URBAN SPRAWL AND OBESITY

In the U.S., urban sprawl and the rise in obesity rates have been two powerful trends during the latter half of the 20th century. Previous empirical work has found that obesity rates are influenced by labor market outcomes that are fundamentally shaped by the spatial pattern of developed land. We examine these potential linkages in an urban spatial model augmented to include time allocation and weight. Residents maximize utility defined over housing, weight, and food subject to a fixed time budget allocated to commuting, calorie expenditure, and work. We examine how weight is affected by commuting distance, food prices, and the rate of calorie expenditure; how a reduction in transportation costs affects weight throughout the city; and how initial weight affects location decisions. We identify, and explore the significance of, the conditions under which weight gain is associated with common features of sprawl.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Restricted Opportunities, Personal Choices, Ineffective Policies: What Explains Food Insecurity in Oregon?

This study examines the extent to which household demographics, local economic and social conditions, and federal food security programs explain the likelihood of household food insecurity in Oregon. Between 1999 and 2001, Oregon had the highest average rate of hunger in the nation and ranked in the top five states with respect to food insecurity. Statistical analyses using a multivariate logit model reveal that food insecurity is influenced by much more than demographics and individual choices. County-level factors such as residential location (urban versus rural) and housing costs significantly affect the likelihood that families will be food insecure.food insecurity, food stamps, hunger, rural residence, Food Security and Poverty,

Balancing Coordinated Care with Tribal Sovereignty: Lesson’s from Oregon’s Medicaid Reform

The purpose of this case study is to examine the efforts made by the legislature and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to involve Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes in the implementation of the revised Oregon Health Plan. We identified eight key informants, consisting of four tribal representatives and four state representatives, for interviews. Additionally, we identified the contact person from each newly-established Medicaid delivery network to determine if they had included the tribe(s) or planned to include the tribe(s) in their network. The OHA made some steps to ensure the inclusion of tribes in the planning and implementation process, but were challenged with the rapid implementation timeframe. Formal linkages between the tribes and Medicaid delivery networks were not developed. The federally recognized tribes of Oregon and their respective members had legitimate concerns about the revised Oregon Health Plan and how they might affect access to health care services and provider reimbursements. As other states expand Medicaid based on changes resulting from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives must be included in the planning process

Restricted opportunities, unfortunate personal choices, ineffective policies? What explains food insecurity in Oregon

As the extent of household food insecurity in the US has become better understood, policymakers at the federal and state levels have sought to learn more about the multiple causes of food insecurity. Some have sought the explanation in the personal choices about marriage, child bearing, education and other life choices that people make that increase the vulnerability of a household. Other look to the economic and social context in which individuals and households make their choices: the availability of jobs, local wage levels, costs of living and availability of social supports. Still others seek the causes in governmental and nongovernmental institutional responses to economic distress. This study attempts to untangle the multiple sources of food insecurity by examining the roles of household demographics, local economic and social conditions and federal food security programs in explaining the likelihood of household food insecurity in Oregon, the state with the highest hunger rate in the nation in four of the last five assessments. We believe this is the first study that has examined the role of local (county-level) contextual factors in explaining food insecurity

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN URBAN SPRAWL AND OBESITY: IS IT A TWO-WAY STREET?

We empirically examine the relationship between obesity and urban development patterns where individuals reside. Previous analyses treat urban form as exogenous to weight, and find higher body mass indices (BMI) among residents of areas with sprawl patterns of development. Using samples of recent movers, we find that the causality runs in both directions. Individuals who move to denser locations lose weight. As well, BMI is a determinant of the choice of a dense or sprawling location. In sum, while moving to a dense area results in weight loss, such locations are unlikely to be selected by individuals with high BMI. Copyright Blackwell Publishing, Inc. 2007