Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Exposures and Long-term Self-rated Health Effects Among Parents in Coastal Louisiana.

PURPOSE: To assess whether exposure to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) was related to parents' self-rated health over time. DESIGN: 3 waves of panel data were drawn from the Gulf Coast Population Impact study (2014) and Resilient Children, Youth, and Communities study (2016, 2018). SETTING: Coastal Louisiana communities in high-impact DHOS areas. PARTICIPANTS: Respondents were parents or guardians aged 18 - 84, culled from a probability sample of households with a child aged 4 to 18 (N = 526) at the time of the 2010 DHOS. MEASURES: Self-rated health was measured at each wave. Self-reported physical exposure to the DHOS, economic exposure to the DHOS, and control variables were measured in 2014. ANALYSIS: We used econometric random effects regression for panel data to assess relationships between DHOS exposures and self-rated health over time, controlling for potentially confounding covariates. RESULTS: Both physical exposure (b = -0.39; P < 0.001) and economic exposure (b = -0.34; P < 0.001) to the DHOS had negative associations with self-rated health over the study period. Physical exposure had a larger effect size. CONCLUSION: Parents' physical contact with, and economic disruption from, the 2010 DHOS were tied to long-term diminished health.

Parental Education and Child Physical Health Following the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

PURPOSE: To assess whether trajectories of children's physical health problems differ by parental college degree attainment in Louisiana areas highly impacted by the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill (BP-DHOS). DESIGN: Three waves of panel data (2014, 2016, and 2018) from the Gulf Coast Population Impact / Resilient Children, Youth, and Communities studies. SETTING: BP-DHOS-impacted communities in coastal Louisiana. PARTICIPANTS: Parents of children aged 4-18 in a longitudinal probability sample (n = 392). MEASURES: Reported child physical health problems from the BP-DHOS, parental college degree attainment, and covariates. ANALYSIS: Linear growth curve models are used to assess initial levels of and the rate of change in child physical unknown. The current study uses 3 waves physical health problems by parental college degree attainment. Explanatory variables are measured at baseline and the outcome variable is measured at all 3 waves. RESULTS: Compared to children of parents without college degrees, children of college graduates had fewer initial health problems in 2014 (b = -.33; p = .02). Yet, this health advantage decreased over time, as indicated by their positive rate of change (b = .22; p = .01), such that the higher education health advantage was not statistically significant by 2018. CONCLUSION: Children of college graduates experienced a physical health advantage following the BP-DHOS, but this gap closed over time. The closure of the gap was due to the children of college graduates experiencing significant increases in reported health problems over the study period.

The Louisiana Community Oil Spill Survey (COSS) dataset.

This article presents an overview of the Louisiana Community Oil Spill Survey (COSS), the dataset used in "Community Sentiment following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster: A Test of Time, Systemic Community, and Corrosive Community Models" [1] as well as elsewhere [2-6]. The COSS, administered by the Louisiana State University's Public Policy Research Laboratory, consists of five waves of cross-sectional trend data attuned to the characteristics and effects of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon (BP-DH) oil spill on those coastal Louisiana residents most affected by the disaster. Respondents were randomly drawn from a list of nearly 6,000 households in the coastal Louisiana zip codes located in Lafourche Parish, Plaquemines Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and the community of Grand Isle. COSS data were initially collected in June 2010 when oil was still flowing from the wellhead, with additional data waves, collected in October 2010, April 2011, April 2012, and April 2013. The respective response rates were: June 2010, 20%; October 2010, 24%; April 2011, 25%; April 2012, 20%; and April 2013, 19%.

Race, Residence, and Underemployment: Fifty Years in Comparative Perspective, 1968-2017.

High underemployment has been a chronic structural feature of the rural United States for decades. In this paper, we assess whether and how inequalities in underemployment between metropolitan (metro) and nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) areas have changed over the course of the last five decades. Drawing on data from the March Current Population Survey (CPS) from 1968 to 2017, we analyze inequality in the prevalence of underemployment between metro and nonmetro areas of the United States, paying special attention to differences between white, black, and Hispanic workers. Our results show that the underlying risk of underemployment has increased in both metro and nonmetro areas over the last fifty years. Nonmetro workers have consistently faced greater employment hardship compared to their metro counterparts, and these differences cannot be fully explained by differences in population characteristics. Nonmetro ethnoracial minorities have experienced particularly poor labor market outcomes. The disadvantage of ethnoracial minority status and rural residence is especially pronounced for nonmetro black workers, among whom underemployment has remained persistently high with only modest convergence with other workers. Hispanic workers also face elevated risk of underemployment, but we observe a unique convergence between metro and nonmetro workers within this population.

Marriage, Work, and Racial Inequalities in Poverty: Evidence from the U.S.

