Crowding in or crowding out? How local government debt influences corporate innovation for China.

The pressure upon local governments to redeem their debt could affect government fiscal ability. It could consequently affect their fiscal policies on corporations, which might distort corporate innovation. Based on the data of Chinese Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies and the local government implicit short-term debt financed by local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) in 31 provinces, this paper shows that local government debt (LGD) negatively affects corporate R&D investment in China, thereby suggesting a strong crowding-out effect. The crowding-out effect is more pronounced when the firm is a non-state-owned enterprise (NSOE), the firm's size is small, the firm's age is young, or the firm is in the lower market competition. This paper provide evidence by interacting the terms that local government actions, such as consumption of fiscal resources, strengthening tax collection efforts, or consumption of credit resources, might partially account for the crowding-out effect. This study illustrates the innovation costs of local government debt.

Does the New Rural Pension Scheme improve residents' livelihoods? Empirical evidence from Northwestern China.

The sustainable development of pension systems has been investigated from a financial perspective worldwide. However, the pension adequacy and its effect on the sustainability of a national pension system are still understudied. Using actual replacement rate and modified living standards replacement rate, this study empirically evaluates whether China's New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) grants enough livelihood protection for the rural residents in the Northwestern China. The results show that the NRPS fails to meet the basic needs of the elderly people (i.e., age of sixty years or older) or the middle-aged people (forty-five to fifty-nine years old), while it only provides limited protection for the young people (sixteen to forty-four years old). These findings suggest that the current NRPS benefits are very low in the Northwestern China and policy reforms should be further implemented to improve the sustainable development of the New Rural Pension Scheme.

Cost-analysis of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal malignancy: An Australian perspective with global application.

BACKGROUND: Cost-effective cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for treatment of patients with peritoneal malignancy remains an ongoing financial challenge for healthcare systems, hospitals and patients. This study aims to describe the detailed in-hospital costs of CRS and HIPEC compared with an Australian Activity Based Funding (ABF) system, and to evaluate how the learning curve, disease entities and surgical outcomes influence in-hospital costs. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive costing review of all CRS and HIPEC cases undertaken at a large public tertiary referral hospital in Sydney, Australia from April 2017 to June 2019. In-hospital cost variables included staff, critical care, diagnosis, operating theatre, and other costs. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate the differences between actual cost and the provision of funding, and potential factors associated with these costs. RESULTS: Of the 118 CRS and HIPEC procedures included in the analyses, the median total cost was AU$130,804 (IQR: 105,744 to 153,972). Provision of funding via the ABF system was approximately one-third of the total CRS and HIPEC costs (p < 0.001). Surgical staff proficiency seems to reduce the total CRS and HIPEC costs. Surgical time, length of intensive care unit and hospital stay are the main predictors of total CRS and HIPEC costs. CONCLUSION: Delivery of CRS and HIPEC is expensive with high variability. A standard ABF system grossly underestimates the specific CRS and HIPEC funding required with supplementation essential to sustaining this complex highly specialised service.

Public funding for transformative drugs: the case of sofosbuvir.

The approval of sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) in 2013 transformed chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) care, but its high cost was criticized in part because of reports of substantial public involvement in its development. We developed a methodology to assess the public's contribution through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in developing sofosbuvir. Using key terms from the timeline of sofosbuvir, we identified articles in PubMed; linked them to federal funding using the NIH RePORTER; reviewed the title, organization, and investigator of each resulting award for relatedness; and converted related awards to 2018 US dollars. Of 6043 unique awards, we identified 29 that were directly (US$7.7 million) and 110 that were indirectly (US$53.2 million) related awards made to major academic institutions and companies engaged in the development of the drug. These findings indicate that public funding had a key role in developing sofosbuvir, with an estimated US$60.9 million provided in NIH funding.

Health Literacy Research Funded by the NIH for Disease Prevention.

