scholarly journals The Redistributional Impact of Nonlinear Electricity Pricing

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 56-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Severin Borenstein
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Electricity Pricing ◽  
Census Block ◽  
Billing Data ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Price Increases ◽  
Wealth Redistribution ◽  
Block Groups ◽  
Marginal Price

Electricity regulators often mandate increasing-block pricing (IBP)—i.e., marginal price increases with the customer's average daily usage—to protect low-income households from rising costs. IBP has no cost basis, raising a classic conflict between efficiency and distributional goals. Combining household-level utility billing data with census data on income, I find that IBP in California results in modest wealth redistribution, but creates substantial deadweight loss relative to the transfers. I also show that a common approach to studying income distribution effects by using median household income within census block groups may be misleading. (JEL D31, L11, L51, L94, L98, Q41, Q48)

scholarly journals Health and Housing Energy Expenditures: A Two-Part Model Approach

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 943
Author(s):  
Fátima Lima ◽  
Paula Ferreira ◽  
Vítor Leal
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Health Expenditures ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Energy Expenditures ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Health Gains ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Part Model ◽  
Model Approach

Interest in the interaction between energy and health within the built environment has been increasing in recent years, in the context of sustainable development. However, in order to promote health and wellbeing across all ages it is necessary to have a better understanding of the association between health and energy at household level. This study contributes to this debate by addressing the case of Portugal using data from the Household Budget Survey (HBS) microdata database. A two-part model is applied to estimate health expenditures based on energy-related expenditures, as well as socioeconomic variables. Additional statistical methods are used to enhance the perception of relevant predictors for health expenditures. Our findings suggest that given the high significance and coefficient value, energy expenditure is a relevant explanatory variable for health expenditures. This result is further validated by a dominance analysis ranking. Moreover, the results show that health gains and medical cost reductions can be a key factor to consider on the assessment of the economic viability of energy efficiency projects in buildings. This is particularly relevant for the older and low-income segments of the population.

scholarly journals Greenspace, Air Pollution, Neighborhood Factors, and Preeclampsia in a Population-Based Case-Control Study in California

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5127
Author(s):  
Kari A. Weber ◽  
Wei Yang ◽  
Evan Lyons ◽  
David K. Stevenson ◽  
Amy M. Padula ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Effect Modification ◽  
Severe Preeclampsia ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Neighborhood Factors

To investigate preeclampsia etiologies, we examined relationships between greenspace, air pollution, and neighborhood factors. Data were from hospital records and geocoded residences of 77,406 women in San Joaquin Valley, California from 2000 to 2006. Preeclampsia was divided into mild, severe, or superimposed onto pre-existing hypertension. Greenspace within 100 and 500 m residential buffers was estimated from satellite data using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Air quality data were averaged over pregnancy from daily 24-h averages of nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter <10 µm (PM10) and <2.5 µm (PM2.5), and carbon monoxide. Neighborhood socioeconomic (SES) factors included living below the federal poverty level and median annual income using 2000 US Census data. Odds of preeclampsia were estimated using logistic regression. Effect modification was assessed using Wald tests. More greenspace (500 m) was inversely associated with superimposed preeclampsia (OR = 0.57). High PM2.5 and low SES were associated with mild and severe preeclampsia. We observed differences in associations between greenspace (500 m) and superimposed preeclampsia by neighborhood income and between greenspace (500 m) and severe preeclampsia by PM10, overall and among those living in higher SES neighborhoods. Less greenspace, high particulate matter, and high-poverty/low-income neighborhoods were associated with preeclampsia, and effect modification was observed between these exposures. Further research into exposure combinations and preeclampsia is warranted.

The Role of Women in Improving Access to Food at the Household Level in Mandeni Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-155
Author(s):  
Nondumiso Thabisile Mpanza ◽  
Mfaniseni Wiseman Mbatha
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Home Gardens ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Role Of Women ◽  
Access To Food

This paper censoriously assesses the role of women in improving access to food at the household level. The role of women is essential in the production of food as caretakers of household food security. However, their role is not well recognised, more especially in policymaking and resource allocation. This study was conducted through a qualitative approach with an exploratory research design. The participants were sampled with convenience sampling and interviewed with semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was employed as a tool for data analysis. The study adopted feminisation of poverty as a primary theory of this paper. Certain aspects of the study reveal that women have been struggling to access food from the diversity of retail vents that are obtainable in town because of low income and limitations of transport service. This is a constraint to women who depend on the off-farm sources of income because their household’s livelihood depends on purchasing food from retail vents. Those who rely on home gardens were experiencing low productivity and the unsustainability of their gardens. This has been caused by water scarcity and climate change. Therefore, women must be provided with training that seeks to develop their skills on how to make effective use of home gardens so that food security can be ensured.

