Scholarly Work - Agricultural Economics & Economics
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Item Occupational Licensing and Maternal Health: Evidence from Early Midwifery Laws(University of Chicago Press, 2020-11) Anderson, D. Mark; Brown, Ryan; Charles, Kerwin Kofi; Rees, Daniel I.Exploiting variation across states and municipalities in the timing and details of midwifery laws introduced during the period 1900–1940 and using data assembled from various primary sources, we find that requiring midwives to be licensed reduced maternal mortality by 7%–8% and may have led to modest reductions in infant mortality. These estimates represent the strongest evidence to date that licensing restrictions can improve the health of consumers and are directly relevant to ongoing policy debates on the merits of licensing midwives.Item Water purification efforts and the black‐white infant mortality gap, 1906–1938(Elsevier BV, 2021-03) Anderson, D. Mark; Charles, Kerwin Kofi; Rees, Daniel I.; Wang, TianyiAccording to Troesken (2004), efforts to purify municipal water supplies at the turn of the 20th century dramatically improved the relative health of Blacks. There is, however, little empirical evidence to support the Troesken hypothesis. Using city-level data published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census for the period 1906–1938, we explore the relationship between water purification efforts and the Black-White infant mortality gap. Our results suggest that, while water filtration was effective across the board, adding chlorine to the water supply reduced mortality only among Black infants. Specifically, chlorination is associated with a 9 percent reduction in Black infant mortality and a 10 percent reduction in the Black-White infant mortality gap. We also find that chlorination led to a substantial reduction in the Black-White diarrhea mortality gap among children under the age of two, although this estimate is measured with less precision.Item Child access prevention laws and juvenile firearm-related homicides(2021-11) Anderson, D. Mark; Sabia, Joseph J.; Tekin, ErdalDebate over safe-storage gun regulations has captured public attention in the aftermath of several high-profile shootings committed by minors. To date, the existing literature provides no evidence that these laws are effective at deterring gun crime, a conclusion that has prompted the National Rifle Association to assert that such regulations are “unnecessary” and “ineffective.” Using data from the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports for the period 1985–2013, we find that child access prevention (CAP) laws are associated with a 17 percent reduction in firearm-related homicides committed by juveniles. The estimated effect is stronger among whites than nonwhites and is driven by states enforcing the strictest safe-storage standard. We find no evidence that CAP laws are associated with firearm-related homicides committed by adults or with non-firearm-related homicides committed by juveniles, suggesting that the observed relationship between CAP laws and juvenile firearm-related homicides is causal.Item Was the First Public Health Campaign Successful?(2019-04) Anderson, D. Mark; Charles, Kerwin Kofi; Olivares, Claudio Las Heras; Rees, Daniel I.The US tuberculosis (TB) movement pioneered many of the strategies of modern public health campaigns. Using newly transcribed mortality data at the municipal level for the period 1900-1917, we explore the effectiveness of public health measures championed by the TB movement, including the establishment of sanatoriums and open-air camps, prohibitions on public spitting and common cups, and requirements that local health officials be notified about TB cases. Our results suggest that these and other anti-TB measures can explain, at most, only a small portion of the overall decline in pulmonary TB mortality observed during the period under study. (JEL, H51, I12, I18, N31, N32)Item Are Booster Seats More Effective than Child Safety Seats or Seat Belts at Reducing Traffic Fatalities among Children?(2019-01) Anderson, D. Mark; Sandholt, SinaIn an effort to increase booster seat use among children, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is encouraging state legislators to promote stricter booster seat laws, yet there is a paucity of information on booster seat efficacy relative to other forms of restraint. Using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System for the period 2008-16, the current study examines the effectiveness of booster seats relative to child safety seats and adult seat belts. For children two to five years of age, we find some evidence to suggest that booster seats are the least effective form of restraint. For children six to nine years of age, all three forms of restraint appear