BACKGROUND: Advancing health literacy is a fundamental step toward achieving population health. To that end, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research to increase scientific understanding of how health literacy can reduce disparities and enhance the health of the United States. OBJECTIVE: This study identified and evaluated NIH-funded health literacy research focusing on disease prevention. METHODS: New R01, R03, and R21 research project grants awarded from fiscal year (FY) 2004 to FY 2017 studying health literacy and disease prevention were identified. Study characteristics, including the role of health literacy, how health literacy was measured, populations studied, and study design, were coded for each grant. Administrative grant data were obtained from the NIH's internal database. Research impact was assessed using the relative citation ratio (RCR). KEY RESULTS: There were 192 grants studying health literacy and disease prevention awarded by 18 NIH institutes and centers from FY 2004 to FY 2017, covering a wide variety of health conditions including cancer (26.0%), infectious diseases (13.5%), nutrition (8.3%), drug/alcohol use (7.8%), and cardiovascular disease (6.3%). Most grants studied the health literacy skills of patients (88%), with a few studies assessing the health literacy practices of health care providers (2.1%) or systems (1%). There was good representation of populations with traditionally low levels of health literacy, including Black/African American participants (30.2%), Hispanic/Latinx participants (28.6%), older adults (37%), and people with low income (20.8%). The scientific articles generated by these grants were more than twice (RCR = 2.18) as influential on the field as similar articles. CONCLUSIONS: The NIH provided support for a wide array of prevention-focused health literacy research. The value of this research is highlighted by the number of funding institutes and centers, the diversity of populations and health conditions studied, and the effect these grants had on the field. Future research should move beyond patient-level health literacy to health literacy practices of health care systems and providers. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2020, 4(4):e212-e223.] PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: This study describes health literacy research funded by the National Institutes of Health that focused on disease prevention. These grants sought to prevent a variety of health conditions, but health literacy research over the past 14 years continued to concentrate on the capacity of patients despite increased attention on the health literacy practices of health care providers and systems.

The Use of Ripple Effect Mapping to Understand Successes of the SC Pregnancy Assistance Fund: A Participatory Evaluation Approach.

OBJECTIVES: The South Carolina Pregnancy Assistance Fund (SCPAF) funded four counties to increase the amount, quality, and awareness of services for young parents; increase educational attainment among expectant and parenting youth; reduce the number of repeat teen pregnancies among youth; and improve parenting skills. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to describe our application of the Ripple Effect Mapping (REM) technique as an innovative evaluation strategy to gather perspectives from SCPAF stakeholders and (2) to share key findings generated by participants in REM sessions on the perceived success of local SCPAF community collaboratives. METHODS: REM, an innovative evaluation strategy, was used to gather perspectives from SCPAF stakeholders. Five REM sessions were conducted with 52 participants. REM sessions included partner interviews and collective development of visual maps to illustrate stakeholder perspectives of program successes. Visual maps, as well as transcripts of discussions, were analyzed using an inductive approach. RESULTS: Stakeholders reported that the connections to resources, supports, and services provided through SCPAF had the potential to alter the life trajectories of expectant and parenting teens (EPT). Stakeholders also described that SCPAF fostered growth in collaboration among partners and reduced duplication of services in funded communities CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: This paper describes how an innovative evaluation strategy was used to provide a space for stakeholders to dialogue, synthesize their experiences, and construct a collective narrative of key program successes. This paper also illustrates how such approaches can be applied to complex community initiatives.

Health outcomes of the Bolsa Família program among Brazilian Amazonian children.

