Mark Votruba - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Mark Votruba

We estimate the effect of exposure to plant closure on crime using an individual-level panel data... more We estimate the effect of exposure to plant closure on crime using an individual-level panel data set containing criminal charges for all unmarried and employed Norwegian men below the age of 40. Men originally employed in plants that subsequently closed are 14 percent more likely to be charged of a crime than comparable men in stable plants. There is no difference in charge rates prior to closure, supporting a causal interpretation of our result. Within crime categories, we find no effect of plant closure on property crime, perhaps because closure has a small and insignificant effect on subsequent earnings. We estimate an effect of plant closure on categories of non-acquisitive crime, suggesting a role for mental distress or idleness. A role for idleness is supported by evidence that the effects of plant closure on crime tend to be more pronounced for crimes committed during the week than on weekends.

We estimate the effects of wait time for orthopedic surgery on health and labor market outcomes o... more We estimate the effects of wait time for orthopedic surgery on health and labor market outcomes of Norwegian workers. Our identification strategy exploits variation in wait times for surgery generated by the idiosyncratic variation in system congestion at the time of referral. While we find no significant evidence of lasting health effects, longer wait times have persistent negative effects on subsequent labor supply. For every 10 days spent waiting for surgery, we estimate health-related workplace absences increase 8.7 days over the five years following referral, and the likelihood of permanent disability insurance increases by 0.4 percentage point. Cost benefit calculations point to sizable fiscal savings from shorter wait times.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

Despite well-documented convergence during the later years of the 20 th century, labor force atta... more Despite well-documented convergence during the later years of the 20 th century, labor force attachment remains markedly higher for men than for women. The current paper employs rich longitudinal registry data to investigate the intergenerational transfer of the gender gap in labor force participation. We explore the extent that family-and community-level characteristics, measured in childhood, differentially predict the likelihood of employment for adult Norwegian men and women. Drawing on theories pertaining to the importance of information, skills and gender norms transfer, our empirical analysis demonstrates that a parsimonious set of family-and community-level characteristics can explain a substantial part of the gender gap. These results suggest that female labor force participation is constrained by the intergenerational transfer of beliefs and expectations about family and work. JEL-Code: J100, J200.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch ge... more Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your personal and scholarly purposes. You are not to copy documents for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence.

Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2021

BACKGROUND: Accountable care organizations (ACOs), patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), and th... more BACKGROUND: Accountable care organizations (ACOs), patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), and the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) generated particular attention during the last decade. Translating these reforms into meaningful increases in population health depends on improving the quality and clinical integration of primary care providers (PCPs). However, if these innovations spread more quickly among PCPs in urban and wealthier areas, then they could potentially worsen existing geographic disparities in health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine the market penetration of Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs, PCMHs, and the meaningful use of EHRs among PCPs across urban and rural counties in Ohio. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study of the percent of PCPs in a county who are affiliated with PCMH, ACO, and meaningful use (MU) of EHR.

Labour Economics, 2018

Despite well-documented convergence during the later years of the 20 th century, labor market att... more Despite well-documented convergence during the later years of the 20 th century, labor market attachment remains markedly higher for men than for women. The current paper employs rich longitudinal registry data to investigate the intergenerational transfer of the gender gap in employment. We explore the extent that family-and community-level characteristics, measured in childhood, differentially predict employment for adult Norwegian men and women. Drawing on theories pertaining to the importance of information, skills and gender norms transfer, our empirical analysis demonstrates that a parsimonious set of family-and community-level characteristics can explain a substantial part of the gender gap. These results suggest that female employment continues to be influenced by the intergenerational transfer of beliefs and expectations about family and work.

