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Population Change and Income Inequality in Rural America

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the effects of population growth and decline on county-level income inequality in the rural United States from 1980 to 2016. Findings from previous research have shown that population growth is positively associated with income inequality. However, these studies are largely motivated by theories of urbanization and growth in metropolitan areas, and do not explicitly test for differences between the impacts of population growth and decline. Examining the effects of both forms of population change on income inequality is particularly important in rural counties of the United States, the majority of which are experiencing population decline. We analyze county-level data (N=11,320 county-decades) from the U.S. Decennial Census and American Community Survey, applying fixed-effects regression models to estimate the respective effects of population growth and decline on income inequality within rural counties. We find that both forms of population change have significant effects on income inequality relative to stable growth. Population decline is associated with increases in income inequality, while population growth is marginally associated with decreases in inequality. These relationships are consistent across a variety of model specifications, including models that account for counties’ employment, sociodemographic, and ethno-racial composition. We also find that the relationship between income inequality and population change varies by counties’ geographic region, baseline level of inequality, and baseline population size, suggesting that the links between population change and income inequality are not uniform across rural America.

SUBMITTER: Butler J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8570540 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectiveHealth equality has drawn much public attention in both developed and developing countries. China, the largest developing country, has implemented a new round of health system reform to improve health equality since 2009. This study aims to examine the magnitude and sources of income-related health inequality in western rural regions of China.MethodsData were obtained from the Survey of Rural Economic and Social Development in Western China conducted in 2014, in which 14,555 individuals from 5,299 households in 12 provinces were included. Health outcome variables of interest were self-rated health status, prevalence of chronic disease and four-week illness. Concentration index was calculated to assess magnitude of income-related health inequality, and nonlinear decomposition analysis was performed to identify the sources of health inequality.ResultsThe Concentration indexes for poor self-rated health status, prevalence of chronic disease and four-week illness were -0.0898 (P<0.001),-0.0860 (P<0.001) and -0.1284 (P<0.001), respectively. Income and education were two main sources of health inequality, accounting for about 25-50% and 15% contribution to the inequality. Ethnicity made <10% contribution to income-related health inequality, and enrollment in New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme contributed to <1%.ConclusionThis study found slight income-related health inequality among rural residents in western China, implying that although China has made substantial progress in economic development and poverty alleviation, health inequality in western rural region should still be concerned by the government. To achieve health equality further, the Chinese government should not only strengthen its reimbursement mechanism of the current health insurance scheme to improve affordability of primary healthcare for residents in western rural regions, but also implement health poverty alleviation policies targeting socioeconomically vulnerable population and ethnic minorities in future.

Project description:The novel coronavirus is part of a series of infectious disease outbreaks that include: Ebola, Avian influenza, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and Influenza A. This paper addresses the question of how do these epidemics and pandemics affect income inequality in countries around the world during the first two decades of this century. To achieve its objective, the paper develops a model that indicates a positive association between these health crises and income inequality. To empirically test our theoretical predictions, the paper explores the effect on the Gini coefficient of a dummy variable that indicates the occurrence of an epidemic or a pandemic in a country in a given year and the number of deaths per 100,000. To properly address potential endogeneity, we implement a Three-Stage-Least Squares technique. The estimation shows that the number of deaths per 100,000 population variable has a statistically significant positive effect on the Gini coefficient, especially when we incorporate COVID-19 data. This suggests that not only the occurrence, but also the health consequences of COVID-19 have a significant and economically important effect on income inequality.BackgroundThe purpose of the study is to examine the effect of epidemics and pandemics on income inequality. This has important implications as the outcome of this study can guide policymakers into implementing policies that can mitigate the economic consequences of these health crises.MethodsThe study is a cross country analysis using fixed effects estimation. To address potential endogeneity and determine causality, the paper uses the Three-Stage-Least-Squares estimation.ResultsThe paper finds that the number of epidemic deaths per 100,000 population variable has a statistically significant positive effect on the Gini coefficient, especially when we incorporate COVID-19 data.ConclusionsThe paper finds that it is not only the occurrence of an epidemic, captured by the epidemics dummy variable, but also the health consequences, captured by the number of deaths per 100,000 population, that have a significant effect on income inequality. This is especially the case when we incorporate COVID-19 in our analysis.Trial registrationNot Applicable.

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Population Change and Income Inequality in Rural America

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