OBJECTIVE: One of the primary objectives of Brazil's conditional cash transfer program, Bolsa Família, is to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty by improving human capital via conditionalities. In this study, we hypothesized that health indicators of Bolsa Família participants would be comparable to those of other local children who were nonparticipants after two years of follow-up in the city of Acrelândia, Acre state, Western Brazilian Amazon. METHODS: Data from a population-based longitudinal study were analyzed to examine school enrollment, vaccination coverage, height and body mass index for age z-scores, and biomarkers of micronutrient deficiencies (iron and vitamin A) between Bolsa Família participants (n = 325) and nonparticipants (n = 738). RESULTS: Out of 1063 children 10 years and younger included in the 2007 baseline survey, 805 had anthropometric measurements and 402 had biochemical indicators in the 2009 follow-up survey. Prevalence rate ratio (PRR) for non-enrollment in school at 4 years of age was 0.58 (95%CI: 0.34-1.02) when comparing Bolsa Família participants with nonparticipants. No difference was found for vaccination coverage, which was insufficient for most vaccine-preventable diseases. Bolsa Família participants were less likely to show a positive change in body mass index for age z-scores compared with nonparticipants (PRR = 0.81, 95%CI: 0.70-0.95), while a positive change in height for age z-scores was similar in the groups. No differences in micronutrient deficiencies were found between groups after 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Early school enrollment and consistent nutritional indicators between Bolsa Família participants and nonparticipants suggest Bolsa Família was facilitating similarities between groups over time.

Sustaining Programs: Lessons Learned from Former Federal Grantees.

INTRODUCTION: A common concern of federal funders and grant recipients is how to sustain program activities once their federal funding period ends. Federal funding can be intended to develop or seed a program but not necessarily to continue its activities indefinitely. Understanding the importance of programmatic sustainability, the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) conducted research in 2015 on the elements that contribute to sustainability. As part of the Sustainability Study, OPA collected information from former Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) program grantees. METHODS: Grantees that were awarded cohort 1 PAF program funding (2010-2014) but not awarded cohort 2 funding (2014-2017) were eligible for study inclusion because their OPA funding ended more than 1 year prior to the Sustainability Study, allowing for an assessment of sustainability after federal funding. Seven former PAF grantees were identified as eligible. Interviews were conducted with six of these grantees; grant applications and interim final reports from all seven were reviewed. RESULTS: Five lessons emerged from interviews and review of grant documentation. Programs successfully continuing beyond the federal grant period tended to (1) diversify funding sources, (2) communicate regularly with key stakeholders, (3) form partnerships with like-minded programs, (4) consider implementing evidence-based interventions, and (5) begin planning for sustainability early. DISCUSSION: By considering these lessons learned from the research, grantees can be well positioned to continue beyond a federal grant period. The lessons garnered from the Sustainability Study have informed, expanded, and affirmed OPA's sustainability toolkit, sustainability framework, and technical assistance.

The cost-effectiveness of limiting federal housing vouchers to use in low-poverty neighborhoods in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Residents of low-income neighborhoods are exposed to relatively higher rates of crime, fewer opportunities to exercise, poorer schools, and few opportunities to eat healthy foods than residents of middle-class neighborhoods. Policies that influence neighborhood context could therefore serve as health interventions. We seek to inform the policy debate over the wisdom of spending health dollars on non-health sectors of the economy by defining the opportunity cost of doing so. STUDY DESIGN: Cost-effectiveness analysis with Markov model and Monte Carlo simulation. METHODS: We assess the long-term health and economic benefits of Moving to Opportunity-type housing vouchers vs traditional public housing. Our Markov model draws heavily from decades of follow-up data from a large randomized-controlled trial, from which we make projections about health outcomes and costs. RESULTS: Restricted housing vouchers cost less over the lifetime of recipients than traditional vouchers ($186,629 [95% credible interval: $148,856-$229,235] vs $194,077 [$153,831-$240,904]), while improving health and longevity (19.39 quality-adjusted life years [15.83-21.35] vs 19.16 [15.65-21.03]). Over 99% of the model simulations favored restricted housing vouchers over traditional public housing or non-restrictive vouchers. CONCLUSIONS: Restrictive vouchers appear to improve population health, save money, and save lives.