This paper explores recent racial and ethnic inequalities in poverty, estimating the share of racial poverty differentials that can be explained by variation in family structure and workforce participation. The authors use logistic regression to estimate the association between poverty and race, family structure, and workforce participation. They then decompose between-race differences in poverty risk to quantify how racial disparities in marriage and work explain observed inequalities in the log odds of poverty. They estimate that 47.7-48.9% of black-white differences in poverty risk can be explained by between-group variance in these two factors, while only 4.3-4.5% of the Hispanic-white differential in poverty risk can be explained by these variables. These findings underscore the continued association between racial disparities in poverty and those in labor and marriage markets. However, clear racial differences in the origin of poverty suggest that family- and worked-related policy interventions will not have uniformly effective or evenly distributed impacts on poverty reduction.

Diabetes prevalence is associated with different community factors in the diabetes belt versus the rest of the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in community characteristics associated with diabetes prevalence between the Diabetes Belt and the rest of the contiguous United States (U.S.) METHODS: County-level adult diabetes prevalence estimates (i.e., percent of people [≥20 years] with diagnosed diabetes 2009) were used from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to carry out a spatial regime analysis to identify county-level factors correlated with diabetes prevalence in the Diabetes Belt versus the remainder of the U.S. RESULTS: Counties outside of the Diabetes Belt demonstrated stronger positive associations between diabetes prevalence and persistent poverty and greater percentages of unemployed labor forces. For counties in the Diabetes Belt, diabetes prevalence showed a stronger positive association with natural amenities (e.g., temperate climate and topographic features) and a stronger negative association with fitness/recreation facility density. CONCLUSIONS: Community-level correlates of diabetes prevalence differed between the Diabetes Belt and elsewhere in the U.S. Economic hardship was shown to be more relevant outside the Diabetes Belt, while recreational context effects were more pronounced among counties within the region. Prevention and treatment targets are geographically unique, and public health efforts should acknowledge these differences in crafting policy.

Change in Obesity Prevalence across the United States Is Influenced by Recreational and Healthcare Contexts, Food Environments, and Hispanic Populations.

OBJECTIVE: To examine change in county-level adult obesity prevalence between 2004 and 2009 and identify associated community characteristics. METHODS: Change in county-level adult (≥20 years) obesity prevalence was calculated for a 5-year period (2004-2009). Community measures of economic, healthcare, recreational, food environment, population structure, and education contexts were also calculated. Regression analysis was used to assess community characteristics associated (p<0.01) with change in adult obesity prevalence. RESULTS: Mean±SD change in obesity prevalence was 5.1±2.4%. Obesity prevalence decreased in 1.4% (n = 44) and increased in 98% (n = 3,060) of counties from 2004-2009. Results showed that both baseline levels and increases in physically inactive adults were associated with greater increases in obesity prevalence, while baseline levels of and increases in physician density and grocery store/supercenter density were related to smaller increases in obesity rates. Baseline levels of the Hispanic population share were negatively linked to changing obesity levels, while places with greater Hispanic population growth saw greater increases in obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Most counties in the U.S. experienced increases in adult obesity prevalence from 2004 to 2009. Findings suggest that community-based interventions targeting adult obesity need to incorporate a range of community factors, such as levels of physical inactivity, access to physicians, availability of food outlets, and ethnic/racial population composition.

Regional disparities in obesity prevalence in the United States: A spatial regime analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Significant clusters of high- and low-obesity counties have been demonstrated across the United States (US). This study examined regional disparities in obesity prevalence and differences in the related structural characteristics across regions of the US. METHODS: Drawing on model-based estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regional differences in county-level adult obesity prevalence (percent of the adult population [≥ 20 years] that was obese [BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2) ] within a county, 2009) were assessed with a LISA (Local Indicators of Spatial Association) analysis to identify geographic concentrations of high and low obesity levels. Regional regime analysis was utilized to identify factors that were differentially associated with obesity prevalence between regions of the US. RESULTS: High- and low-obesity county clusters and the effect of a number of county-level characteristics on obesity prevalence differed significantly by region. These included the positive effect of African American populations in the South, the negative effect of Hispanic populations in the Northeast, and the positive effect of unemployed workers in the Midwest and West. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the need for public health policies and interventions that account for different regional characteristics underlying obesity prevalence variation across the US.

The geographic concentration of US adult obesity prevalence and associated social, economic, and environmental factors.

OBJECTIVE: This study used spatial statistical methods to test the hypotheses that county-level adult obesity prevalence in the United States is (1) regionally concentrated at significant levels, and (2) linked to local-level factors, after controlling for state-level effects. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other secondary sources. The units of analysis were counties. The dependent variable was the age-adjusted percentage of adults who were obese in 2009 (body mass index >30 kg/m2). RESULTS: The prevalence of county-level obesity varied from 13.5% to 47.9% with a mean of 30.3%. Obesity prevalence across counties was not spatially random: 15.8% belonged to high-obesity regions and 13.5% belonged to low-obesity regions. Obesity was positively associated with unemployment, outpatient healthcare visits, physical inactivity, female-headed families, black populations, and less education. Obesity was negatively correlated with physician numbers, natural amenities, percent ≥65 years, Hispanic populations, and larger population size. A number of variables were notable for not reaching significance after controlling for other factors, including poverty and food environment measures. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate the importance of local-level factors in explaining geographic variation in obesity prevalence, and thus hold implications for geographically targeted interventions to combat the obesity epidemic.

