Poverty Archives

02.06.2018 Letters spelling out Raise the Min Wage lit up on a highway overpass

Higher Minimum Wage Helps Population Health

Data shows that higher minimum wage improves health and nutrition and decreases stress. Opponents argue that higher minimum wages endanger jobs by hurting small businesses and encouraging the shift to automation.

Fellow Qing Wai Wong

12.07.2017 Graph showing percentage-point reductions in health-inclusive poverty rates by health insurance types

Health Insurance Reduces Poverty

A recent Health Affairs article pioneers a new way to gauge the impact of health insurance on poverty by taking health into account.

Fellow Qing Wai Wong

12.06.2017 A produce market with tomatoes, potatoes, and other vegetables

USDA Dietary Guidelines: A Clash in Governance

USDA dietary guidelines call for half of our diets to consist of fruits and vegetables, but USDA food industry subsidies do not match these recommendations.

Guest Author Marena Sullivan

11.14.2017 Frost on a window pane obscuring the view outside

Preventing Utility Shut-off Related Deaths in Massachusetts

Cold weather kills. Utility shut-offs because of lack of payment do happen frequently in Massachusetts, though protection laws exist. From November 15 to March 15, heat cannot be shut off for non-payment.

Fellow Gilbert Benavidez

10.17.2017 a graph of different colored bars

Ethnic Disparities in Adolescent Mental Health Treatment

Adolescent racial or ethnic minorities in Massachusetts experience disproportionately high levels of sadness and suicide attempts. There is also a large disparity between white youth and minority youth receiving depression treatment.

Fellow Gilbert Benavidez

08.07.2017 Dental pick and mirror with a tooth reflected in it

Health Equity

Disparity and Dental Therapy

Dentist visits can strike fear into the hearts of even the toughest of people. While some avoid the scraping and poking by choice, others are kept from their yearly recommended check-ups because of high costs and a lack of insurance.

Fellow Madeline Bishop

06.29.2017 Illustration of a tree showing the relationship of green spaces and wellbeing

Parks and Privilege

The city of Los Angeles is a prime example of disparities in access to healthier, greener urban development. Initiatives such as the Land Trust’s project, known as “Transforming Inner-City Lost Lots” (TILL), empower low-income communities to take the “greening” of their neighborhoods into their own hands.

Fellow Madeline Bishop

06.27.2017 Map of the United States showing poverty by county

Cause of Death: Poverty

Viz Hub's interactive map of life expectancy in each US county dramatically illustrates that health is largely shaped by where you live and the conditions of your life.

Fellow Gilbert Benavidez

06.26.2017 Tomatos and avocados

Malnutrition Is About More Than Food Security

The solution to malnutrition may require focus on root causes rather than on increased food production. Gardens for Health International identifies a number of complex, interrelated factors that impact a family’s food security.

Guest Author Bailey Adams

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