Health outcomes of the bolsa família program among Brazilian Amazonian children

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE One of the primary objectives of Brazil's conditional cash transfer program, Bolsa Família, is to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty by improving human capital via conditionalities. In this study, we hypothesized that health indicators of Bolsa Família participants would be comparable to those of other local children who were nonparticipants after two years of follow-up in the city of Acrelândia, Acre state, Western Brazilian Amazon. METHODS Data from a population-based longitudinal study were analyzed to examine school enrollment, vaccination coverage, height and body mass index for age z-scores, and biomarkers of micronutrient deficiencies (iron and vitamin A) between Bolsa Família participants (n = 325) and nonparticipants (n = 738). RESULTS Out of 1063 children 10 years and younger included in the 2007 baseline survey, 805 had anthropometric measurements and 402 had biochemical indicators in the 2009 follow-up survey. Prevalence rate ratio (PRR) for non-enrollment in school at 4 years of age was 0.58 (95%CI: 0.34-1.02) when comparing Bolsa Família participants with nonparticipants. No difference was found for vaccination coverage, which was insufficient for most vaccine-preventable diseases. Bolsa Família participants were less likely to show a positive change in body mass index for age z-scores compared with nonparticipants (PRR = 0.81, 95%CI: 0.70-0.95), while a positive change in height for age z-scores was similar in the groups. No differences in micronutrient deficiencies were found between groups after 2 years. CONCLUSIONS Early school enrollment and consistent nutritional indicators between Bolsa Família participants and nonparticipants suggest Bolsa Família was facilitating similarities between groups over time.

The Case for Public Financing of Environmental Common Goods for Health.

Safeguarding the continued existence of humanity requires building societies that cause minimal disruptions of the essential planetary systems that support life. While major successes have been achieved in improving health in recent decades, threats from the environment may undermine these gains, particularly among vulnerable populations and communities. In this article, we review the rationale for governments to invest in environmental Common Goods for Health (CGH) and identify functions that qualify as such, including interventions to improve air quality, develop sustainable food systems, preserve biodiversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage carbon sinks. Exploratory empirical analyses reveal that public spending on environmental goods does not crowd out public spending on health. Additionally, we find that improved governance is associated with better performance in environmental health outcomes, while the degrees of people's participation in the political system together with voice and accountability are positively associated with performance in ambient air quality and biodiversity/habitat. We provide a list of functions that should be prioritized by governments across different sectors, and present preliminary costing of environmental CGH. As shown by the costing estimates presented here, these actions need not be especially expensive. Indeed, they are potentially cost-saving. The paper concludes with case examples of national governments that have successfully prioritized and financed environmental CGH. Because societal preferences may vary across time, government leaders seeking to protect the health of future generations must look beyond electoral cycles to enact policies that protect the environment and finance environmental CGH.

Health profile differences between recipients and non-recipients of the Brazilian Income Transfer Program in a low-income population.

We investigated the relationship between living in a household that receives the Brazilian Income Transfer Program (Bolsa Família, in Portuguese - BF), a Brazilian conditional cash transfer program, and aspects of health and whether these relationships are heterogeneous across the 27 Brazilian states. According to data from the 2013 Brazilian National Health Survey, 18% of households participated in BF. Among households with household per capita income below BRL 500, many aspects of health differed between people living in BF and non-BF houses. For example, BF households were less likely to have medical coverage but more likely to have visited the doctor in the last 12 months as well as being more likely to smoke and less likely to do exercise. They ate nearly one less serving of fruits and vegetables a week but were less likely to substitute junk food for a meal. They reported worse self-rated health but did not differ importantly on reporting illnesses. Moderate amounts of heterogeneity in the difference in health characteristics were found for some variables. For instance, medical coverage had an I2 value of 40.7% and the difference in coverage between BF and non-BF households ranged from -0.09 to -0.03. Some illnesses differed qualitatively across states such as high cholesterol, asthma and arthritis. This paper is the first to outline the health profile of people living in households receiving payments from a cash transfer program. It is also the first to find geographic heterogeneity in the relationship between a cash transfer program and health variables. These results suggest the possibility that the effect of cash transfer programs may differ based on the population on which it is implemented.

