Current Works in Progress
Ifatunji, Mosi Adesina and Savannah Larimore. “Self-Selection, Geographic Context and Infant Health: The Case of Blacks in the United States.” [Scheduled for Presentation at PAA 2021]
Description: Several studies show worse infant health outcomes for children born to a US born Black parent relative to a foreign-born Black parent. US born Black state-to-state migrants also have better health than Black non-migrants. We build on these studies by considering the role of local geographic context on infant health disparities, between Black non-migrants, internal migrants, and immigrants. Drawing on data from the 2003-2013 National Center for Health Statistics, the 2007-2013 American Community Survey and the 2010 Decennial Census, we show that the percentage of White residents living in the county shapes these disparities. That is, while immigrants have better health than those born in the US and internal migrants have better health than non-migrants, the health of the children of Black immigrants improves as their local geography becomes increasingly White. Neither US born Black non-migrants, nor internal migrants, experience a health benefit from sharing counties with Whites.
Bruns, Angela, Lauren Schmitz, Savannah Larimore, and Margaret Hicken. “Racial Inequalities in Poor Birth Outcomes: Clarifying the Role of Precarious Work."
Description: Occupations are segregated by sex and by race. Women as a group are relegated to certain types of work, and Black women are relegated to certain types of work. The occupations (and accompanying working conditions) that women have access to (or are allowed to occupy) signal something about women’s value in society and ideas about women’s roles and capabilities. Thus, working conditions (or access to occupations with better working conditions) become an indicator of structural sexism and structural racism. The experience of living in a society permeated by structural sexism and racism can impact women’s mental and physical health, and more specifically their birth outcomes. In addition, occupational segregation (and working conditions) might vary by place. Women (and black women in particular) may have better or worse opportunities to move into occupations characterized by better work conditions (i.e., higher quality jobs) depending on where they live because of industry concentration, social norms, expectations, and understandings of women’s capabilities and roles might vary by state (or region).
Larimore, Savannah, Jake Rosenfeld, Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot, and Hedwig Lee. “Healthy Work, Healthy Families: Union Membership and Infant Health in the US.” [Presented at IAPHS 2020]
Description: While the association between unionization and occupational health is well-established, we know far less about the potential health benefits of union membership outside of decreased risks in work-related injury or illness. Previous research shows that unionized workers experience increased wages, better access to health insurance, and increased job stability, all of which correspond to socioeconomic resources and stress exposure, two primary risk factors for low birth weight (LBW). Using data from the 1968-2017 waves of Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), we ask three related questions. First, what is the association between parental union membership and LBW? Second, is the association between parental union membership diffuse in a given household or is the association specific to maternal union membership? That is, does paternal union membership influence the risk of LBW independent of maternal union membership? Our second research question intends to address the mechanisms that produce an association between union membership and LBW. For example, paternal union membership is likely to increase access to health care, regardless of maternal union membership. However, the relationship between work-related stress exposures and LBW is likely to be specific to maternal union membership. Lastly, we ask if these associations vary by maternal and paternal race and ethnicity.
Description: Several studies show worse infant health outcomes for children born to a US born Black parent relative to a foreign-born Black parent. US born Black state-to-state migrants also have better health than Black non-migrants. We build on these studies by considering the role of local geographic context on infant health disparities, between Black non-migrants, internal migrants, and immigrants. Drawing on data from the 2003-2013 National Center for Health Statistics, the 2007-2013 American Community Survey and the 2010 Decennial Census, we show that the percentage of White residents living in the county shapes these disparities. That is, while immigrants have better health than those born in the US and internal migrants have better health than non-migrants, the health of the children of Black immigrants improves as their local geography becomes increasingly White. Neither US born Black non-migrants, nor internal migrants, experience a health benefit from sharing counties with Whites.
Bruns, Angela, Lauren Schmitz, Savannah Larimore, and Margaret Hicken. “Racial Inequalities in Poor Birth Outcomes: Clarifying the Role of Precarious Work."
Description: Occupations are segregated by sex and by race. Women as a group are relegated to certain types of work, and Black women are relegated to certain types of work. The occupations (and accompanying working conditions) that women have access to (or are allowed to occupy) signal something about women’s value in society and ideas about women’s roles and capabilities. Thus, working conditions (or access to occupations with better working conditions) become an indicator of structural sexism and structural racism. The experience of living in a society permeated by structural sexism and racism can impact women’s mental and physical health, and more specifically their birth outcomes. In addition, occupational segregation (and working conditions) might vary by place. Women (and black women in particular) may have better or worse opportunities to move into occupations characterized by better work conditions (i.e., higher quality jobs) depending on where they live because of industry concentration, social norms, expectations, and understandings of women’s capabilities and roles might vary by state (or region).
Larimore, Savannah, Jake Rosenfeld, Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot, and Hedwig Lee. “Healthy Work, Healthy Families: Union Membership and Infant Health in the US.” [Presented at IAPHS 2020]
Description: While the association between unionization and occupational health is well-established, we know far less about the potential health benefits of union membership outside of decreased risks in work-related injury or illness. Previous research shows that unionized workers experience increased wages, better access to health insurance, and increased job stability, all of which correspond to socioeconomic resources and stress exposure, two primary risk factors for low birth weight (LBW). Using data from the 1968-2017 waves of Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), we ask three related questions. First, what is the association between parental union membership and LBW? Second, is the association between parental union membership diffuse in a given household or is the association specific to maternal union membership? That is, does paternal union membership influence the risk of LBW independent of maternal union membership? Our second research question intends to address the mechanisms that produce an association between union membership and LBW. For example, paternal union membership is likely to increase access to health care, regardless of maternal union membership. However, the relationship between work-related stress exposures and LBW is likely to be specific to maternal union membership. Lastly, we ask if these associations vary by maternal and paternal race and ethnicity.