Labour Economics, 2019

We estimate the job displacement effect on criminal behavior for young adult Norwegian men separa... more We estimate the job displacement effect on criminal behavior for young adult Norwegian men separated from their plant of employment during a mass layoff. Displaced workers experience a 20 percent increase in criminal charge rates in the year of displacement, with effects declining thereafter. Effects are particularly large for property crimes, consistent with the idea that displaced workers turn to acquisitive crimes to replace lost earnings. However, effects are also sizable for violent and alcohol/drug-related crimes, indicating other mechanisms at work. We find strong evidence that displacement increases crime effects through the increased availability of time, and supportive evidence that psychological factors (mental distress, self-control) also play a role.

Health Affairs, 2018

Although regional health improvement collaboratives have been adopted nationwide to improve prima... more Although regional health improvement collaboratives have been adopted nationwide to improve primary care quality, their effects on avoidable hospitalizations and costs remain unclear. We quantified the association of the Better Health Partnership, a primary care-led regional health improvement collaborative operating in Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Cleveland and surrounding suburbs), with hospitalization rates for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. The partnership uses a positive deviance approach to identify, disseminate publicly, and accelerate adoption of best practices for care of patients with diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension. Using a difference-indifferences approach, we compared rates of hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions in six Ohio counties before (2003-08) and after (2009-14) the establishment of the partnership. Age-and sex-adjusted hospitalization rates for targeted ambulatory care-sensitive conditions in Cuyahoga County declined significantly more than the rates in the comparator counties in 2009-11 (106 fewer hospitalizations per 100,000 adult residents) and 2012-14 (91 fewer hospitalizations). We estimated that 5,746 hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions were averted in 2009-14, leading to cost savings of nearly $40 million.

Labour Economics, 2018

A large literature suggests that high quality childcare programs can produce positive and lasting... more A large literature suggests that high quality childcare programs can produce positive and lasting effects by promoting math, language and social-emotional skills, referred to as school readiness skills, especially for children of parents with low education. Hence, a universal childcare system with easy access has the potential to make a substantial difference in children's lives and reduce socioeconomic disparities in educational outcomes. However, if childcare quality varies across centers, universal childcare systems can also potentially increase disparities in school readiness if the children of more highly-educated parents select into centers of higher quality. Using a unique dataset with one-to-one assessments of school readiness skills among 627 five-year-olds attending 67 different childcare centers, we investigate differences in childcare quality by testing whether covariate adjusted assessments scores are clustered by center. Through fixed effect and random effect analyses, we demonstrate significant variation in school readiness across centers. However, selection into centers of different quality appears to be limited.

Journal of Family Violence, 2018

Because the effects of children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) carry long lasting ... more Because the effects of children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) carry long lasting consequences for the affected children, IPV exposure may impose a significant economic burden to localities, states, and society at large, made explicit over the victim's lifetime and over a wide range of behaviors and outcomes, including use of social services, health and healthcare utilization, educational outcomes, workforce productivity, and criminal behavior. While much research has been conducted on the effect of IPV exposure on multiple short-and long-term outcomes, no research to date has examined the economic burden associated with IPV exposure. Using an incidence-based approach, we estimated the aggregate discounted costs associated with healthcare spending, criminal behavior, and labor market productivity accrued by a 20-year-old victim in 2016 projected to the age of 65, applying a 3% discount rate. The average lifetime costs derived from childhood IPV expo

Digestive diseases and sciences, Jan 9, 2018

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are potent inhibitors of acid secretion and are the mainstay of the... more Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are potent inhibitors of acid secretion and are the mainstay of therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Initially designed to be taken 30 min before the first daily meal, these agents are commonly used suboptimally, which adversely affects symptom relief. No study to date has assessed whether correcting dosing regimens would improve symptom control. The objective of this study was to determine whether patients with persistent GERD symptoms on suboptimal omeprazole dosing experience symptomatic improvement when randomized to commonly recommended dosing regimen and to evaluate the economic impact of suboptimal PPI dosing in GERD patients. Patients with persistent heartburn symptoms ≥ 3 times per week treated with omeprazole 20 mg daily were enrolled and randomized to commonly recommended dosing or continued suboptimal dosing of omeprazole. The primary outcomes were changes in symptom, frequency, and severity, as determined using the Gastroesop...

