Health
Behind-the-counter, but Over-the-border? The Assessment of the Geographical Spillover Effect of Increased Access to Emergency Contraception
Washington was the first state to ease the prescription requirements making emergency contraception (EC) available behind-the-counter at pharmacies to wahine of any age in 1998. I hypothesize that the increased availability of EC affects fertility rates beyond the borders of the state that allows it. In contrast to the literature, I show that increased access […]
Read MoreBehind-the-counter, but Over-the-border? A case of emergency contraception
When the state imposes age restrictions on consumption of certain goods and services, potential customers often look for ways to avoid these restrictions. “Border-hopping” refers to the practice of crossing a state’s border from the state that has stricter restrictions to the state with more lenient age policies and is well documented in reference to […]
Read MoreThe Effect of Minimum Drinking Age Laws on Pregnancy, Fertility, and Alcohol Consumption
Analysis of micro-level data reveals that changes in the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) could induce changes in the intensity and location of alcohol consumption, sexual behavior, and teen fertility. Effects on teen fertility vary across different populations. Among 15-20 year-old non-poor whites, less restrictive legal access to alcohol decreases the probability of first pregnancy […]
Read MoreAlcohol Use and Pregnancies Among Youth: Evidence From a Semi-Parametric Approach
Despite a well-established correlation between alcohol intake and various risk-taking sexual behaviors, the causality remains unknown. I model the effect of alcohol use on the likelihood of pregnancy among youth using a variety of estimation techniques. The preference is given to the semi-parametric model where the cumulative distribution of heterogeneity is approximated by a 4-point […]
Read MoreHealth Inequality over the Life-Cycle
We consider the covariance structure of health. Agents report their health levels on the basis of a latent health stock that is determined by permanent and transitory shocks, and time invariant fixed effects. At age 25, permanent shocks account for 5% to 10% of the variation in health. At age 60, this percentage rise to […]
Read MoreHawaii Statehood Conference
UHERO research will be highlighted at the upcoming Hawaii Statehood Conference. New Horizons for the Next 50 Years A Commemorative Conference will be held Friday, August 21 from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Hawai’i Convention Center in Honolulu. For more information visit: http://hawaii.gov/statehood
Read MoreThe Effect of Mandatory Employer-Sponsored Insurance (ESI) on Health Insurance Coverage and Labor Force Utilization in Hawaii: Evidence from the Current Population Survey (CPS) 1994-2004
Using data from the Current Population Surveys, we examine the impact of Hawaii’s mandatory employer-sponsored insurance on health insurance coverage and employment structure in Hawaii. We find empirical evidence of three phenomena. First, private employer-sponsored insurance coverage for full-time workers (more than 20 hours per week) is more prevalent in Hawaii, other things held constant, […]
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