Effects of adding psychosocial stimulation for children of lactating mothers using an unconditional cash transfer platform on neurocognitive behavior of children in rural Bangladesh: protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There is sufficient evidence that psychosocial stimulation (PS) benefits children's neurocognitive behavior, however, there is no information on how it works when delivered through an Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) platform for poor rural population in developing countries. The objective of this study is to measure effects of adding PS for children of lactating mothers enrolled to receive UCT with health education (HE) on neurocognitive behavior of children in rural Bangladesh. METHODS: The study will be conducted at 11 unions of Ullapara sub-district in Bangladesh. The study is a cluster randomized controlled trial with three-arms; (i) PS and UCT with HE (ii) UCT with HE and iii) Comparison arm. The cluster will be considered as an old Ward of a Union, the lowest tier of local government system in rural Bangladesh. There are three old Wards in a union. These three clusters will be randomized to one of the three arms. Similarly, randomization will be done for each 11 Unions and then 11 clusters will be assigned to an arm. Eighteen participants will be recruited from each cluster randomly (n = 196 in each arm). The intervention designed for one year includes UCT with HE for the poor as a safety net program in rural Bangladesh with or without PS. An age-based curriculum of PS is already available for Bangladeshi children and this will be administered by trained local women; play leaders (PL) in intervention clusters. The government of Bangladesh is providing UCT of taka 500 ($6.25) as maternity allowance per month with HE. The primary outcomes will be cognitive, motor and language composite scores measured by Bayley-III and behavior using Wolke's behavior rating scale. The secondary outcomes will be children and mothers' growth, family food security status, health seeking behavior, mothers' depressive symptoms and self-esteem and violence against mothers. DISCUSSION: The study will provide a unique opportunity to assess an integrated early childhood development intervention using UCT platform to mitigate developmental delays in poor vulnerable children of rural Bangladesh. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03281980, registered on September 13, 2017.

Does Introducing Public Funding for Allied Health Psychotherapy Lead to Reductions in Private Insurance Claims? Lessons for Canada from the Australian Experience.

OBJECTIVE: Provincial and territorial governments are considering how best to improve access to psychotherapy from the current patchwork of programmes. To achieve the best value for money, new funding needs to reach a wider population rather than simply replacing services funded through insurance benefits. We considered lessons for Canada from the relative uptake of private insurance and public funding for allied health psychotherapy in Australia. METHOD: We analysed published administrative claims data from 2003-2004 to 2014-2015 on Australian privately insured psychologist services, publicly insured psychotherapy under the 'Better Access' initiative, and public grant funding for psychotherapy through the 'Access to Allied Psychological Services' programme. Utilisation was compared to the prevalence of mental disorders and treatment rates in the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. RESULTS: The introduction of public funding for psychotherapy led to a 52.1% reduction in private insurance claims. Costs per session were more than double under private insurance and likely contributed to individuals with private coverage choosing to instead access public programmes. However, despite substantial community unmet need, we estimate just 0.4% of the population made private insurance claims in the 2006-2007 period. By contrast, from its introduction, growth in the utilisation of Better Access quickly dwarfed other programmes and led to significantly increased community access to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although insurance in Canada is sponsored by employers, psychology claims also appear surprisingly low, and unmet need similarly high. Careful consideration will be needed in designing publicly funded psychotherapy programmes to prepare for the high demand while minimizing reductions in private insurance claims.

Can public financing of the private sector defeat antimicrobial resistance?

