To address ongoing concerns of child poverty across the United States, states have introduced and modified family economic security policies related to the state minimum wage (MW) and state earned income tax credit (EITC). While poor nutritional health disproportionately impacts children who experience poverty, few studies have examined the potentially beneficial effects of state-level MW and EITC on child nutrition. This study aims to: (1) estimate the effects of state EITC generosity on household food security, child adiposity, household nutrition behaviors, and overall child and parent health; (2) estimate the effects of state MW generosity on household food security, child adiposity, household nutrition behaviors, and overall child and parent health; and (3) explore the differential effects of both policies across different demographic and social groups (i.e., child age, gender, race/ethnicity, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation). The study will use a multi-state, multi-year (2000-2023) quasi-experimental difference-in-difference design to rigorously test the effects of MW and EITC state-level policies on the nutritional health of children and families and to explore the extent to which these can narrow nutrition health inequities, using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH).
Start Date: November 2023
ID #: 81357
Principal Investigator: Megan Winkler, PhD, RN
Organization: Emory University Rollins School Of Public Health
Funding Round: HER Round 13
Focus Areas: Diet Quality & Healthy Weight, Food Access, Pricing & Economics
Keywords: Food insecurity, Supportive family policies
Resource Type: Grant Summary
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