between minimum wages and suicides.Conclusions: Increases in real minimum wages have been associated with slower growth in state suicide rates in recent years. Increasing the minimum wage could represent a strategy for addressing increases in suicide rates. (C) 2019 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.