Public financing to incentivise private sector innovation in antimicrobial pharmaceuticals is believed by many to be necessary to defeat growing threats from antimicrobial resistance. Large cash incentives from the public sector are said to be essential to stimulate 'normal' market forces capable of unleashing much-needed innovation. However, there is little evidence to suggest that lack of innovation in drug development is peculiar to antimicrobials or that current deficits in the supply of antimicrobials is due to unique inefficiencies in the antimicrobial market. Neither the history of drug development in general nor of antimicrobial innovation in particular supports economic interventions intended to stimulate private sector supply of new antimicrobials. On the contrary, public underwriting of the private sector, which by definition is compelled to prioritise profit, risks dire consequences for future global health.

Therapists' Adaptations to an Intervention to Reduce Challenging Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Publicly Funded Mental Health Services.

Publicly funded mental health services play an important role in serving children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous research indicates a high likelihood of adaptations when therapists deliver evidence based practices to non-ASD populations, though less is known about therapists' use of adaptations for children with ASD receiving mental health services. The current study uses a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach to characterize the types and reasons therapists adapted a clinical intervention [An Individualized Mental Health Intervention for Children with ASD (AIM HI)] for delivery with clinically complex children with ASD served in publicly funded mental health settings and identify therapist characteristics that predict use of adaptations. The most common adaptations were characterized as augmenting AIM HI and were done to individualize the intervention to fit with therapeutic style, increase caregiver participation, and address clients' and caregivers' needs and functioning. No therapist characteristics emerged as significant predictors of adaptations. Results suggest that therapists' adaptations were largely consistent with the AIM HI protocol while individualizing the model to address the complex needs of youth with ASD.

Conditional cash transfer policies in maternal health service utilization in Nepal: Analysis of safe delivery incentive program (Aama Surakshya Karyakram) using Kingdon's multiple streams framework.

Various factors limit access to and utilization of health services even when provided at subsidized cost. This results in poor utilization of services that contributes to further economic impoverishment and health care disparity. Many countries are experimenting with various approaches to tackle the poor utilization of health care services including demand-side financing policy. This paper explains the policymaking process during the formulation of safe delivery incentive program, a conditional cash transfer program in Nepal using Kindgon's multiple streams framework. Analysis of earlier policies and programs around safe motherhood concludes that high transportation cost was a major cause for poor utilization of institutional obstetric care, despite being provided at free of cost. Health was recognized as fundamental constitutional right in 2007. This assured societal support and political commitments for protecting health constitutionally. Furthermore, there was commitment from external development partners (EDPs) for investment in maternal health. Together, these problem, policy, and politics opened Kingdon's "windows of opportunity" for formulation of conditional cash transfer policy. This paper presents evolution of Aama Surakshya Karyakram and uses Kingdon's multiple streams framework to explain how problem, policy, and politics streams converged together to allow this program to be introduced in Nepal.

Health profile differences between recipients and non-recipients of the Brazilian Income Transfer Program in a low-income population / Diferenças no perfil de saúde entre beneficiários e não-beneficiários do programa Bolsa Família em uma população de baixa renda / Diferencias en el perfil de salud entre beneficiarios y no-beneficiarios del programa Bolsa Familia en una población con bajos ingresos

Abstract: We investigated the relationship between living in a household that receives the Brazilian Income Transfer Program (Bolsa Família, in Portuguese - BF), a Brazilian conditional cash transfer program, and aspects of health and whether these relationships are heterogeneous across the 27 Brazilian states. According to data from the 2013 Brazilian National Health Survey, 18% of households participated in BF. Among households with household per capita income below BRL 500, many aspects of health differed between people living in BF and non-BF houses. For example, BF households were less likely to have medical coverage but more likely to have visited the doctor in the last 12 months as well as being more likely to smoke and less likely to do exercise. They ate nearly one less serving of fruits and vegetables a week but were less likely to substitute junk food for a meal. They reported worse self-rated health but did not differ importantly on reporting illnesses. Moderate amounts of heterogeneity in the difference in health characteristics were found for some variables. For instance, medical coverage had an I2 value of 40.7% and the difference in coverage between BF and non-BF households ranged from -0.09 to -0.03. Some illnesses differed qualitatively across states such as high cholesterol, asthma and arthritis. This paper is the first to outline the health profile of people living in households receiving payments from a cash transfer program. It is also the first to find geographic heterogeneity in the relationship between a cash transfer program and health variables. These results suggest the possibility that the effect of cash transfer programs may differ based on the population on which it is implemented.