equally effective.Item Medical marijuana laws and workplace fatalities in the United States(2018-10) Anderson, D. Mark; Rees, Daniel I.; Tekin, ErdalAIMS The aim of this research was to determine the association between legalizing medical marijuana and workplace fatalities. DESIGN Repeated cross-sectional data on workplace fatalities at the state-year level were analyzed using a multivariate Poisson regression. SETTING To date, 29 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Although there is increasing concern that legalizing medical marijuana will make workplaces more dangerous, little is known about the relationship between medical marijuana laws (MMLs) and workplace fatalities. PARTICIPANTS All 50 states and the District of Columbia for the period 1992-2015. MEASUREMENTS Workplace fatalities by state and year were obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regression models were adjusted for state demographics, the unemployment rate, state fixed effects, and year fixed effects. FINDINGS Legalizing medical marijuana was associated with a 19.5% reduction in the expected number of workplace fatalities among workers aged 25-44 (incident rate ratio [IRR], 0.805; 95% CI, .662-.979). The association between legalizing medical marijuana and workplace fatalities among workers aged 16-24, although negative, was not statistically significant at conventional levels. The association between legalizing medical marijuana and workplace fatalities among workers aged 25-44 grew stronger over time. Five years after coming into effect, MMLs were associated with a 33.7% reduction in the expected number of workplace fatalities (IRR, 0.663; 95% CI, .482-.912). MMLs that listed pain as a qualifying condition or allowed collective cultivation were associated with larger reductions in fatalities among workers aged 25-44 than those that did not. CONCLUSIONS The results provide evidence that legalizing medical marijuana improved workplace safety for workers aged 25-44. Further investigation is required to determine whether this result is attributable to reductions in the consumption of alcohol and other substances that impair cognitive function, memory, and motor skills.Item Booster Seat Effectiveness Among Older Children: Evidence From Washington State(2017-08) Anderson, D. Mark; Carlson, Lindsay L.; Rees, Daniel I.Introduction The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children as old as 12 years use a booster seat when riding in motor vehicles, yet little is known about booster seat effectiveness when used by older children. This study estimated the association between booster use and injuries among children aged 8–12 years who were involved in motor vehicle crashes. Methods Researchers analyzed data on all motor vehicle crashes involving children aged 8–12 years reported to the Washington State Department of Transportation from 2002 to 2015. Data were collected in 2015 and analyzed in 2016. Children who were in a booster seat were compared with children restrained by a seat belt alone. Logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders. Results In unadjusted models, booster use was associated with a 29% reduction in the odds of experiencing any injury versus riding in a seat belt alone (OR=0.709, 95% CI=0.675, 0.745). In models adjusted for potential confounders, booster use was associated with a 19% reduction in the odds of any injury relative to riding in a seat belt alone (OR=0.814, 95% CI=0.749, 0.884). The risk of experiencing an incapacitating/fatal injury was not associated with booster use. Conclusions Children aged 8–12 years involved in a motor vehicle crash are less likely to be injured if in a booster than if restrained by a seat belt alone. Because only 10% of U.S. children aged 8–12 years use booster seats, policies encouraging their use could lead to fewer injuries.Item Wet Laws, Drinking Establishments, and Violent Crime(2014) Anderson, D. Mark; Crost, Benjamin; Rees, Daniel I.Drawing on county-level data from Kansas for the period 1977-2011, we examine whether plausibly exogenous increases in the number of establishments licensed to sell alcohol by the drink are related to violent crime. During this period, 86 out of 105 counties in Kansas voted to legalize the sale of alcohol to the general public for on-premises consumption. We provide evidence that these counties experienced substantial increases in the total number of establishments with on-premises liquor licenses (e.g., bars and restaurants). Using legalization as an instrument, we show that a 10 percent increase in drinking establishments is associated with a 4 percent increase in violent crime. Reduced-form estimates suggest that legalizing the sale of alcohol to the general public for on-premises consumption is associated with an 11 percent increase in violent crime.