What We're Learning | Evidence for Action

I will give you my heart. Watercolor concept background

The best way to convince healthy people to get insurance is not ‘because it’s in your financial interest’

Drs. Wendy Netter Epstein and Christoper T. Robertson share findings that suggest a better way to promote signing up for health insurance is to appeal through a "helping community" framework rather than by trying to convince them that it makes better financial sense.

Popular Press resource

Asian woman threesome of elderly overlooking the sky

Building Women’s Financial Health at Older Ages: Insights on Financial Education from the U.S. and Asia

The University of Southern California (USC) Center for Economic and Social Research and HelpAge USA conducted research on the implementation of a successful financial literacy program across Asia called the Citi-Tsao Foundation Financial Education Programme for Mature Women and the need and oppor

Briefs, Reports, and Infographics resource

Woman and baby lying on a bed with an illustration of an umbrella over them shielding them from rain

Guaranteed Income Improves Physical & Psychological Health

Key takeaways from the evaluation of the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration.

Economic Opportunity

Briefs, Reports, and Infographics resource

In one California city, offering free cash helped fight poverty and COVID

The piece from Megan Cerullo of CBS News Money Watch highlights findings from the evaluation of the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration guaranteed income pilot.

Economic Opportunity

Popular Press resource

Recurring Cash Transfers to Enhance the Mental Wellbeing of Americans

The authors propose a theoretical framework to explain how poverty and reduced economic mobility lead to poor mental health outcomes in the United States. They also explore how guaranteed income or (un)conditional cash as possible mental ill-health prevention strategies.

Economic Opportunity

Published Research resource

Mothers Experience Greater Food Insecurity When Children Age Out of WIC

Women in households where a child has aged out of WIC experience greater food insecurity and lower caloric intake as they protect the children in the household from the loss of WIC support.

Food & Nutrition

Briefs, Reports, and Infographics resource

Image of a line of people holding hands - artistic rendering with shadowy figures.

Private Law Alternatives to the Individual Mandate

Dr. Epstein discusses potential strategies to increase insurance sign ups, including altering the ways insurance plans work (e.g., 5 year plans versus single year plans) or changing the ways that insurance plans are marketed (moral framing versus economic self-interest framing).

Videos, Podcasts, & Webinars resource

Can moral framing drive insurance enrollment in the United States?

Results show that ads with moral framing, rather than economic self-interest framing, may lead to more Americans signing up for health insurance.

Published Research resource

Adults Shield Children When Nutritional Assistance Ends

When families lose access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC) there appear to be no negative impacts on nutritional intake for kids.

Food & Nutrition

Commentaries resource

Outcome of the AVID College Preparatory Program on Adolescent Health: A Randomized Trial

Participation in a college preparatory program (AVID) that groups together middle-performing with high-performing students was associated with better outcomes related to health behaviors, social networks, and psychosocial wellbeing.

Education

Published Research resource

Higher COVID-19 Vaccination and Narrower Disparities in US Cities with Paid Sick Leave Compared to Those Without

From the abstract, "Cities with a paid sick leave policy had 17 percent higher vaccination coverage than cities without such a policy. We found stronger associations between paid sick leave and vaccination in the most socially vulnerable neighborhoods compared with the least socially vulnerable ones, and no association in the population ages sixty-five and older. Paid sick leave policies are associated with higher COVID-19 vaccination coverage and narrower coverage disparities. Increasing access to these policies may help increase vaccination and reduce inequities in coverage."

New Measure Development

Published Research resource

Women with firearm hunting for wild game

The effectiveness of value-based messages to engage gun owners on firearm policies: a three-stage nested study

New research confirms that messages using respectful and transparent language in gun violence prevention advocacy efforts are the most likely to encourage gun owners to support those policies advocated by public health professionals.

Published Research resource