Does time heal all wounds? Community attachment, natural resource employment, and health impacts in the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.

On April 20, 2010, the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon (BP-DH) oil rig exploded, resulting in the largest marine oil spill in history. In this paper we utilize one-of-a-kind household survey data-the Louisiana Community Oil Spill Survey-to examine the impacts of the BP-DH disaster on the mental and physical health of spill affected residents in coastal Louisiana, with a special focus on the influence of community attachment and natural resource employment. We find that levels of both negative mental and physical health were significantly more pronounced at baseline compared to later time points. We show that greater community attachment is linked to lower levels of negative health impacts in the wake of the oil spill and that the disaster had a uniquely negative impact on households involved in the fishing industry. Further, we find evidence that the relationship between community attachment and mental health is more pronounced at later points in time, and that the negative health impacts on fishers have worsened over time. Implications for research and policy are discussed.

Understanding the geography of food stamp program participation: Do space and place matter?

This study examines the extent to which geographic variation in Food Stamp Program (FSP) participation is explained by place-based factors, with special attention to the case of the three poorest regions of the United States: Central Appalachia, the Texas Borderland, and the Lower Mississippi Delta. We use descriptive statistics and regression models to assess the prevalence and correlates of county-level FSP participation circa 2005. Our findings show that the economic distress that has long characterized Appalachia, the Borderland, and the Delta clearly translates into greater reliance on the FSP relative to other areas of the country. State-level effects and local-level variations in poverty, labor market conditions, population structure, human capital, and residential context explain much of this reality. Yet, even after taking all of these factors into account, these regional geographies remain home to particularly high FSP participation. Our findings underscore the importance of considering these regions as key cases of study in the stratification of American society and hold a variety of implications for public policy.

Labor market conditions and violent crime across the metro-nonmetro divide.

This analysis extends prior research on labor market conditions and violent crime. Specifically, we elaborate on research demonstrating a link between poor labor market conditions and violence by directly measuring the associations between secondary sector work, low hour work, low pay work, and levels of violence across the metro-nonmetro divide. The results demonstrate that low paying work tends to be more similar to other forms of social disadvantage such as poverty and unemployment. In contrast, secondary sector work and low hour work are empirically distinct constructs. Consistent with prior research, multivariate analyses indicate that the pernicious effect of secondary sector work is relatively constant across metro and nonmetro areas. However, contrary to the logic articulated in previous studies, we find that an index of low hour and seasonal employment is actually associated with lower violent crime rates across the metro-nonmetro divide. This finding is consonant with the assertion that the availability of low hour and seasonal employment--work that is often viewed as less than optimal--provides downward pressure on crime rates because it structures ecological behavior patterns and enhances attachments to institutions cultivating conventional behavior.

Employment hardship among older workers: does residential and gender inequality extend into older age?

OBJECTIVES: The realities of a rapidly aging society make the employment circumstances of older workers an increasingly important social issue. We examine the prevalence and correlates of underemployment among older Americans, with a special focus on residence and gender, to provide an assessment of the labor market challenges facing older workers. METHODS: We analyzed data from the March Current Population Surveys for the years 2003, 2004, and 2005. We used descriptive statistics to explore the prevalence of underemployment among older workers and developed multivariate models to assess the impact of age, residence, and gender on the likelihood of underemployment, net of other predictors. RESULTS: We found clear disadvantages for older workers relative to their middle-aged counterparts, and particular disadvantages for older rural residents and women. Multivariate models showed that the disadvantages of older age held net of other predictors. The results also indicated that much of the disadvantage faced by older rural workers and women was explained by factors other than age, particularly education. DISCUSSION: In an aging society, underemployment among older workers comes at an increasing social cost. Policies aimed at supporting older workers and alleviating employment hardship among them are increasingly in the public interest.

Underemployment in America: measurement and evidence.

An important way in which employment hardship has come to be conceptualized and measured is as underemployment. Underemployment goes beyond mere unemployment (being out of a job and looking for work), to include those who have given up looking for work, part-time workers whose employer(s) cannot give them full-time work, and the working poor. To provide needed background for the other articles in this special issue, we trace the history of the concept of underemployment, review existing empirical literature, offer a critique of the measurement of underemployment as conventionally operationalized, and provide up-to-date evidence on the trends and correlates of underemployment in the United States.