The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 2012

We estimate the magnitude of social interaction effects in disability pension participation among... more We estimate the magnitude of social interaction effects in disability pension participation among older workers in Norway. Specifically, we investigate how a worker's propensity to draw disability benefits is affected by a plausibly exogenous shock to the disability entry rate of similarly-aged workers in his or her neighborhood. The problem of omitted variable bias is addressed by employing a novel instrumental variable (IV) strategy, using plant downsizing at neighbors' plants of employment as an instrument for the disability entry rate among one's previously employed neighbors. Our IV estimates suggest that a one percentage point increase in the participation rate of previously employed neighbors increased the subsequent 4-year entry rate of workers by about one-half a percentage point. Numerous robustness and specification tests appear to support the validity of the identifying assumption in our IV strategy.

Journal of Law and Health, 2010

In the United States, health insurance for those under age 65 is provided largely through employe... more In the United States, health insurance for those under age 65 is provided largely through employers. This paper analyzes how interactions between labor and health insurance markets lead to sub-optimal investments in future health. Our focus is on search frictions in the market for employer based health insurance. We develop a theoretical model of the health insurance market and find that insurance market frictions raise insurance premiums above marginal cost; increase insurance turnover above efficient levels; and depress private returns to investments in future health. Our empirical work examines the rate of insurance turnover using data from The Community Tracking Study and from the administrative records of an insurance company. The high rates of turnover we find are consistent with the presence of substantial market frictions in employer based insurance markets. We conclude by In the United States, health insurance for those under age 65 is provided largely through employers. Th...

The Review of Economic Studies, 2011

Using Norwegian register data we estimate how children's school performance is affected by their ... more Using Norwegian register data we estimate how children's school performance is affected by their parents' exposure to plant closure. Fathers' exposure leads to a substantial decline in children's graduation-year grade point average, but only in municipalities with mediocre-performing job markets. The negative effect does not appear to be driven by a reduction in father's income and employment, an increase in parental divorce, or the trauma of relocating. In contrast, mothers' exposure leads to improved school performance. Our findings appear to be consistent with sociological "role theories," with parents unable to fully shield their children from the stress caused by threats to the father's traditional role as breadwinner, and mothers responding to job loss by allocating greater attention towards child rearing.

The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of... more The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peerreviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications.

Journal of Clinical Research & Bioethics, 2012

We are responsible for any errors or omissions. The views expressed herein are those of the autho... more We are responsible for any errors or omissions. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peerreviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications.

Social Science & Medicine, 2009

We analyze the effects of neighborhood characteristics on the mortality of black male youth in fa... more We analyze the effects of neighborhood characteristics on the mortality of black male youth in families relocated through the Gautreaux program, a residential mobility program implemented in Chicago in 1976. While we find significant evidence of neighborhood selfselection by families participating in Gautreaux, we nonetheless find evidence that certain placement neighborhood characteristics were associated with lower male youth mortality rates after controlling for household and origin neighborhood characteristics. Placement neighborhood characteristics related to human capital and work were more important predictors of male youth mortality than characteristics related to race, poverty, or family composition.

Neurology, 2007

Objective: To determine the incremental costs of pneumonia occurring during hospitalization for s... more Objective: To determine the incremental costs of pneumonia occurring during hospitalization for stroke. Methods: We reviewed hospital records of all Medicare patients admitted for ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke to 29 hospitals in a large metropolitan area, 1991 through 1997, excluding those who died or had do not resuscitate orders written within 3 days of admission. Hospital costs of patients with stroke were determined using Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data after adjustment for baseline factors affecting cost and propensity for pneumonia. Secondary analyses examined the risk-adjusted relationship of pneumonia to discharge disposition. Results: Pneumonia occurred in 5.6% (635/11,286) of patients with stroke, and was more common among patients admitted from nursing homes and those with greater severity of illness (p Ͻ 0.

