Health
After the Maui wildfires: The road ahead.
By Steven Bond-Smith, Daniela Bond-Smith, Carl Bonham, Leah Bremer, Kim Burnett, Makena Coffman, Peter Fuleky, Byron Gangnes, Rachel Inafuku, Ruben Juarez, Sumner La Croix, Colin Moore, Dylan Moore, Nori Tarui, Justin Tyndall, and Chris Wada The immediate recovery efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires continue, and at UHERO we share our community’s anguish over the […]
Read MoreReplacing Medicaid with an Imperfect Substitute: Implications for Health Inequality
Abstract: A 2015 policy change substantially increased the administrative burden involved in accessing health insurance for Pacific Islander immigrants in Hawaii. We examine the heterogeneous health-care use effects of this policy, which revoked Medicaid eligibility for these migrants and replaced it with access to subsidized private health insurance. Using data on the universe of hospitalizations […]
Read MoreOnly the fit survive recessions: Estimating labor market penalties for the obese over the business cycle
Abstract: The obesity epidemic is a growing concern in the United States. Aside from the detrimental health effects of obesity, previous work has also documented a negative relationship between obesity and various labor market outcomes. Given that the American adult obesity rate is roughly 40%, obesity affects a large portion of the US labor market. […]
Read MorePublic Health Report: Shaping Health in Hawaii – The Influences of Poverty, Housing and Food Insecurity
In June 2023, UHERO’s public health team, in partnership with the Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19, carried out the third wave of the UHERO Rapid Health Survey. The study engaged 1,575 adult residents of Hawai‘i and examined the links between mental health, food security and socio-economic determinants like housing conditions and poverty status. UHERO’s Colin Moore […]
Read MoreLong COVID and Unemployment in Hawaii
Abstract: The state of Hawaii has seen 390,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 1900 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Although the negative impact of the pandemic on employment has been widely documented, this paper demonstrates that those who were infected and suffer from lingering symptoms (i.e., long COVID) had different employment outcomes than those […]
Read MoreThe 2023 ‘Imi Pono Survey: Share your unique experience and perspective on wellbeing!
For the last two years, UHERO and Kamehameha Schools have been working together as part of a strategic partnership. We share many common interests in topics of importance to the people of Hawai’i, such as housing, environmental sustainability, education, health, taxation, and economic diversification. We have explored these interests in a joint Lunch & Learn […]
Read MorePublic Health Report: Vaccination Booster Uptake Lags as COVID Impact Reach Widens
As we enter a new phase of the pandemic, Hawai‘i’s populations are becoming more confident that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, driving COVID-19 booster uptake down. However, significant impacts exacerbated by the pandemic, including long COVID, mental health issues, and the negative effects of long COVID on unemployment pose significant challenges that warrant […]
Read MoreNew publication to understand COVID-19 disparities in Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander (NHPI)-enriched communities
New publication out today by UHERO’s Ruben Juarez and team, “Vaccine-Associated Shifts in SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity Among the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population in Hawaii”. Abstract: Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) across the country have experienced significant disparities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19 used a community-based participatory approach […]
Read MoreVaccine-Associated Shifts in SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity Among the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population in Hawaii
Abstract: Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) across the country have experienced significant disparities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19 used a community-based participatory approach involving academic and community partners to expand sustainable COVID-19 testing capacity and mitigate the severe consequences among NHPI communities in Hawaii. We describe the approach […]
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