Economic security policy and birth outcomes among socio-economically disadvantaged women

项目摘要 越来越多的工作表明，慷慨的现金和实物福利的增加 低收入妇女从经济保障政策(ESP)中获得的收入与改善生育有关 结局，特别是低出生体重(小于5磅8盎司)和早产(早产)(之前 37周)。由于单一的ESP很少填补所有的经济缺口，大多数低收入家庭在 与其说是孤立，不如说是“打包”以维持收支平衡。而补充营养援助的效果 计划，劳动所得税抵免和最低工资已经被广泛研究，有 很少有关于失业保险的研究，也没有关于这四种因素的综合影响的明确研究 ESP。这项研究建立在现有研究的基础上，这些研究证明了个别ESP的积极整体影响 低收入人群对生育结果的慷慨程度和基于社会差异的影响 状态。这项研究还表明，更慷慨的ESP会改善 母婴健康。使用具有全国代表性的纵向数据--收入动态的面板研究 这项研究将考察单个ESP和ESP组合在 它们对LBW和PTB的影响大小。此外，这项研究将是第一次确定 解释ESP慷慨程度和出生结果之间联系的四个潜在中介因素的贡献(即， 卫生保健获得、食品不安全、心理困扰和产前健康行为)。最后，这项研究将 确定ESP慷慨的影响是否受到贫困水平、种族、婚姻状况和 教育。随着美国的社会保障网转向奖励劳动力市场参与的社会保障网，ESP 成为打工贫困户更熟悉的特征。这些家庭-低收入，但有工作- 占美国贫困人口的大多数，他们的队伍可能会在大萧条后增长 经济衰退和新冠肺炎大流行。这表明迫切需要关于哪些政策的信息 产生最大的回报，它们如何影响生育结果，以及它们对谁最有效。AS 因此，这项研究将对降低LBW和PTB发生率的科学和政策努力做出重大贡献 减少低收入妇女中的不平等现象，减少生育结果中的不平等。

Project Summary A growing body of work has demonstrated that increases in the generosity of cash and in-kind benefits received by low-income women from economic security policies (ESPs) are associated with improved birth outcomes, particularly low birth weight (LBW) (less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces) and preterm birth (PTB) (before 37 weeks). Because single ESPs rarely fill all economic gaps, most low-income families do not use ESPs in isolation, but rather “package” them to make ends meet. While the effects of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the minimum wage have been studied extensively, there have been few studies of Unemployment Insurance and no identified studies of the combined effects of these four ESPs. This study builds on existing research that demonstrates positive overall effects of individual ESP generosity on birth outcomes among the low-income population and differential effects based on social statuses. The study also draws from research showing that more generous ESPs improve correlates of maternal-fetal health. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative, longitudinal data set, this study will examine how individual ESPs and ESP combinations compare to one another in terms of the size of their effects on LBW and PTB. Additionally, this study will be the first to determine the relative contribution of four potential mediators explaining the link between ESP generosity and birth outcomes (i.e., healthcare access, food insecurity, psychological distress, and prenatal health behaviors). Lastly, this study will identify whether the effects of ESP generosity is moderated by poverty level, race, marital status, and education. As the US social safety net has shifted to one that rewards labor market participation, ESPs have become a more familiar feature of working poor households. These households—low-income, but working— account for the majority of poverty in the US and their ranks are likely to grow in the wake of the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests a pressing need for information on which policies generate the greatest returns, how they influence birth outcomes, and for whom they are most effective. As such, this research will contribute significantly to scientific and policy efforts to reduce rates of LBW and PTB among low-income women and reduce inequalities in birth outcomes.