We estimate the effect of exposure to plant closure on crime using an individual-level panel data... more We estimate the effect of exposure to plant closure on crime using an individual-level panel data set containing criminal charges for all unmarried and employed Norwegian men below the age of 40. Men originally employed in plants that subsequently closed are 14 percent more likely to be charged of a crime than comparable men in stable plants. There is no difference in charge rates prior to closure, supporting a causal interpretation of our result. Within crime categories, we find no effect of plant closure on property crime, perhaps because closure has a small and insignificant effect on subsequent earnings. We estimate an effect of plant closure on categories of non-acquisitive crime, suggesting a role for mental distress or idleness. A role for idleness is supported by evidence that the effects of plant closure on crime tend to be more pronounced for crimes committed during the week than on weekends.

We estimate the effects of wait time for orthopedic surgery on health and labor market outcomes o... more We estimate the effects of wait time for orthopedic surgery on health and labor market outcomes of Norwegian workers. Our identification strategy exploits variation in wait times for surgery generated by the idiosyncratic variation in system congestion at the time of referral. While we find no significant evidence of lasting health effects, longer wait times have persistent negative effects on subsequent labor supply. For every 10 days spent waiting for surgery, we estimate health-related workplace absences increase 8.7 days over the five years following referral, and the likelihood of permanent disability insurance increases by 0.4 percentage point. Cost benefit calculations point to sizable fiscal savings from shorter wait times.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

Despite well-documented convergence during the later years of the 20 th century, labor force atta... more Despite well-documented convergence during the later years of the 20 th century, labor force attachment remains markedly higher for men than for women. The current paper employs rich longitudinal registry data to investigate the intergenerational transfer of the gender gap in labor force participation. We explore the extent that family-and community-level characteristics, measured in childhood, differentially predict the likelihood of employment for adult Norwegian men and women. Drawing on theories pertaining to the importance of information, skills and gender norms transfer, our empirical analysis demonstrates that a parsimonious set of family-and community-level characteristics can explain a substantial part of the gender gap. These results suggest that female labor force participation is constrained by the intergenerational transfer of beliefs and expectations about family and work. JEL-Code: J100, J200.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch ge... more Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your personal and scholarly purposes. You are not to copy documents for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence.

Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2021

BACKGROUND: Accountable care organizations (ACOs), patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), and th... more BACKGROUND: Accountable care organizations (ACOs), patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), and the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) generated particular attention during the last decade. Translating these reforms into meaningful increases in population health depends on improving the quality and clinical integration of primary care providers (PCPs). However, if these innovations spread more quickly among PCPs in urban and wealthier areas, then they could potentially worsen existing geographic disparities in health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine the market penetration of Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs, PCMHs, and the meaningful use of EHRs among PCPs across urban and rural counties in Ohio. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study of the percent of PCPs in a county who are affiliated with PCMH, ACO, and meaningful use (MU) of EHR.

Labour Economics, 2018

Despite well-documented convergence during the later years of the 20 th century, labor market att... more Despite well-documented convergence during the later years of the 20 th century, labor market attachment remains markedly higher for men than for women. The current paper employs rich longitudinal registry data to investigate the intergenerational transfer of the gender gap in employment. We explore the extent that family-and community-level characteristics, measured in childhood, differentially predict employment for adult Norwegian men and women. Drawing on theories pertaining to the importance of information, skills and gender norms transfer, our empirical analysis demonstrates that a parsimonious set of family-and community-level characteristics can explain a substantial part of the gender gap. These results suggest that female employment continues to be influenced by the intergenerational transfer of beliefs and expectations about family and work.