Resumo: Os autores investigaram a relação entre pertencimento a uma família beneficiária do programa Bolsa Família (BF) e características de saúde, e se tais relações são heterogêneas, comparando os 26 estados e Distrito Federal, Brasil. De acordo como dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde de 2013, 18% dos domicílios brasileiros participavam do BF. Entre as famílias com renda per capita abaixo de R$ 500,00, havia diferenças entre diversas características de saúde, comparando pessoas de famílias beneficiárias e não beneficiárias do BF. Por exemplo, pessoas de famílias matriculadas no BF mostraram menor probabilidade de ter cobertura médica, mas maior probabilidade de haverem consultado um médico nos últimos 12 meses, além de maior probabilidade de serem fumantes e menor probabilidade de serem fisicamente ativas. Consumiam quase uma porção a menos de frutas e verduras por semana, mas tinham menor probabilidade de substituir refeições com lanches. Apresentavam pior percepção da própria saúde, mas não mostravam diferenças importantes no relato de doenças. Houve uma heterogeneidade moderada nas características de saúde em relação a algumas variáveis. Por exemplo, a cobertura de saúde mostrou um valor de I2 de 40,7%, enquanto a diferença de cobertura entre famílias com e sem BF variou entre 0,09 e -0,03. Houve diferenças qualitativas entre estados em relação a algumas doenças, tais como hipercolesterolemia, asma e artrite. Este estudo foi o primeiro a definir o perfil de saúde de pessoas em famílias beneficiárias do BF. Também é o primeiro a encontrar uma heterogeneidade geográfica na relação entre o programa e variáveis de saúde. Os resultados sugerem que o efeito de um programa de renda mínima pode variar de acordo com a população na qual é implementado.

Resumen: Investigamos la relación entre vivir en un hogar que recibe ayudas del programa Bolsa Familia (BF), programa brasileño de transferencia monetaria condicionada, y aspectos de salud, además de estudiar si estas relaciones son heterogéneas entre los 27 estados brasileños. De acuerdo con los datos de 2013 en la Encuesta Nacional de Salud brasileña, un 18% de los hogares participaron en BF. Entre los hogares con unos ingresos per cápita por debajo de BRL 500, muchos aspectos de salud difirieron entre la gente que vivía en hogares con BF y sin BF. Por ejemplo, los hogares con BF fueron menos propensos a contar cobertura médica, pero era más probable que hubieran visitado al doctor en los últimos 12 meses, al igual que más probabilidad de fumar y menos propensos a hacer ejercicio. Comían frutas y verduras menos de casi una vez a la semana y eran menos propensos a sustituir la comida basura por una comida. Informaban de una peor salud autoevaluada, pero no difieren significativamente respecto a las enfermedades relatadas. Se encontraron algunas variables de heterogeneidad en cantidades moderadas, respecto a la diferencia en las características de salud. Por ejemplo, la cobertura médica tenía una cobertura con un valor I2 de 40,7% y la diferencia en la cobertura entre hogares con BF y no-BF oscilaba en un rango de -0.09 a -0.03. Algunas enfermedades se diferenciaban cualitativamente entre estados como el colesterol alto, asma y artritis. Este trabajo es el primero en resaltar el perfil de salud de la gente que vive en hogares que reciben pagos del programa brasileño de transferencia monetaria condicionada. Asimismo, es el primero en encontrar una heterogeneidad geográfica en la relación entre el programa brasileño de transferencia monetaria condicionada y variables de salud. Estos resultados sugieren la posibilidad de que el efecto del programa brasileño de transferencia monetaria condicionada puede ser diferente en función de la población en la que se implementa.