Linking Federal Surveys with Administrative Data to Improve Research on Families

2016 ◽  
Vol 669 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy O’Hara ◽  
Rachel M. Shattuck ◽  
Robert M. Goerge
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Administrative Data ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Administrative Records ◽  
State And Local

Linkage of federal, state, and local administrative records to survey data holds great promise for research on families, in particular research on low-income families. Researchers can use administrative records in conjunction with survey data to better measure family relationships and to capture the experiences of individuals and family members across multiple points in time and social and economic domains. Administrative data can be used to evaluate program participation in government social welfare programs, as well as to evaluate the accuracy of reporting on receipt of such benefits. Administrative records can also be used to enhance collection and accuracy of survey and census data and to improve coverage of hard-to-reach populations. This article discusses potential uses of linked administrative and survey data, gives an overview of the linking methodology and infrastructure (including limitations), and reviews social science literature that has used this method to date.

scholarly journals Crop diversity is associated with higher child diet diversity in Ethiopia, particularly among low-income households, but not in Vietnam

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Erin E Esaryk ◽  
Sarah Anne Reynolds ◽  
Lia CH Fernald ◽  
Andrew D Jones
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Crop Diversity ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Diet Diversity ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Functional Richness

Abstract Objectives: To examine associations of household crop diversity with school-aged child dietary diversity in Vietnam and Ethiopia and mechanisms underlying these associations. Design: We created a child diet diversity score (DDS) using data on seven food groups consumed in the last 24 h. Generalised estimating equations were used to model associations of household-level crop diversity, measured as a count of crop species richness (CSR) and of plant crop nutritional functional richness (CNFR), with DDS. We examined effect modification by household wealth and subsistence orientation, and mediation by the farm’s market orientation. Setting: Two survey years of longitudinal data from the Young Lives cohort. Participants: Children (aged 5 years in 2006 and 8 years in 2009) from rural farming households in Ethiopia (n 1012) and Vietnam (n 1083). Results: There was a small, positive association between household CNFR and DDS in Ethiopia (CNFR–DDS, β = 0·13; (95 % CI 0·07, 0·19)), but not in Vietnam. Associations of crop diversity and child diet diversity were strongest among poor households in Ethiopia and among subsistence-oriented households in Vietnam. Agricultural earnings positively mediated the crop diversity–diet diversity association in Ethiopia. Discussion: Children from households that are poorer and those that rely more on their own agricultural production for food may benefit most from increased crop diversity.

scholarly journals Nature inequity and higher COVID-19 case rates in less-green neighbourhoods in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica N. Spotswood ◽  
Matthew Benjamin ◽  
Lauren Stoneburner ◽  
Megan M. Wheeler ◽  
Erin E. Beller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
The United States ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Urban Nature ◽  
Urbanized Areas ◽  
Block Groups

AbstractUrban nature—such as greenness and parks—can alleviate distress and provide space for safe recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, nature is often less available in low-income populations and communities of colour—the same communities hardest hit by COVID-19. In analyses of two datasets, we quantified inequity in greenness and park proximity across all urbanized areas in the United States and linked greenness and park access to COVID-19 case rates for ZIP codes in 17 states. Areas with majority persons of colour had both higher case rates and less greenness. Furthermore, when controlling for sociodemographic variables, an increase of 0.1 in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was associated with a 4.1% decrease in COVID-19 incidence rates (95% confidence interval: 0.9–6.8%). Across the United States, block groups with lower income and majority persons of colour are less green and have fewer parks. Our results demonstrate that the communities most impacted by COVID-19 also have the least nature nearby. Given that urban nature is associated with both human health and biodiversity, these results have far-reaching implications both during and beyond the pandemic.

scholarly journals Vulnerability of Renters and Low-Income Households to Storm Damage: Evidence From Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-202
Author(s):  
Chenyi Ma ◽  
Tony Smith
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Housing Tenure ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Storm Damage ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Relative Risks ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Inspection Data

Objectives. To identify disparities in home damage from Hurricane Maria among Puerto Rican households with different housing tenure and income levels. Methods. Using household inspection data obtained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including an ordinal damage severity measure, we used generalized ordered logistic regression to estimate the relative risks of damage severities between renters and homeowners, and between households with different incomes. Results. With respect to the FEMA damage-severity classifications of “minor,” “major,” and “destroyed,” renters were more at risk than homeowners for both “major-or-destroyed” and “destroyed” outcomes. Similarly, lower-income households were at greater risk for both “major-or-destroyed” and “destroyed” outcomes. When we allowed for an interaction between income and housing tenure, the difference in risk of “destroyed” outcomes between renters and homeowners was substantially greater at lower income levels. Conclusions. These results provide evidence at the individual household level that renters and lower-income households are most vulnerable to hurricane damage. Our interaction results suggest that lower-income renters are particularly vulnerable to severe home damage. Public Health Implications. Disaster preparedness policies should raise structural standards for low-income housing to reduce risks of severe damage.

scholarly journals If You Offer It, Will They Come? Patterns of Application and Enrollment Behavior in a Universal Prekindergarten Context

AERA Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 233285841984844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Shapiro ◽  
Eleanor Martin ◽  
Christina Weiland ◽  
Rebecca Unterman
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Census Data ◽  
School Level ◽  
Universal Prekindergarten ◽  
Administrative Records ◽  
Boston Public Schools ◽  
Opt Out ◽  
Prekindergarten Programs

Universal public prekindergarten programs have been expanding in recent years, but not all eligible families apply to these programs, for reasons that are not well understood. Using two cohorts of students ( N = 8,391) enrolled in Boston Public Schools, we use geographic information systems to combine administrative records with census data to compare the student-, neighborhood-, and school-level characteristics of kindergarteners who did and did not apply to the Boston Public Schools prekindergarten program. We find that nonappliers are more likely to be non-White ( SD = 0.27), low income ( SD = 0.11), and dual language ( SD = 0.58), particularly those who did not attend any other prekindergarten program. We find similar differences at the neighborhood and school levels. Our study provides some of the first descriptive information on the sociodemographic characteristics and spatial distribution of families who opt out of applying to universal prekindergarten programs. Findings may inform recruitment strategies to promote equitable and universal prekindergarten enrollment.

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