Labour Economics, 2019

We estimate the job displacement effect on criminal behavior for young adult Norwegian men separa... more We estimate the job displacement effect on criminal behavior for young adult Norwegian men separated from their plant of employment during a mass layoff. Displaced workers experience a 20 percent increase in criminal charge rates in the year of displacement, with effects declining thereafter. Effects are particularly large for property crimes, consistent with the idea that displaced workers turn to acquisitive crimes to replace lost earnings. However, effects are also sizable for violent and alcohol/drug-related crimes, indicating other mechanisms at work. We find strong evidence that displacement increases crime effects through the increased availability of time, and supportive evidence that psychological factors (mental distress, self-control) also play a role.

Health Affairs, 2018

Although regional health improvement collaboratives have been adopted nationwide to improve prima... more Although regional health improvement collaboratives have been adopted nationwide to improve primary care quality, their effects on avoidable hospitalizations and costs remain unclear. We quantified the association of the Better Health Partnership, a primary care-led regional health improvement collaborative operating in Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Cleveland and surrounding suburbs), with hospitalization rates for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. The partnership uses a positive deviance approach to identify, disseminate publicly, and accelerate adoption of best practices for care of patients with diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension. Using a difference-indifferences approach, we compared rates of hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions in six Ohio counties before (2003-08) and after (2009-14) the establishment of the partnership. Age-and sex-adjusted hospitalization rates for targeted ambulatory care-sensitive conditions in Cuyahoga County declined significantly more than the rates in the comparator counties in 2009-11 (106 fewer hospitalizations per 100,000 adult residents) and 2012-14 (91 fewer hospitalizations). We estimated that 5,746 hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions were averted in 2009-14, leading to cost savings of nearly $40 million.

Labour Economics, 2018

A large literature suggests that high quality childcare programs can produce positive and lasting... more A large literature suggests that high quality childcare programs can produce positive and lasting effects by promoting math, language and social-emotional skills, referred to as school readiness skills, especially for children of parents with low education. Hence, a universal childcare system with easy access has the potential to make a substantial difference in children's lives and reduce socioeconomic disparities in educational outcomes. However, if childcare quality varies across centers, universal childcare systems can also potentially increase disparities in school readiness if the children of more highly-educated parents select into centers of higher quality. Using a unique dataset with one-to-one assessments of school readiness skills among 627 five-year-olds attending 67 different childcare centers, we investigate differences in childcare quality by testing whether covariate adjusted assessments scores are clustered by center. Through fixed effect and random effect analyses, we demonstrate significant variation in school readiness across centers. However, selection into centers of different quality appears to be limited.

Journal of Family Violence, 2018

Because the effects of children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) carry long lasting ... more Because the effects of children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) carry long lasting consequences for the affected children, IPV exposure may impose a significant economic burden to localities, states, and society at large, made explicit over the victim's lifetime and over a wide range of behaviors and outcomes, including use of social services, health and healthcare utilization, educational outcomes, workforce productivity, and criminal behavior. While much research has been conducted on the effect of IPV exposure on multiple short-and long-term outcomes, no research to date has examined the economic burden associated with IPV exposure. Using an incidence-based approach, we estimated the aggregate discounted costs associated with healthcare spending, criminal behavior, and labor market productivity accrued by a 20-year-old victim in 2016 projected to the age of 65, applying a 3% discount rate. The average lifetime costs derived from childhood IPV expo

Digestive diseases and sciences, Jan 9, 2018

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are potent inhibitors of acid secretion and are the mainstay of the... more Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are potent inhibitors of acid secretion and are the mainstay of therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Initially designed to be taken 30 min before the first daily meal, these agents are commonly used suboptimally, which adversely affects symptom relief. No study to date has assessed whether correcting dosing regimens would improve symptom control. The objective of this study was to determine whether patients with persistent GERD symptoms on suboptimal omeprazole dosing experience symptomatic improvement when randomized to commonly recommended dosing regimen and to evaluate the economic impact of suboptimal PPI dosing in GERD patients. Patients with persistent heartburn symptoms ≥ 3 times per week treated with omeprazole 20 mg daily were enrolled and randomized to commonly recommended dosing or continued suboptimal dosing of omeprazole. The primary outcomes were changes in symptom, frequency, and severity, as determined using the Gastroesop...

The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 2012

We estimate the magnitude of social interaction effects in disability pension participation among... more We estimate the magnitude of social interaction effects in disability pension participation among older workers in Norway. Specifically, we investigate how a worker's propensity to draw disability benefits is affected by a plausibly exogenous shock to the disability entry rate of similarly-aged workers in his or her neighborhood. The problem of omitted variable bias is addressed by employing a novel instrumental variable (IV) strategy, using plant downsizing at neighbors' plants of employment as an instrument for the disability entry rate among one's previously employed neighbors. Our IV estimates suggest that a one percentage point increase in the participation rate of previously employed neighbors increased the subsequent 4-year entry rate of workers by about one-half a percentage point. Numerous robustness and specification tests appear to support the validity of the identifying assumption in our IV strategy.

Journal of Law and Health, 2010

In the United States, health insurance for those under age 65 is provided largely through employe... more In the United States, health insurance for those under age 65 is provided largely through employers. This paper analyzes how interactions between labor and health insurance markets lead to sub-optimal investments in future health. Our focus is on search frictions in the market for employer based health insurance. We develop a theoretical model of the health insurance market and find that insurance market frictions raise insurance premiums above marginal cost; increase insurance turnover above efficient levels; and depress private returns to investments in future health. Our empirical work examines the rate of insurance turnover using data from The Community Tracking Study and from the administrative records of an insurance company. The high rates of turnover we find are consistent with the presence of substantial market frictions in employer based insurance markets. We conclude by In the United States, health insurance for those under age 65 is provided largely through employers. Th...

The Review of Economic Studies, 2011

Using Norwegian register data we estimate how children's school performance is affected by their ... more Using Norwegian register data we estimate how children's school performance is affected by their parents' exposure to plant closure. Fathers' exposure leads to a substantial decline in children's graduation-year grade point average, but only in municipalities with mediocre-performing job markets. The negative effect does not appear to be driven by a reduction in father's income and employment, an increase in parental divorce, or the trauma of relocating. In contrast, mothers' exposure leads to improved school performance. Our findings appear to be consistent with sociological "role theories," with parents unable to fully shield their children from the stress caused by threats to the father's traditional role as breadwinner, and mothers responding to job loss by allocating greater attention towards child rearing.

The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of... more The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peerreviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications.

Journal of Clinical Research & Bioethics, 2012

We are responsible for any errors or omissions. The views expressed herein are those of the autho... more We are responsible for any errors or omissions. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peerreviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications.

Social Science & Medicine, 2009

We analyze the effects of neighborhood characteristics on the mortality of black male youth in fa... more We analyze the effects of neighborhood characteristics on the mortality of black male youth in families relocated through the Gautreaux program, a residential mobility program implemented in Chicago in 1976. While we find significant evidence of neighborhood selfselection by families participating in Gautreaux, we nonetheless find evidence that certain placement neighborhood characteristics were associated with lower male youth mortality rates after controlling for household and origin neighborhood characteristics. Placement neighborhood characteristics related to human capital and work were more important predictors of male youth mortality than characteristics related to race, poverty, or family composition.

Neurology, 2007

Objective: To determine the incremental costs of pneumonia occurring during hospitalization for s... more Objective: To determine the incremental costs of pneumonia occurring during hospitalization for stroke. Methods: We reviewed hospital records of all Medicare patients admitted for ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke to 29 hospitals in a large metropolitan area, 1991 through 1997, excluding those who died or had do not resuscitate orders written within 3 days of admission. Hospital costs of patients with stroke were determined using Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data after adjustment for baseline factors affecting cost and propensity for pneumonia. Secondary analyses examined the risk-adjusted relationship of pneumonia to discharge disposition. Results: Pneumonia occurred in 5.6% (635/11,286) of patients with stroke, and was more common among patients admitted from nursing homes and those with greater severity of illness (p Ͻ 0.